Comments on: Sacramento Bee: Ex-Convicts In Military Risky http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/07/13/2354 News, analysis and fact-checking of anti-gay rhetoric Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:03:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Steve Boese http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/07/13/2354/comment-page-1#comment-13436 Steve Boese Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:12:01 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/07/13/2354#comment-13436 Lesbians and gays are not just precluded from serving openly, the stats brought up on the 60 Minutes re-broadcast included the estimate that 4,000 LGBT service persons choose not to to re-enlist each year because of DADT. It is no stretch to see that the threats to personal / family safety and well-being embodied in DADT have the opposite effect of the morality waivers. Well-qualified, patriotic, career-driven, grounded, family-oriented folks figure out that their life in the service could vanish at any moment, and they can do better in the private sector. It's important to me that I not demean the service of folks who have benefited from the unfortunately-named morality waivers. I'm no expert on stats or evidence which help to vet the positive and negative characteristics or experiences of people. But, I've had good friends, people I trusted, who are also ex-cons. The relevant comparison, it seems to me, is that morality waivers increase the number of service personnel coming in with questionable vetting, while DADT decreases the number of fully-vetted, well-trained, willing, and experience-proven folks. Lesbians and gays are not just precluded from serving openly, the stats brought up on the 60 Minutes re-broadcast included the estimate that 4,000 LGBT service persons choose not to to re-enlist each year because of DADT.

It is no stretch to see that the threats to personal / family safety and well-being embodied in DADT have the opposite effect of the morality waivers.

Well-qualified, patriotic, career-driven, grounded, family-oriented folks figure out that their life in the service could vanish at any moment, and they can do better in the private sector.

It’s important to me that I not demean the service of folks who have benefited from the unfortunately-named morality waivers. I’m no expert on stats or evidence which help to vet the positive and negative characteristics or experiences of people. But, I’ve had good friends, people I trusted, who are also ex-cons.

The relevant comparison, it seems to me, is that morality waivers increase the number of service personnel coming in with questionable vetting, while DADT decreases the number of fully-vetted, well-trained, willing, and experience-proven folks.

]]> By: quo III http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/07/13/2354/comment-page-1#comment-13434 quo III Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:00:55 +0000 http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2008/07/13/2354#comment-13434 It's just a personal opinion, but I suspect that many members of the armed forces might feel more comfortable showering with an ex-convict than they would showering with a homosexual. It’s just a personal opinion, but I suspect that many members of the armed forces might feel more comfortable showering with an ex-convict than they would showering with a homosexual.

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