Report from a Reservist needs checking. He says 37 gay Arab Linguists

[alfredo]

were discharged this week. Need to know if this is true. If it is, we need to raise hell about it. Nothing like cutting off your nose to spite your face.


A friend of mine, a 57 year old reservist is being called up for duty in Iraq. He was going to retire early next year. He has the most dangerous job there, truck driver.

[thebigidea]

1. I wonder who is behind this whole "fire all the gay Arab linguists" thing

Boykin?

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Ashcroft

Rumsfeld?

Your guess is as good as mine, but it is up there, at that level

[pinto]

3. True, but not this week,

seems I read something in the W Post yesterday about this. It's about discharges over the course of "don't ask, don't tell" time in the military, and highlighted a recent lesbian's case. She was (is) an Arab linguist. Check out

http://www.washingtonpost.com

[scottcsmith]

4. It wouldn't surprise me

I don't remember the date, but O'Reilly interviewed an Arab linguist who was discharged from the Army for being gay. I think it was earlier in the year, maybe right at the start of the war.

[Beaker]

6. did Oh' Really? berate the guy for letting his sexual choices-

put American troops in danger? After all, the Army had no choice but to discharge him, and therefore soldiers may die, all because this guy couldn't suppress his unnatural desires...*










*not my POV, BTW.

[rucky]

5. WTF? 57-year old reservist being brought in?!

Anyone else feel a draft in here?

Best wishes to your friend.

[Beaker]

7. you'd think that he'd be able to fail his physical somehow.

next summer won't be too much fun...do army trucks have air-conditioning?

[alfredo]

8. air conditioning They are lucky to have armor.

He's in fine condition. He is also a police officer. Many of his fellow reservists are police or firemen. Sooner or later, we may need our police and firemen here in the US.


He says now he regrets losing all that weight.

[leftchick]

9. The husband of my six year old's teacher was called up in Sept.

He is in his 50s also, with two sons just starting college, one of whom is profoundly deaf. Chimpass* is fucking everyone in this country one way or another....

[roughsatori]

10. I hope at least one Dem candidate speaks out against this

clearly, and not indulge in the waffling some do when gay marriage/civil-unions are the issue.

I doubt if one of our candidates that hold office will demand the translators are re-instated and do not lose their pensions.

But hey, a Dem co-sponsored the DOM (Defense of Marriage Act)--Wellstone voted in favor of it, and Clinton signed it way back when. And some DUers are saying to back off gay and lesbian rights for now.