Freepers Unite in Horror against the Military Readiness Enhancment Act

Pam's House Blend:

Pam says and quotes:

I blogged last week about Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA), the latest member of Congress to sign on to the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would kill Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

The wingers caught on to this bit of business, and put their own spin on it. Witness the reaction of "former homosexual" James Hartline. He calls the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network a "radical homosexual group" out to create a threat to national security. Put on your anti-gay tin foil hat and count the winger cliches in this, from The James Hartline Report (via Freeperland):

"In what many are calling a grave threat to national security, Democratic Congresswoman Susan Davis has begun to push for the legalization of sodomy in the United States military.* According to an April 28, 2006 press release issued by the radical homosexual group, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), Congresswoman Davis has signed on as a co-sponsor of a bill to remove the ban on homosexual participation in the United States military. Davis, a liberal pro-abortion Democrat, represents the military-based area of San Diego, in turn making her decision to lead the charge to remove restrictions on sodomy in the military, a move that could jeopardize, not only moral discipline in the armed forces, but would lead to the immediate flight of thousands of military servicemen who do not want to be exposed to homosexual activity inside of their barracks."

*Emphasis mine.

I think the immediate flight of people who equate their rectal integrety with national security from ANY institution devoted to our defense would be a Very Good Thing. Confusions of this nature clearly explain our difficulties with securing our Ports from intrusion by foreign... no. no. I musn't. It's just too easy.

The Military Readiness Enhancement Act?

Critics agree, such an act must perforce be "unnatural."

Clearly they have forgotton what it's like being a well fed and excercised 20-something. Such young heros need little "enhancement." They merely need to learn this simple ditty:

"This is my rifle,
This is my gun;
This is for fighting,

This is for fun!"

If you think I'm not taking this issue seriously enough, you must be a Republican. The absurdity of Don't Ask, Don't Tell is clear to anyone with a sense of proportion. To any student of military history, it's the greatest non issue of our time.

Put horny young men together under situations of stress, and some of them will bond in ways they may or may not consider under other circumstances. Various militaries deal with it in various ways; mostly by ignoreing it, even as one ignores the inappropriate sexual advances of spaniels toward one's trowser leg. It's a facet of human nature that is not improved by hysteria, nor one that deserves being given any great significance.

Meanwhile, there is no potential "threat to virtue" here that cannot be addressed with a flick of a wet towel.

"Don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash."- Winston S. Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty.

UPDATE: More info on the background of this effort. All joking aside, this is a human rights issue, and that's the important fact being stomped by all the freeper-type propaganda.

"Congresswoman Davis's support is especially noteworthy because of her large military constituency," said C. Dixon Osburn, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). "San Diego is home to more than 21,000 lesbian and gay veterans and more than 317,000 military personnel. Congresswoman Davis carries enormous respect with military leaders in her district. Her sponsorship of this legislation sends a clear message that repealing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is in the best interest of our armed forces."

The Military Readiness Enhancement Act was introduced in March 2005 by Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.). It is currently pending at the House Armed Services Committee, where Congresswoman Davis is a member.

"While reviewing this bill, I examined the issue of gays and lesbians in the military closely and consulted with the diverse stakeholders in this important topic," Rep. Davis said in a statement. "As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I also take my responsibility to ensure the highest level of military readiness very seriously. Over the course of the last year, I questioned high-ranking members of the armed forces, active duty military personnel, veterans, military families, members of the LGBT community, my congressional colleagues and other interested groups. These exchanges helped me to understand and ultimately dismiss the argument that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military would negatively impact military readiness, as some have stated. After consulting this diverse sounding board, it is clear to me that the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy is a political invention that does not serve the real needs of our armed forces and should be repealed."

tag: don't ask don't tell, homophobia, heterosexism, military, Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA), Military Readiness Enhancement Act, reason, rationality