What is your take on the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” Policy.
Is this Policy working? What are your Concerns? Indeed, we need to know what Right’s will Gay’s have in the Military. Should Gay’s have special treatment? Should Gay’s be allowed to live with other Gay’s in the Barracks? What if they are Married and the State Does not allow Gay Marriage, and how is the Military going to get around these laws to let Married Gay’s live together? Should Gay’s be treated like Women? Should Gay’s have their own Bathrooms? Where can Gay’s live in the Barracks, with Women or Men? What rules should be put in place? How much money will the Military have to spend for new accommodations in Obama’s Policy? How do we mix Gay Soldiers with our Harassment and Sexual Harassment training classes, required for Soldiers 4 times a year?
TO EARN OUT THESE PROBLEMS AND PROTECT ALL SOLDIERS RIGHTS, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE. THE MAJOR QUESTION IS WHAT RIGHTS ARE THE GAY SOLDIERS LOOKING FOR: AND WHAT RIGHTS ARE THE STRAIT SOLDIERS LOOKING FOR: TO PROTECT THE WELFARE AND SOLDIERS RIGHTS OF ALL WAR FIGHTERS.
DO YOU THINK THE DON’T ASK DON’T TELL POLICY SHOULD STAY IN AFFECT OR DO YOU THINK IT SHOULD CHANGE TO:
DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL, YOU CAN SAY YOU ARE GAY? WOMEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY, I’M A WOMAN. MEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY THEY ARE A MAN. HOWEVER, SOLDIERS DON’T GO AROUND CLARIFYING THAT THEY ARE MAN AND WOMAM. I AM NOT QUIT GAYS WOULD DO THIS, BUT COULD BECOME AN ISSUE WITH BEING PROSECUTED WITH HARASSMENT OR SEXUAL HARASSMENT WHEN A SOLDIER SAYS, “You already told me your gay, so don’t tell me again”. INDEED, THIS WOULD FALL UNDER THE LAWS OF HARASSMENT WHEN THE GAYS KEEP REMINDING OTHER THEIR GAY.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAKE ALL SOLDIERS FEEL AT EASE WITH ALL THESE GAY RIGHTS? I AM NOT QUIT SURE THE CORRECT ANSWERS, BUT SOLDIERSRIGHTS.COM IS CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR RESPONSES TO ALL THESE QUESTIONS ABOVE TO KEEP A STRONG FIGHTING FORCE FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. GAYS WILL EVENTUALLY BE ABLE TO FIGHT FOR THEY COUNTRY AND NOT WORRY ABOUT GETTING CHAPTERS OUT OF THE MILITARY, SO WE ALL KNOW THIS IS COMING AND ITS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD.
INDEED, WE NEED TO CLARIFY THAT BEING GAY WILL NOT FALL UNDER A MENTAL CONDITION OF SEXUAL ABUSE OR GROWING UP IN A DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY. SHOULD GAYS BE REQUIRED TO RECEVE SOME KIND OF THEARY THAT MAY TURN THEM STRAIT? SOME SOLDIERS MAY THINK BEING GAY IS LIKE OTHER COUNTRIES THAT PRACTICE COMMUNISM. WE ARE ALL WAYS TRYING TO TEACH AMERICAN WAYS THROUGH OUT WORLD, SO WHAT NOT TEACH GAY’S TO THINK STRAIT.
GOD AND COUNTRY WILL BE TESTED AGAIN WITH THESE NEW POLICY’S. HOW CAN NEW LAWS PROMISE TO PROTECT THE SOLDIERS RIGHTS THAT PRACTICE RELIGION, AND CONDEMNING THEM FROM PREACHING AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE AND ON THIER BELEIF THAT GODS MADE MAN AND WOMEN.
GOD GOES AGAINT BEING GAY IN ALMOST EVERY RELIGION HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER COUNTRIES.
SOLDIERSRIGHTS.COM is mostley comserned about The United States Constitution and our First Amendment that will be in jeopardy with these new Policy Changes. Our Goal is to protect all Soldiers Rights and at the same time prepare to uphold and protect The United States Constitution. Indeed, we need to explore the over all consequences with in all the evidence of the Change that President Barack Obama’s is trying to put before us. Keep in mind that when we make these changes we must consider all the affects that will viallat the Rights of all Soldiers and The United States Constitution and First Amendment.
In the end, Gays will have the Right to say they are gay and religion will have freedom of speech too. However, Gays and Religious Soldiers can be charged with harassment when asked to stop the Preaching, or disturbing the peace. When this new Policy takes change, the President with have to redefine Sexual Harassment. More then likely this will become placed in to Federal Law, and this will define Gay Rights in The United States. In the course of these changes Gays will have the Right to be Married in all States, because of Federal Laws.
At this time we only need your input to pass on to Congress, so they look at every detail that can affect all Soldiers Rights and The United States Constitution.
first amendment: an overview
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. See U.S. Const. amend. I. Freedom of expression consists of the rights to freedom of speech, press, assembly and to petition the government for a redress of grievances, and the implied rights of association and belief. The Supreme Court interprets the extent of the protection afforded to these rights. The First Amendment has been interpreted by the Court as applying to the entire federal government even though it is only expressly applicable to Congress. Furthermore, the Court has interpreted, the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as protecting the rights in the First Amendment from interference by state governments. See U.S. Const. amend. XIV.
