On the subject of “don’t ask, don’t tell”, I sent the following letter to U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings.
Regarding homosexuality, Lieutenant Whipps and LtCdr Craven III rely for foundational credibility on the 1973 decision by the American Psychological Association (APA) to remove homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Removal responded to a two year campaign Newsweek described as ongoing disruptive, chaotic attacks on psychiatrists and physiologists. Yet at this annual meeting and throughout this period of disruptive attacks, no papers were presented refuting any research previously done. Eventually a third of APA’s 17,000 plus membership voted for removal. The under-voting and public attacks support the understanding that the decision came through intimidation, and not as a result of scientific reasoning. Now rather than undergoing the mental stress and discipline of research, an interest group could publicly market their claim and tailor the DSM to fit their agenda.
After this mercurial, but unsubstantiated, decision a task force was established to ensure perpetual sanctity for this APA action. No papers would again arise to confirm the extensive prior research substantiating 7 of 10 homosexuals could walk away from the lifestyle forever. This new task force would set standards for peer review of articles to ensure appropriate flexibility in design definitions, outcomes, and analytical models. Acceptable pre-ordained theses would compile selected human data points, using selected questions and behaviors, and arrive at pre-approved incites.
Psychology and Psychiatry have always had a tenuous hold on claims they were sciences with the standing of Chemistry and Physics. On the scale of intellectual rigor, their research more often resembles oral history, and seldom, if ever, approaches the determinism found in a Chemistry laboratory.
The developments in statistics should have enabled them to a least determine there is a marginal or significant propensity for a particular disorder. Careful studies could have identified and graded methods of treatment. Given persistence in searching for correct methods of analysis, even accumulated episodic events could be sifted for transformation into valid information. Research would have proceeded more slowly and conclusions would have been less intuitive, but more stable. The disciplines would more often have adhered to the medical principle of “first of all, do no harm”. Responsible research should also acknowledge those pesky humans, who in spite of their genetics and upbringing, decide to live positive lives without APA professional help.
Instead, Psychology and Psychiatry have chosen to abandon all pretense of scientific rigor in exchange for popular societal and political acclaim. The barriers erected to meaningful research about homosexuality remind me of Genesis 3:23-24. In these verses the Lord God banished humanity from the Garden of Eden and placed an angel in the Garden to keep humanity away forever. By their actions, Psychology and Psychiatry appear content within their own Garden of Eden. They seem to consider the accoutrements of a religion to be more attractive than those of a science.
The current debate languishes for the inability of these two disciplines to make a meaningful contribution. They should lead a debate, which would examine whether any mental disorders are acceptable for people seeking or retaining military service. Military service should always be the ultimate meritocracy to compete successfully against enemies unconcerned with social engineering.
Incredible letter! Thanks for sharing.
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Ping to the article and also the comment by Retain Mike. It's certianly gratifying to see hardcore leftist perversion supporters get angry at the usurper because he isn't serving their interests as much as they'd like. Ha ha!
If you happen to send this anywhere else, I'm pretty sure it's the "American Psychiatric Association" that puts out the DSM.
The American Psychological Association is an entirely different, even less reputable, crew.
Great line!! No pun intended!