People never cease to amaze me. I was reading the news online today and noticed this article about gays in the military being dismissed. With so many reservists and National Guard units being called up you would think that they would stop dismissing people from the military soley based on their sexual orientation. Some time ago I was surprised that there was talk of reintroducing conscription in this country. So how does that work with not allowing openly gay personnel to serve in the military? Is this how everyone will be able to get out of the draft? The only bright point I saw in the conscription talk was that it would include women. Now for you ladies, allow me a minute and listen well....I grew up knowing that this country was involved in military conflict every generation. I grew up knowing about the draft for Vietnam and knowing that could happen to me one day. During the Cold War and the Reagan years, it was pretty scary growing up with either the prospect of a nuclear winter or else fighting Communism a la Red Dawn, which contrary to what some say, was a pretty good movie. So knowing I could be called to fight, but my sister wouldn't never seemed fair to me. I thought things were supposed to be equal. Then imagine turning 18 and having to register for the Selective Service on January 4th 1991. Yah days before we began bombing Iraq and Iraqi positions in Kuwait during the First Persian Gulf War.
Sure, now we know it was a cake walk (compared to other conflicts) with under 300 American lives lost. But at the time they were ordering thousands of body bags, there was constant talk about the well trained and experienced Iraqi Army that fought Iran for 10 years, and of course the elite Iraqi Republican Guard. No one knew how long this would last, or if they would need to reinstate the draft. It was a scary prospect.
So I say, if people are able and want to serve their country by risking their lives to defend it, then let them. Did anyone learn anything from the experience of trying to integrate the military in 1948? Black units fought with honor and skill and after nearly 100 years of having separate units, people realized that the bullshit racism that created all manner of myths about Blacks in the military was groundless. And even when some conceded that Blacks were capable of fighting, they still questioned the wisdom of integrated units. Making the same bullshit excuses we heard about women in the military and now gays, "oh it ruins unit morale and reduces their effectiveness."
People are people. End of story. If someone wants to put their life on the line, I respect that. And if you are in the same foxhole with that person, they had the same damn training and are there for the same reasons. Our military is built up of a diverse population and can handle differences among people. What matters is how they are trained to deal with those differences and how discipline is kept. And by that I mean preventing hate crimes, sexual assault, abuse of prisoners/civilians, etc. Do that and there won't be a thing to worry about. When bullets start flying the only thing that counts is who is on your side. And no one is looking at anyone's ass, they are too busy covering each others backs.
To me its about not having faith in people to be able to deal with their own prejudices for the sake of something more important. And in 50 years this will be another small step towards progress and will seem as minor as the controversial decision at the time, to allow Blacks into the same units as Whites and to share the same barracks.