Don't Ask, Don't Tell, a student's opinion
Patrick Harris
Issue date: 2/26/10 Section: Opinion
There has been much discussion of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in the news lately, and a lot of people have been very vocal in their opinion of it. Most of these opinions seem to revolve around the idea that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is a good idea because sexual orientation is irrelevant to military service. In other words, it shouldn't come up at all. This is, in and of itself, not entirely unreasonable. However, some items should be considered.
First, the idea that a soldier's sexual orientation is never going to come up is extremely unrealistic. We fill our minds with the cliché soldier pining silently for the girl waiting back home, but the truth is people like to talk about themselves. In stressful situations, where people depend on each other, they will talk about themselves. To expect those soldiers-male or female-who are involved with a person of the same gender to try to hide that from their comrades-in-arms is both impractical and cruel. To give someone a gun, place them on the far side of the globe, and tell them they are fit to die for their country only so long as they hold themselves aloof from normal human bonding because they are somehow unfit to speak of their love or their life is nothing short of inhumane.
Second, there is no equality in this policy. Let us set aside our first point, and consider this from a strictly logical perspective. If sexual orientation has no place in the military, that does not mean that only those who do not fit the mold should keep their lives to themselves. A man who mentions his girlfriend declares his sexual orientation in the exact same way as a man who mentions his boyfriend. If we are to claim that sexual orientation has no place on the field of battle, and it is inappropriate for a male solider to carry a picture of a male loved one, it is no more or less appropriate for that soldier to carry a picture of a female loved one. If the policy does not apply across the board, then it simply does not promote equality. There is no maneuvering around this.
The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is an attempt on a national level to pretend a situation does not exist-the conceptual equivalent of nearly two decades of military officers and elected officials sticking their fingers in their ears and humming frantically. Repealing it is the right decision, and one that should have been made years ago.
Accordingly, we call upon President Obama to follow through on this promise. Give us a plan, sir. Give us a plan, and a timeline, and make it happen.
Patrick Harris
First, the idea that a soldier's sexual orientation is never going to come up is extremely unrealistic. We fill our minds with the cliché soldier pining silently for the girl waiting back home, but the truth is people like to talk about themselves. In stressful situations, where people depend on each other, they will talk about themselves. To expect those soldiers-male or female-who are involved with a person of the same gender to try to hide that from their comrades-in-arms is both impractical and cruel. To give someone a gun, place them on the far side of the globe, and tell them they are fit to die for their country only so long as they hold themselves aloof from normal human bonding because they are somehow unfit to speak of their love or their life is nothing short of inhumane.
Second, there is no equality in this policy. Let us set aside our first point, and consider this from a strictly logical perspective. If sexual orientation has no place in the military, that does not mean that only those who do not fit the mold should keep their lives to themselves. A man who mentions his girlfriend declares his sexual orientation in the exact same way as a man who mentions his boyfriend. If we are to claim that sexual orientation has no place on the field of battle, and it is inappropriate for a male solider to carry a picture of a male loved one, it is no more or less appropriate for that soldier to carry a picture of a female loved one. If the policy does not apply across the board, then it simply does not promote equality. There is no maneuvering around this.
The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is an attempt on a national level to pretend a situation does not exist-the conceptual equivalent of nearly two decades of military officers and elected officials sticking their fingers in their ears and humming frantically. Repealing it is the right decision, and one that should have been made years ago.
Accordingly, we call upon President Obama to follow through on this promise. Give us a plan, sir. Give us a plan, and a timeline, and make it happen.
Patrick Harris
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