'Don't Ask' homophobic questions, 'Don't Tell' us poll matters
OPINION - Military commanders taking temperature readings on social issues is potentially dangerous...
The survey conceived by the Department of Defense which recently questioned 400,000 troops regarding their feelings on gays in the military is a mistake.
The Pentagon is playing the survey very close to the vest for fear of impacting the results. But from what we know of the survey, there are more than 100 questions. They range from asking about the impact on unit morale if a commander were gay or lesbian, to how the person would feel if they shared a room, bathroom, open bay showers or were in a war zone together.
Full disclosure: I enlisted in the United States Navy when I was 17 and my sexual orientation is heterosexual. Back in the summer of 1993 when I was in boot camp, the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy was still new. A few of my fellow Navy recruits were gay. As I discovered this, sometimes it was a surprise and other times it was not. But guess what, when it came down to it, they could get the job done as well as any other soldier.
WATCH THE VIDEO OF LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS TRYING TO END MILITARY’S ANTI-GAY POLICY
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If I had been asked to take a survey at the time on my feelings about the issue, frankly, I would have been shocked that my opinion was being taken into consideration, for any reason.
In fact, I would have asked myself if a similar type of survey was used when Harry Truman integrated the armed forces. Only that did not happen. There was an order of policy and it was executed accordingly. In February 1948, President Harry Truman directed the United States armed forces to desegregate as quickly as possible. Then in July, he issued Executive Order 9981, which directed the military to end racial discrimination.
It was after the Executive Order that two boards were established to make recommendations on how to integrate. But at no point was a social survey used to take a poll about the feelings of troops. The military actually led American society on this issue.
Guess what happened to the armed services after the Truman’s order? It survived, thrived and flourished. Sure, there were issues. But there is a difference between determining the best way to implement a policy and giving a signal that military personnel can manipulate orders rooted in a social dynamic.
The next big social issue that the military then was forced to deal with concerned women in combat roles. And yes, over the years, women and the units they have commanded have thrived too. Women originally began serving in support roles only, away from enemy lines. But as myths gave way to reality, they then succeeded in aviation positions and now even some ground combat. The point? Our military survived and women continue to perform exceptionally in new roles.
The issue of both race and gender in the military is the same as sexual orientation. All three are social issues. With race, the military through President Truman’s leadership, dealt with the issue in the swiftest way possible. And this integration of the armed services, of course, helped lay the foundation for the civil rights movement that followed.
As for the roles of women in the military, the specific roles that women have been able to perform in have steadily been proven with each additional year. Although not as fast as the issue of race, women have answered the question of whether they can perform in a particular role, with very strong answers.
The question of whether of gays and lesbians should serve openly has fortunately been answered by our president. But as for how they should serve openly, the level of apprehension displayed by the 100+ question survey is honestly ridiculous and unfortunate.
Of course, any effective commander-in-chief should have their finger on the pulse of her troops. But military commanders taking temperature readings on social issues is potentially dangerous. It gives the sense that votes are being collected. The armed services are not a political institution. Our military should be proving to American society, what an open and pure merit-based culture looks like. Not the other way around.
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