Awkward Headline of the Week: Gay Soldier’s Discharge
by Jim Washburn
OK, the military has been your life for over a decade; you've graduated from West Point; you've served in Iraq; your dream is the become the first Korean-American general: Does it have to end with an OC Register Headline reading "Gay soldier's discharge sent to parents' Tustin home"?
"At first we thought it was Corn Huskers Lotion," said parent...
Sorry, it's actually a sad, pathetic story, about now-former Lt. Daniel Choi, who had served his country more honorably than most of us ever will, now unceremoniously dumped from his military career for being gay and for having the temerity to think he can act like a citizen in the country he's been defending.
I can see why Obama's not doing a full-court press on repealing "Don't ask, don't tell," as beset as he is with national woes and more immediate issues. I can also see how he's losing presidential momentum, if not the whole the game, by compromising and stalling rather than have "the talk" with America, the one where he tells us America will never reach its promise if we don't cut out all the horseshit. We simply don't have time for injustice, hypocrisy or illusory thinking anymore, not if we're ever going to see a future we'd want to live in.
Here's the Register story, a good piece, except for the headline.
Comments
I am proud to share a name with that soldier and a location for that matter, even though location is the US and, given our mission to spread “freedom” globally, the world.
He might want to contact Viet Vets who laid the groundwork for anti-war activism and, in a smaller way, justice within the military.
We need committed soldiers so why this waste of a good man.
Shame on the whole military establishment. And kudos to Dwight Eisenhower who warned about a preponderance of a military-industrial complex. The multitude of fronts on which he was right has not even begun to really come to most people’s attention.
Suffice it to say that military/industrial complex does not leave much room for the human factor.
Kudos and sympathies to Ltd. now Mr. and just as honorable Choi
Think. If a heterosexual got up and said and did the same thing, only from the heterosexual side, what do you think the military would do? Well here it is— Stop cause a commotion and bringing attention. Did you ask permission, no you did not, now knock it off or else and that is an order, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? And if he didn’t he would be discharged. Same same.
2010-07-25 by mcasoThe best indication of intelligent thought is quality of thoughtful responses it provokes. Excellent work Jim
2010-08-5 by Cam
Bravo Jim…. very well put.
Philip
2010-07-24 by Philip O'Connor