Posted on 02/12/2010 5:03:52 PM PST by max americana
Three-quarters of Americans say that they support openly gay people serving in the U.S. military, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, a finding that could lend momentum to the Obama administration's effort to dismantle the policy known as "don't ask, don't tell."
SNIP***
President Obama called for the policy's repeal last month in his State of the Union address, and the military's top civilian and military leadership has also expressed personal support for a repeal.
SNIP***
The percentage of Americans who say they support gays openly serving is the same as a Post-ABC News poll found in July 2008; both are far above the 44 percent who said so in May 1993.
In the new poll, majorities across party lines favor such a policy, with support among Democrats (82 percent) and independents (77 percent) higher than among Republicans (64 percent). The poll also reveals several sharp demographic divides. Men (65 percent) and seniors (69 percent) are far less likely than are women (84 percent) and young adults (81 percent under age 30) to say that gays should be allowed to serve if they have disclosed their sexual orientation. Knowing a gay person makes a big difference: Among those who say they have a gay friend or family member, 81 percent support allowing gay people to serve openly, compared with 66 percent who say they do not know someone who is gay.
The poll was conducted by telephone Feb. 4-8 among a random national sample of 1,004 adults, including users of both conventional and cellular phones. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
“great harm to the military”
You mean like a politically correct psychiatrist getting ignored for his fanatical Islamic beliefs? Even being promoted before he went on his jihad?
I know you mean well, but I really prefer to live in the real world. Gays, are in your face, most of the time. They are extremely promiscuous, and as a group more prone to health issues and shorter life spans. If you let them in, then where do you draw the next line? Does the military really need the distraction?
The obsession that so many Freepers have with gays is kind of creepy.
“The obsession that so many Freepers have with gays is kind of creepy.”
It is not an obsession. It is just the refusal of calling right, wrong, and wrong, right. More of an observation.
If you think the voter smackdowns of gay marriage equates into a prevailing attitude amongst a majority of Americans that gays should have no rights whatsoever, prepare to be shocked by the real world.
And gosh, Drewy boy, you’re on the wrong side on every issue apparently.
Why, because I don't believe Free Republic is well-served by being an echo chamber where everyone parrots what they want to hear, whether it's factual or not?
And you're currently serving where?
I understand the concern, as I used to be vehemently against it myself until I joined up (not sure how that happened, but I digress). Please don’t mistake me for being an activist for the idea. Like drug legalization, I could care less either way. My only stipulation with gays in the military is that my support for it ends when they decide to hold them to a different set of standards than everyone else, which seems to be the main concern here. I don’t know the intentions of the higher ups who want this idea to happen, but if it’s some kind of social engineering program to completely divide up the military, count me out. If integration of gays doesn’t change the current rule book of regulations, fine. I’ve dealt with worse things.
Haha, it’s obviously very touchy for most. I find amusement in how feathers get ruffled over this issue. If you disagree with anything regarding this subject, the outright condescention and name calling is considered ‘okay’.
“hold them to a different set of standards”
You mean like they to women? There are a lot of fine women in the military. There always were. But...they are treated differently and it definitely effects moral when a hot chick is placed in the middle of a bunch of guys. I’ve seen it plenty of times.
How many special groups are we going to have? Your ideals are fine, I just don’t think it will work, or that it is worth the hassle to force it to work.
As for drugs, I’ve seen lots of drugs in the USMC,long before piss tests. You name it, heroine, acid, hash. The last thing I want to be around is a hopped up Marine with a full clip, locked and loaded. That’s the thing see, once you start it, you just can’t turn it off and on so easy.
Hell, don't even have to disagree on this subject. Simply reporting the accurate observations of how things currently are in today's military is enough to bring forth flames of outrage from those who have either never served or served a long time ago when the military, and America, was a much different place.
Jeez, people! Don't shoot the messenger! I'm just posting how things are, not how we wish them to be.
And Firefighter, thank you for your service.
I have never been in the military.
That doesn’t mean that I have no right to an opinion. There are a**holes in the military as well as out of it.
FR is a conservative website and I’ve noticed that you’re on the liberal side of every issue (that I’ve seen).
Homosexuals have no place in the military unless they keep it totally to themselves, and even then, it’s better they’re just kept out. With 2% or less in the population, they are certianly not needed. The vast majority of members of the armed services do not want homosexuals in their ranks, and that should count more than anything.
Homosexuality is a disorder and people who are mentally ill should not be serving in the military, it’s that simple.
So, a long time ago, when homosexuality was considered by the general population as a mental illness, and homosexual behavior was considered morally wrong, is so “old fashioned”. We have to be modern and enlightened and get rid of all that stuffy old fashioned morality.
And I have no idea what “accurate observations of how things currently are in today’s military” you are referring to. Since you are claiming to be in the military (?) and you want homosexuals freely serving, you think everyone else in the military wants that.
What a huge ego.
I have been in the military. USMC 1974 - 1978 in fact. And can tell you for a fact that there are more gay and otherwise diverse people in the military than you think there are...
“more gay and otherwise diverse people in the military than you think there are...”
Probably more sheep screwers. socio-paths, schizophrenics, personality disorders and Jihadist than we think too. So what’s your point?
utter crap
I served and still know guys in and not one wants homosexuals running around letting everyone know they’re a homosexual.
This is pure B/S and the real number is more like 95% against., it’s a shame that those who never serve think that we want that kind of perverted crap but maybe if they did the training and did the work they’d understand.
of course the homosexuals will be running around citing this bias crap poll like it’s a real number which is really B/S
don’t buy it, I served and still know guys serving and not ONE wants this crap, is this poll is pure crap and B/S
Since August 2003. Two carrier deployments in the Gulf under my belt. Yes, I know WTF I'm talking about.
...and you want homosexuals freely serving,
Please, point me to a post where I said this.
...you think everyone else in the military wants that.
Well, according to a recent Military Times poll conducted among 3000 active duty service members of all branches taken last November, about 49% of those currently serving aren't opposed to the idea. Yes, still a minority viewpoint but this number has been steadily rising over the years.
But I'm sure you'll dismiss this poll as BS because the results don't fit your preconceived notion of how things should be.
EXACTLY
I served ans still know guys who do and NOT ONE supports this crap
the so called media lost their respect over two years ago and they still haven;t figured out they have.
sad really as these elitists still think that the masses believe their crap, it’s like they think that we don’t talk to each other and talk about the media
Let’s make it all gay and everyone else get out.
Otherwise, stop taking polls as though polls should have any impact at all.
SHEEESH.
wrong
as a vet recently and knowing many others still serving then there is no way that we want open homo’s in the military and I’ll tell you something which might you you don’t like, but we don’t even want closet homo’s serving.
a bunch of pansies wanting to share a shower with you, no way now that might be alright with you but not with us.
must be different in your firefighting unit I guess or I bet you know a homosexual and he or she is alright you think.
Am I right you know one? you think no problem right? How about going to one of their parades or parties and see how they really are when they’re with teir own kind.
You see a man wanting to shove his penis up another mans ass is not normal no matter how many beers you had with him after the shift
no you might not care but we do who have served and still do.
do you think that open homosexuals running around having homo parties on base or parades on base will help us , will it hell.
have you ever thought about what they do to each other?
It’s not normal and these perverts expect me or other marines to actually share a room or shower with them ?
you wanna bet
I take it you have not served because if you had you would know that kind of crap is not tolerated.
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