Comments on: Lt. Choi: “I Am Somebody and I Deserve Full Equality”

By: Rick Brentlinger

Rick Brentlinger — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:54:27 +0000

Dan Choi is an honest man, an honorable man and a genuine hero in my estimation.

Thank God for service members like Lt. Choi, whose character compels them to stand for truth and justice, even when their stand is costly.

By: John

John — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:14:07 +0000

I sure as hell wouldn’t ask John for pointers on how to save my job.

If your civilian career is different from mine, nope I wouldn’t either since I probably know next to nothing about your field. Now if the pointers you are giving for servicemember seeking to “save their jobs” by disobeying a valid order and engaging in prohibited conduct, um…good luck with that. They’ll toss your ass out on a violation of Art 134 if they can’t get anything else to stick (I always hated that one).

The best thing Choi can do is bring sunlight onto the tortured logic the military has used to eject competent soldiers from the service.

Indeed. I support the effort – within what is allowed for servicemembers and where it is not outside of the service.

I had that crap rubbed in my nose for eight years in the service and I learned the same lesson Choi did – if you think playing nice is going to get you anywhere, you’re a complete fool. The bigots a stacked 100 deep and they will use every lie they can to keep you from having a job.

Agreed. DADT was an asinine policy to live under but at least somewhat better than the policies that preceded it. The Navy seemed to relish in catching gays and kicking them out at the time I was in. NIS (later NCIS) was very active back then in this effort which made for interesting times. Quite a lot of ‘fun’ for a young man coming to grips with his sexuality too I might add.

By: Ray

Ray — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:46:41 +0000

I sure as hell wouldn’t ask John for pointers on how to save my job. The best thing Choi can do is bring sunlight onto the tortured logic the military has used to eject competent soldiers from the service. I had that crap rubbed in my nose for eight years in the service and I learned the same lesson Choi did – if you think playing nice is going to get you anywhere, you’re a complete fool. The bigots a stacked 100 deep and they will use every lie they can to keep you from having a job.

By: John

John — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:51:53 +0000

Hmm. Eating crow time. I honestly thought that he was completely kicked out. That appears not to be the case, though I cannot figure out why not. Perhaps his high profile is slowing things.

By: John

John — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:48:09 +0000

What military career? He was kicked out. Sure, there were some reports of going to his local drill, but honestly, I don’t know what that was about. He was forced into civilian life by Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

His current actions are as a civilian, not unlike Senator Kerry, after finishing his service in Vietnam.

By: John

John — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:50:43 +0000

So he was following the orders of the CiC by chaining himself in protest to his official residence and also disobeying a direct order? Interesting bit of ‘logic’ I suppose. Andrew is right: Choi probably does have an excellent future in politics but his recent actions put his military career in serious doubt regardless of his sexual orientation.

By: andrew

andrew — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 06:39:08 +0000

I think Lt. Choi may have an excellent future in politics when he’s ready to retire from service in our nation’s defense.

By: Lynn David

Lynn David — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 04:38:24 +0000

Makes sense, just following the orders of the Commander-in-Chief.