re: #814 DeafDog

So now the big experiment is needed to save 1 translator for the US Army? Are you serious?

Many of these translators are extremely patriotic towards America (even the Iraqi born ones). They do it to get the green card and to get relocated here. They ran a story in the Dallas Morning News a while back that resettled locally and it was heartwarming stuff.

Suppose, however, that there were some who started doing it for the cash, realized that they could get paid more by Exxon and wanted out. How could they do that? They could say they are gay and get their discharge. I’m suspicious of this scenario. In any case, in the military, the individual is not more important than the whole. If you want to ‘express’ yourself, stay in civilian life.

You moved the target. You’re suspicious of the numbers— so find new ones. I wasn’t aware there was a detailed listing of all gay translators. But there may be lists of gays (or reported gays) removed for sexual orientation.

It may well be that people have admitted to being gay (whether they are or not) to get out of the army. So why not remove the loophole?

Not interested people “expressing themselves.” I am only interested in qualified people being given the opportunity to serve in a professional fashion. For every comment here about how uncomfortable or difficult it has been for former soldiers to deal with gays, there have been comments about qualified personel who have behaved professionally. That is what we should all expect— professional behavior. If they can’t do that, then kick them out, gay or straight.

And no one has supplied a valid reason to exclude gays from serving (especially with regards to noncombat units) other than it makes them uncomfortable— I don’t consider that to be a valid basis for discrimination.

I am hear to read and discuss the Mideast/ Gaza situation. Not gays in the military.