West Point Thesis Challenges Army Gay Policy, Wins Award

Associated Press ^ | Tuesday, August 08, 2006 | Associated Press

[Tulsa Ramjet]

WASHINGTON — Alexander Raggio says he was 16 when he learned one of his relatives was gay — and watching that person's struggle gave him a grim introduction to discrimination against gays.

He carried those feelings into West Point, and in his senior thesis argued that the military's policy banning gays is not only wrong, but harmful to the Army.

The Pentagon may not agree, but the U.S. Military Academy gave him an award for the paper.

"I love the Army and I think that this is hurting the Army," said Raggio, 24, in an interview this week from his new military post at Fort Riley, Kan. "I see it as my obligation to say 'I don't agree with what you're doing.' I'm not being insubordinate — I just think we're making a mistake here."

He said it was the first time he had spoken publicly about the paper or the award, which he received last year when he graduated from West Point in New York.

While the topic was controversial, and the argument contrary to the military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy, Raggio was presented the Brig. Gen. Carroll E. Adams Award for the best senior thesis in the art, philosophy and literature major in the academy's English department.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

Gives new meaning to the military term "get some".

I guess this means there should be no reason now for males and females to shower together out in the field(regardless what spouses think), being that everyone is professional and all. Sort of like Starship Trooper. Or does everyone get a privacy shower stall?

Maybe all the federal government and congressional restrooms need to go "co-ed". I'm sure Pelosi won't mind if Rumsfeld sits in the stall next to her to relieve himself, or to take a shower. Because, my gosh, truly such a setting is not sexual in nature.

The point is, how is it different in having homosexual men in a "candy store" environment of ogling other straight men, than having straight men olgling other straight women when showering? Would the straight spouses of the women object to her military occupation? Or would we end up with a military of only gay men and women because they have no use for each other sexually but all have great hair and fabulously decorated bunks and tents?

[Tulsa Ramjet]

OOPS! I meant "I guess this means there should be no reason now for males and females "NOT" to shower together out in the field..."

[traditional1]

Purely on its "literary" or "creative" value, it was awarded some recognition?

If in fact the military wants to allow limp-wrists and dykes to OPENLY participate in the military, do we next have court-ordered accommodation of pedophiles, cross-dressers, etc. to be politically correct?

No pun intended here, but this becomes a slippery slope, for sure.

The only reason this is even given air-time is to, as always, bring up sexual deviance to the public eye....

[opinionator]

If your only objection is communal showers, then that can be fixed easily.

[Adder]

"best senior thesis in the art, philosophy and literature major in the academy's English department."

So he got an award for "Best Fiction"?

I don't care about their "struggles": they are broken folk, same as any other disabled person is. There's a lot of folk we do not allow in the military because of their disabilities.
And, yes, I believe fags ARE different. They think differently, act differently and behave differently.

[StonyBurk]

I still prefer Col.Ronald D.Ray USMC,Ret.-- Or Colin Powell--or any of the others who disagree with the ragged doolie.
How sad for our armed forces that the school commanders felt
the thesis even worthy -seems they have been already captured.Reminds me of a story in Crisis some time ago where the issue was breached and proposal to expunge the
exclusion was recieved with applause.The goals and direction have deteriorated.

[sgtbono2002]

Gayshave been in the military since the military was begun.

As long as they keep their preference to themself it dosnt matter. When they openly start looking for a date in their unit , thats when the crap hits the fan.

Dont ask Dont tell, and dont act like a flaming fag, and no one really gives a damn.

[Toby06]

The writer will soon learn what a CLM is.

(career-limiting move)

[Lucky Dog]

If your only objection is communal showers, then that can be fixed easily.

The objections are multitudinous and go well beyond the issue you cited.

The first, and most important issue is the law: the Uniform Code of Military Justice prohibits sodomy. If a US military member cannot be expected to follow the law in this area, how can that person be expected to follow the law when it comes to avoiding war crimes or following other standing orders?

However, beyond the letter of the law is the primary reason for that law’s existence: the maintenance of good order and discipline in the military. There are regulations for how a service member can dress, whether or not a check can bounce, and a thousand other things more trivial than this issue. Service members are expected to comply with these regulations, why not the one concerning sodomy?

