A Step Forward in American Civil Rights
According to an article in the Washington Post, today, October 28, President Obama will sign into law a step forward in American civil liberties, in the form of an expansion of the federal hate-crimes legislation. Under this legislation, the Justice Department will be able to prosecute (as a hate crime) a violent act that targets a person based on her or his sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. The expansion also allows a state, which does not have a law addressing hate crimes based on sexual orientation, to seek help from the federal government in prosecuting such crimes.
Take note that this legislation does not outlaw bigotry or thoughts. It applies only to violent acts which target individuals because of their sexual orientation or disability. This is important legislation and long overdue, but there is more to be done.
Congress should pass legislation banning workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. In addition, Congress should immediately take steps to repeal both the “don’t ask, don’t tell,” policy in the military and the Defense of Marriage Act. President Obama has said repeatedly that he would sign such legislation, if Congress passes it and Nancy Pelosi (Speaker of the House) and Harry Reid (Senate Majority Leader) have said they favor these laws. So, it is time for someone in Congress to do something.
- Bob Hertzog's blog
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If they do away with Don't Ask, Don't Tell, it is logical that there will be a trend to segregate units to achieve harmonious functioning. There is already a severe problem with female military personnel being assaulted, and these are by and large heteros-on-heteros (forgive the pun). If you have gay male personnel in with bigoted straight male troops, you are going to have continuing harassment problems. The only way a military organization can deal with that is to segregate. Otherwise, they cannot operate efficiently as a unit and an organization. To try to prosecute and police internal social problems of this probable magnitude would siphon off too many much-needed resources.
“If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is; but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Hi Bard... Thanks for the comment.
I entered the military in 1954 just a few years after President Truman integrated the forces. Some of the same arguments were made. I was in the military when women were first integrated into regular military instead of having their own corps. Again, the same arguments were made. Now, you mentioned that some women have been assaulted. I know that has happened. There are two things that will help put a stop to those kinds of things for women and gays. The culture has to change. This is happening slowly. And military officers must punish any assault vigorously. Then it will stop. The military can change. I have seen it change. The military of today is not the military I served in during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.
I served 20 years in the military and I have no doubt that some of the people I served with were gay. Of course, at that time, I did not know it. I'm hard pressed to see why they should keep their sexual orientation to themselves. I know for sure none of the straight people I served with kept their sexual orientation a secret.
Hate crimes. A truly stupid idea. If we enforced the laws out there to the fullest extent we wouldn't have to worry about "what were they thinking." It's only safe to commit crimes against white, Christian, American males. They aren't gonna be protected under these crap laws.
Hello Suplisider... Thanks for the comment.
I do agree we should enforces the laws, even when the victim is white and a Christian.
Bob, I'm not about to kick the snot out of anyone for being gay or lesbian. Nor for being Christian, Muslim or Hindu or anything else. I believe doing unto others as I would have them do unto me, and you don't have to be religious to believe that.
Even so, I still don't think it's a good idea at the present time for people with alternative genders to make it blatant in an exclusively military situation. Brokeback Mountain isn't any more acceptable now than it was then. That might not be right in some folks' eyes, but c'est la guerre.
Since I don't have any say in this matter, I'll just sit back and watch the mayhem I think will ensue, albeit subtly at first. I predict we will have Matthew Shepard military cases in the future, even though I hope I'm wrong.
“If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is; but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Hello Bard... I too hope you're wrong, but I agree you might indeed be correct. There will always be bigots. I don't think we will ever get rid of them all. Don't ask, don't tell is still in effect now, but doing away with it, I believe, will help us as a culture move past the bigotry.