Two clauses in the First Amendment guarantee freedom of religion. The establishment clause prohibits the government from passing legislation to establish an official religion or preferring one religion over another. It enforces the “separation of church and state.” Some governmental activity related to religion has been declared constitutional by the Supreme Court. For example, providing bus transportation for parochial school students and the enforcement of “blue laws” is not prohibited. The free exercise clause prohibits the government, in most instances, from interfering with a person’s practice of their religion.
The most basic component of freedom of expression is the right of freedom of speech. The right to freedom of speech allows individuals to express themselves without interference or constraint by the government. The Supreme Court requires the government to provide substantial justification for the interference with the right of free speech where it attempts to regulate the content of the speech. A less stringent test is applied for content-neutral legislation. The Supreme Court has also recognized that the government may prohibit some speech that may cause a breach of the peace or cause violence. For more on unprotected and less protected categories of speech see advocacy of illegal action, fighting words, commercial speech and obscenity. The right to free speech includes other mediums of expression that communicate a message. The level of protection speech receives also depends on the forum in which it takes place.
Despite popular misunderstanding the right to freedom of the press guaranteed by the first amendment is not very different from the right to freedom of speech. It allows an individual to express themselves through publication and dissemination. It is part of the constitutional protection of freedom of expression. It does not afford members of the media any special rights or privileges not afforded to citizens in general.
The right to assemble allows people to gather for peaceful and lawful purposes. Implicit within this right is the right to association and belief. The Supreme Court has expressly recognized that a right to freedom of association and belief is implicit in the First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments. This implicit right is limited to the right to associate for First Amendment purposes. It does not include a right of social association. The government may prohibit people from knowingly associating in groups that engage and promote illegal activities. The right to associate also prohibits the government from requiring a group to register or disclose its members or from denying government benefits on the basis of an individual’s current or past membership in a particular group. There are exceptions to this rule where the Court finds that governmental interests in disclosure/registration outweigh interference with first amendment rights. The government may also, generally, not compel individuals to express themselves, hold certain beliefs, or belong to particular associations or groups.
The right to petition the government for a redress of grievances guarantees people the right to ask the government to provide relief for a wrong through the courts (litigation) or other governmental action. It works with the right of assembly by allowing people to join together and seek change from the government.
Do you know how many gay and lesbians serve in the military? A great deal. I’ve never served myself, but am a lesbian, and have been with quite a few woman who are still in service, or have been.
Removing ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ isn’t anything other than removing the hate crimes against gays and lesbians in the military from that come from high authority.
Currently, if a member of the US armed forces of any branch, is found with homosexual material, be it a letter from their gf or a gay rights sticker, they can be put under investigation and possibly released with dishonorable discharge.
It’s not a matter of “oh yay, we’re gay and now we can say it” its a matter of being given the right to be who they are on their own time… Just like straight soldiers can go to straight bars on their days off, why can’t gays go to gay bars? Well because right now if they do and get caught they just broke a contract that they are FORCED to sign during their process to fight for this country. You know that peice of paper that says you have not and never will conduct in homosexual activity? Ya, THAT is what removing ‘don’t ask don’t tell is about’.
So all the hetero soldiers need to start looking at the bigger picture, and not at OMG WHERE THEY GONNA LIVE!? Cause guess what? They’re in your barracks right now, what difference does it make that now on their own time, their time away from fighting for the country they love JUST as much as you do, that they get to talk to their partners, lovers or friends without having to look over their shoulder because they’re not given the same rights as the rest of the country they’re fighting for.
It’s not about religion, its not about anything other than allowing soldiers to have the same rights as the people they are fighting to protect.
Thanks for the reply Steph,
Know mater what Soldiers Rights have to look at all the points and judgements toward all. The Military has decided to left the Don’t ask Don’t Tell policy as a trail to see how it works out, so far most of the Soldiers are agreeing that Gays are not being treated fair by kicking them out. Soldiers are adapting and have been before this law was even uplifted. Most of the Soldiers knows who is Gay and have been living with who, so it really is not a big change in the Military to life the law don’t ask don’t tell. However, their are always going to be extremist that will fight to keep Gays out of the Military, and so far there have been no complaints that Soldiers Rights are aware of.
The problem is what if the Military decides to place the law back in place. You will have Soldiers running around telling everyone the truth that they are Gay, because they now can. The problem is from SoldiersRights.com view and belief, is what happens if the Military decides to place the Policy back to Don’t ask don’t tell? We believe this would be wrong and that the ones that ran around saying their Gay should not be punished and place out of the Military, since this is just a trail to see if telling works.
If your Gay and you go around telling everyone and the Military decides the new policy does not work, then they have reason to kick all the Gays out again. This is where Soldiers Rights have to be protected, so remember that you may not be as safe to say your Gay for sometime. Soldiers Rights recommends that Gay Soldiers hold off until Congress has passed the final say, that it’s ok to say I am Gay.