I guess that's technically true. I mean 17 percent is, well, 17 percent.
Of course, it would be technically true to say there would be opposition to repeal of the current policy because 22 percent is, well, 22 percent.
Of course understanding that 22 percent is greater than 17 percent would probably require a course in advanced magazine writing.
The opposition is less intense in the Navy and Air Force, where 35 percent and 41 percent say repeal would have a negative effect, but those are still significant minorities. But what is the percent saying it would have a positive effect?
There were gays serving on my ship when I was in the Navy, and when they were “outed” for one reason or another, things didn’t go well for them. They were normally “removed” from the ship very quickly (for their own safety I assumed). I’m not saying it was right how they were treated, but it was reality.
I can only comment on what I know about from my experience. Living quarters/showers are cramped, even on big ships, and life on a ship is stressful. After getting off work, it was nice to be able to hang out and play cards or listen to music and not have to worry about being “scoped out” or whatever.
I tend to think of having gays openly serving as being about equal to having men/women living in the same living quarters. While there may be good intentions all around if men and women were berthed together, there WOULD be added stress, to the men, and the women. It’s simple biology.
Why subject our soldiers/airmen/sailors to more stress than they already have? The military shouldn’t be a social experiment. How long before two men have sex in a berthing area? How would you feel if two guys had sex in your HOME and you were unable to leave? There are so many reasons not to repeal DADT, and I can’t think of one good reason to do it.
I also have a real problem with politicians/media who always ask officers about it. They won’t be the ones who have to deal with it in their day to day working environment, at least not to the extent of the enlisted personel. Living conditions were cramped as a sailor, I can only imagine what life is like for an enlisted soldier in combat.
I will be saddened for our armed forces if DADT is repealed. I don’t consider myself a homophobe, but if others think I am, I won’t care, at all. I just feel from my experience that we don’t need to do this. It will make the military less than it is now, in many ways.
rant over...