Of course, there are also secondary reasons such as the encouragement of basic morality, the reduction of disease potential which produces causalities as surely as enemy action, the increase in risk to fellow service members from blood borne pathogens in the event of battlefield (or other) wounds, etc.

As a tertiary matter, there is the consideration for the tax payer. Veterans are entitled to medical treatment at government expense for illnesses and injuries experienced while on active duty. Why should the taxpayer be required to support the medical treatment of an individual who contracts a completely avoidable disease that incapacitates the service member, destroying his or her value as a soldier, sailor or airman?

In fact, may people are prohibited from joining the military on the basis of pre-existing conditions that are necessarily duty limiting, but may require extensive treatment or potential disability later. Consequently, these people are not allowed to join. Why should homosexuals be treated any differently?

As a final issue, military service is not a right; it is a privilege. If homosexual practitioners wish to serve in the military, then they must be willing to give up their practice sodomy. There is no constitutional or other requirement that they be allowed to serve under conditions other than those laid down by the military authorities under the guidance of Congress.

[SR 50]

...and no one really gives a damn.

I don't think you can speak for every one else.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I wonder if the cadet mentioned in his paper how the US Army got along 231 years without openly gay soldiers. I guess that part isn't important.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

"If your only objection is communal showers, then that can be fixed easily."

No. If I was single, I wouldn't have an objection showering with women. THEY may have a problem. But I guess they need to get over it and go clean their weapon. I'm not really going to ogle, I might sneak a glance or two. Or maybe look for a date for later on or something. It would probably prevent soldiers from surfing porn. I mean, because its all right in front of you every day. ha ha.

[sgtbono2002]

If you obseess about homosexuals you have a problem. ME ?? I could care less if the guy standing next to me is queer as long as he keeps it to himself. As long as a person does his job and acts like he has good sense I dont care what he does with his crank. He should however keep it to himself unless he is on the hunt and he should do that hunting among his own kind.

[SR 50]

Well there you have it.

...he should do that hunting among his own kind. How can he do that if he can't ask or tell?

[tcostell]

Personally I find nothing wrong with an eyes open examination of what would make the army better and stronger, and the fact that a policy is controversial shouldn't eliminate it from examination. This isn't a bunch of PC academics here trying to wish the world into their vision of paradise, this is the Army, and the Army deals with the world as it is, not as we would like it to be.

With that said, I disagree with the conclusions drawn in this student's paper, and I think there is more than enough evidence for the Army to reject it's proposed changes as well.

[Dionysius]

Methinks there are still dedicated Clintonites infesting the faculty and staff at the Point. Social engineering does not true warriors make.

[muawiyah]

Now, let's see Alexander Raggio explain to us how "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (which serves to let homosexuals into the military) improved the military environment by also letting in assorted sexual perverts.

I point here to the gang who were playing their little "sex and domination" games with the prisoners at Abu Ghraib ~

Ol' Al here didn't do a comprehensive job.

[radar101]

You are correct in that if a person is Gay, I don't care, as long as he/she does their job.

I retired from a largw State Law Enforcement Agency. When I began my career, a man could get fired for being Gay.

Governor Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown came along. He got laws passed making Gays a protected group. Now, if a person is Gay, they can count on a promotion, because the Agency is afraid to reject their request for promotion.

What really irritated me about Gays is that, with few exceptions, they defended Bill Clinton, because " He was helping people".Here they are, supposedly enforcing laws, and yet defending a crook who broke any law he chose to.

About a year ago, I spoke to a Marine Corps Recruiter. He advised that Hispanics were coming to the Corps, because their parents told them that if they went to the Army, they might have to live next to a Gay person. Seems like the Army is holding on to that reputation.

[Steel Wolf]

I point here to the gang who were playing their little "sex and domination" games with the prisoners at Abu Ghraib

Those games were all heterosexual ones.

As far as getting 'perverts' out of the military, well, let's just say I've been deployed and TDY a time or two. Weeding out everyone who's sexual conduct may be shocking or unacceptable to the 'church lady' segment of society will leave us with a very small military.

I won't even get into common sex acts that are against the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

[Go Army.com]

Right, while his professors might think the thesis is the greatest thing since sliced bread, his commanders and promotion boards might have a different opinion.