This week I want to talk about the congressional move to repeal the ban on homosexuality in the military. In the old days, homosexuality was considered pathological behavior frowned upon by the military. It felt as if such behavior compromised critical and confidential efforts. It was also viewed as just plain weird within gender-segregated living conditions.
But attitudes have changed. For many people today, a public admission of homosexuality is no big deal – much like someone saying they’re a heterosexual (if they felt compelled to even say that). People just look at you and wonder why you felt to share that tid-bit.
I remember when Congress created its current “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Congressmen such as Barney Frank argued that a person’s “sexual identity” shouldn’t be a factor in military service as long as the person is otherwise qualified to serve. In fact, that’s the reasoning behind ending all so-called discriminatory practices against homosexuals. If you’re otherwise qualified, what should anyone’s sexuality matter?
That’s hard to argue with. But I will.
The reason someone’s private sexual behavior doesn’t matter in the workplace, military or not, is because the work of most people doesn’t involve sexual behavior. In fact, the work of so few people involves sexual behavior that when it’s introduced into the workplace everyone is rightly disturbed. It’s no one’s business. So when homosexual activists bring it into the workplace through divisive public debates, I wonder what they’re really asking of the rest of us?
Oh, that’s right. They want their rights. They want to serve. And, yet, I think, so what keeps them from getting a job? What keeps them from serving in the military? I’m trying to think of any part of the military that requires sexual behavior? Can’t think of any.
So the argument goes: if sexuality has nothing to do with a person’s employment, then why would anyone care about someone’s private sexual behavior? Well, and this is just my opinion, I don’t care. In fact, I’m wondering why anyone cares?
And then I read comments from the editors of the Salt Lake Tribune and I’m reminded why someone cares. Here’s what they wrote two days ago: “…denying a group of U.S. citizens the opportunity to perform a patriotic duty on grounds of sexual identity is by definition unpatriotic. We do not, for example, refuse gays and lesbians a place at the voting machine, nor is their right to own firearms infringed. Indeed, excluding gay citizens who do not hide their sexual identity is no less inimical to the free exercise of rights due all citizens than was the shameful denial of full civil rights to black Americans for a century following the Civil War.”
Ah, that’s right. Homosexual activists and their supporters think people are “born gay.” They think there’s something about a person’s sexual identity that is separate from a person’s sexual behavior. They think you can be a homosexual without doing homosexual things. They think human agency and free will disappear for homosexuals just as if someone is born black or bald or blue-eyed.
As an example: so there’s this guy, standing there, not doing anything, nor has he ever done anything, and he can say he’s a homosexual and the rest of us ought to give him things, like a job, or protect him from things, like being fired from a job, for no other consideration than his word that he’s something called a homosexual.
So I’m thinking, how’s this different than if someone said they’re a Martian, and then started demanding rights? I know, that’s ridiculous, isn’t it? Seems like a hair-brain claim to say I’m something that can’t be proved or seen objectively, outside of human behavior, and then demand that I get legal rights based on that unproven claim? Right?
Well, the United States military, historically, has never said that. All the military has ever said is that if an enlistee or soldier admits to homosexual sodomy or gets caught in the act, they’re out. They, like so many other sane people who interact with other human beings in the workplace and under the law, just look at human behavior. They really don’t care what a person thinks – unless what they think might undermine the team. And that’s what all this fuss is about with gays in the military. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have said repeatedly that homosexual sodomy in the ranks affects team morale and anything that affects team morale weakens our military. And, oh yeah, and that’s a bad thing.
I’m Paul Mero. Thanks for listening.
