Military Firing of Gay Linguists Blasted

[Bark Bark Bark]

http://my.netscape.com/corewidgets/news/story.psp?cat=51280&id=2005011316530001227673

The number of Arabic linguists discharged from the military for violating its "don't ask, don't tell" policy is higher than previously reported, according to records obtained by a research group.

(snip)

"The military is placing homophobia well ahead of national security," said Steve Ralls, spokesman for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a nonprofit group that advocates for the rights of gay military members. "It's rather appalling that in the weeks leading up to 9/11 messages were coming in, waiting to be translated ... and at the same time they were firing people who could've done that job."

(snip)

But others, like Elaine Donnelly of the Center for Military Readiness, a conservative advocacy group that opposes gays serving in the military, said the discharged linguists never should have been accepted at the elite Defense Language Institute in Monterey in the first place.

(snip)

Experts have identified the shortage of Arabic linguists as contributing to the government's failure to thwart the Sept. 11 attacks. The independent Sept. 11 commission made similar conclusions.

Say! Remember how, right after the (s)election, so many people were saying the Demos will never take back the government without becoming what Ted Kennedy has since called "Republican Lite?" How the first and loudest suggestion was selling out the homosexuals?

The only parallel I can think of right now is when a city in Iran was devestated by an earthquake years ago; even as the international relief and rescue effort started, a few zealots were screaming for victims to "cut off every hand extended in aid by the infidel."

Difference then was, nobody took 'em seriously, because they knew they badly needed the help.

[dsc]

1. The really ridiculous thing

is that this happened in the 1991 Gulf War too. Not too long before that war over a dozen Arabic speakers were discharged but they were actually redrafted for the war and then thrown out again. That is one reason gays in the military took off.

[rodeodance]

2. thought nothing was above 'nat. security"!! iditots-and the WH is worse

for allowing this to happen!

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. We are all inter-related in intricate ways. Slight your brother, and you

eventually slight yourself.

[Kber]

4. Anyone find it ironic that someone from the "Center for Military Readiness

is so ready to sacrifice military readiness out of a fear and hate based ideology/