'Don't Ask' Ignored As Military Enlistment Continues To Plummet

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/06/061305military.htm

For the fourth month in a row the military has failed to meet its recruitment quotas and less than one-quarter of all discharges under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” are from units deployed in support of war operations, suggesting the services are far less likely to discharge gays and lesbians serving on the frontlines when replacement troops are hard to come by.

Nevertheless, the military discharged 653 men and women in 2004 under the gay ban - many of them critical specialists.

A survey, released Monday by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, shows that discharges include at least 41 healthcare professionals, 30 sonar and radar specialists, 20 combat engineers, 17 law enforcement agents, 12 security guards and 7 biological and chemical warfare specialists who were fired because of sexual orientation. At least 9 language specialists were also discharged.

[DIKB]

1. 80%

of the American Public want the "don't ask don't tell" policy repealed. I can't help but remember how many people DON'T want gays to have equal rights or to be allowed to marry. SOOOOOOOOOOOO. . . . the message is "Go die for my money and oil interests, but don't ever DREAM of having the same rights I have !" ?

[Maven]

2. Yeah, but think about how our culture reveres the military

The last think the RW wants is a slew of openly gay war heroes.

It would open a lot of other doors... :think: