Posted on 02/02/2010 11:53:35 AM PST by Maelstorm
The situation is very similar in the US today.
An NOP poll in September 1999 found seven out of 10 Britons believed lesbians and gay men should be allowed to serve in the military.
At the same time General Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley, a leading opponent of the change, told the BBC: "Two surveys have disclosed that the overwhelming majority of those in military service today find homosexuality abhorrent."
In the US, a Gallup poll of 1,015 US citizens in May 2009 found 69% in favour of allowing gays to serve openly in the armed forces - an increase of 6% over five years. Support among "conservatives" had jumped 12% over the same period, from 46% to 58%.
But a Military Times poll in December 2008 found a majority of active-duty respondents - 58% - were against the idea of repealing the Don't Ask Don't Tell law.
Landmarks
Some 10% said they would leave the armed forces if gays were allowed to serve openly.
There was this expectation that there would be problems, but it just didn't happen Dave Small, ex-Royal Navy Stonewall associate
Large-scale resignations from the UK armed forces were widely expected in some quarters, when the ban on gays was lifted - but in practice they did not materialise.
At least one British army brigadier publicly resigned in protest, citing "strongly held moral and military convictions" but most observers were surprised at how smoothly the new law - which was forced on the UK government by the European Court of Human Rights - was implemented.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
The American military is made up of mostly conservative volunteers from conservative states. They are overwhelmingly Christian and committed patriots.
The British military draws from a Socialist population that abandoned the church long ago. They also enlist for financial reasons because of the depressed job avails.
And you can't compare a country with over 300 million people to one with 60 million (and that's the whole U.K.).
exactly
in the Arctic we had to share sleeping bags and huddle to keep warm.
you think that any of us will want to get near a homosexual, yes we made jokes about the homosexuals and they still do so what happens when a joke is made?
Are we not supposed to be all sensitive especially after killing a couple of guys an hour ago
Put all the queers in the same unit and let them lead a full frontal assault on the enemy.
I whole heartily concur. Look at the Brit Navy today, there are third world countries better equiped. I would put my money on the Indian Navy before Englands. A buddy was in Afghanistan before the Marines returned. When the MEU arrived the Brits were mad because the Marines shot at the Taliban. This made the Taliban mad and they shot at the Brits. Prior to the MEU those harden Brit combat vets had a unwritten agreement not to seriously shoot at each other. I spoke to a Corpsman from the MEU he verified my civilian contractor friends assessment. So the Brits allow gays and fight like girls!
Deb they want to use the military as a transformative force to elevate the principles of diversity and tolerance. They don’t want to the military nation building but they sure want it to take up their activist causes and you are right a lot of it is because the military is largely made up of conservative Christians. They are already trying to use the military to indoctrinate young men and women in liberal ideas of diversity. The military is the last major stronghold outside of the church where the left still does not have control.
And just why would we care what a bunch of civilians think about this? It doesn't affect them, so they shouldn't be consulted on it.
We used to joke that a boomer (Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine) left port with 150 sailors and came back seventy days later with 75 couples. Now it's beginning to look like satire will become realism.
If this is overthrown, will every Military Parade have it's Gay Pride Parade section???
No doubt! Pink helmets anyone?
Sounds like the old military heroes of the Empire are spinning in their graves.
Quite frankly if the Democrats kill off Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and allow gays to “do their own thing”, then there is no reason at all to segregate the barracks rooms by sex. Males and females should be allowed to room together or the arguments for doing this are just lies.
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The war is on - against the military, against truth, against basic human decency and basic absolute morality. Read Maelstorm's comments too.
Plus, I don’t believe the number of “conservatives” who are in favor of homosexuals in the military. I just do not believe it. It’s crap made up to convince people that they are out of line and “behind the times” to oppose homosexuals in the military.
Don’t Ask should be repealed. Back to “no homosexuals in the military”.
2%. At most, at any given time. Some studies are under 2%.
With the military, it's not just gay behavior that is under stricter rules than in civilian life. The military also prohibits heterosexual adultery and fraternization, whereas civilian divorce attorneys have made an industry of such behavior, attempting to excuse it so they can line their pockets in custody disputes.
And just why would we care what a bunch of civilians think about this? It doesn't affect them, so they shouldn't be consulted on it.
And where did Gallup do this poll? In San Francisco?
Your friends story is horses*it. Utter horsesh*t. And I find your comments offensive. A disgusting insult to the British men and women serving in Afghanistan. Men and women who have and are fighting and dying for armchair generals like you.
Before the US arrived in numbers recently, it has been BRITISH troops. Who do you think has been at the forefront of taking on the Taliban in places like Helmand Province?. From line regiments to the SAS, we have been fighting and defeating the Taliban. Who dod you think were the primary American allies recently for example in ‘Operation Panther’s Claw’?.
The idea that we have not been fighting or were ‘angry’ at US forces is a complete fiction and a nonsense. And ‘agreements’?. More BS.
We have lost 250+ men and women as of this week in that country, two died just last night!.
The British fight like girls?. The armed forces of the SAS, Paras, Royal Marines, SBS, Gurkhas?. I dont why we bother sacrificing our young men and women if this is the level of utter drivel from American ingrates like you. If we fight like girls, then by all means go up to a British soldier and repeat what you have just said here.
You wouldnt, because they’d beat the sh*t out of you. Hell, as a British civilian who is clearly very proud of our armed forces, I’d do it myself. And so would most Britons.
Your civilian friend is talking crap (and he should stick to civilian matters and leave the military to people who know what they are talking about), and your Marine buddy is clearly a US soldier barely posted to that region. And in my experience, most US forces are clueless as to what has been happening there until now.
I have a Royal Marine friend out there and I KNOW what you are saying is bull.
Amazing that you fall for such clear and obvious BS.
Read my post to the poster for the REAL truth.
The RAF flies training missions over the Irish sea outside my window and I could spend days watching them. I know the British military is every bit as brave and extraordinary as any that ever lived, but the government that they serve under is run by 60s radicals and fools.
I'm also a Scot (Mom was a Nisbet, Dad was a MacBee) and it really pains me to see the Leftward march that Scotland is on, although I'm positive the Black Watch and the rest of the Royal Regiment are as fierce as ever.
Thats ok. Sorry for being snippy.
I am sure that you understand what and why OldGoat’s post upsets and angers me.
Two differing opinions I guess, the civilian I mentioned is not exactly a civilian, he stands by his assessment. The other member was on his third combat tour! Both complained about the attitude of all the NATO personnel, Brits include. However, I will concide you and I are arguing about anedotal information from friends who served in the region. I have served in England, and with Brits in the KSA, you have a great military tradition. But your own professional periodicals seemed concern about your forces, with some comparisons to the pre-Falklands levels.
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