Comments on: Servicemembers ignore DADT survey

By: cd

cd — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:23:37 +0000

I think seasoned military people get this 30 page ‘survey’ and, knowing military corporate practices and skullduggery, realize very little good will come from filling it out.

I agree with Tim’s interpretation that the 90% are saying “get rid of DADT and order me to comply and I’m fine with it. Don’t make me fill out 30 pages about my subjective particular opinions as if they mattered to my fulfilling my duties- they don’t- or the military is a democracy- it isn’t. And it shouldn’t be.”

A survey of this kind is to a large extent a Kook Identifier. It might even be that the 400,000 copies sent out are a red herring and only those received from people of rank X and higher get read at all. And then largely to put the potential troublemakers on an internal watchlist. Gay people should avoid filling it out for obvious reasons as well.

By: Timothy Kincaid

Timothy Kincaid — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:59:03 +0000

OK, Craig. Sorry about that.

I used the layperson’s all inclusive “soldiers”. But I think folks know what I meant.

By: Craig

Craig — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:56:31 +0000

Timothy,
You’re welcome, but (and this may sound picky to some) it’s still not right. Soldiers are only in the *Army*. The survey (from everything I’ve seen) is being sent to servicemembers from all services.

By: Duncan

Duncan — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:06:01 +0000

This is how DADT will end; crushed under an unstoppable juggernaught of apathy.

By: John in the Bay Area

John in the Bay Area — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:04:38 +0000

Gay servicemembers are given no protections from discharge for filling out the survey. Honest answers from servicemembers could cost them their careers. At this time, with Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in effect, the only responsible thing to tell gay servicemembers who do not want to end their military careers is to not fill out the survey.

Despite Pentagon officials trying to encourage gay servicemembers to fill out the survey, these same officials acknowledge that there are no protections for those who do. SDLN is correct in their advice.

By: Jim in MA

Jim in MA — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:31:39 +0000

“And don’t forget, the SLDN advised gay servicemembers (I think unwisely) NOT to participate in the survey.”

Well, if 92% aren’t taking the survey, maybe they’re not participating because they’re gay.
Just sayin

By: customartist

customartist — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:23:10 +0000

Is the actual survey out there somewhere?

Is answering the survey OPTIONAL?

What is the NAME of the survey company?

Was the Contract to condct the survey put out for bids? If not, Why not? How do we know if those entrusted with conducting surveys are impartial?

I’ll gladly conduct an online survey for the government for $4,500,000 – just in case a government official is reading…

By: Priya Lynn

Priya Lynn — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:15:49 +0000

Fred said “For example, if all 10% are against, then it will be stated that 100% of the service-persons are against over-turning DADT.”

TampaZeke said “To the contrary, I think they will be forced to report that 90% didn’t care either way and the 10% that did care, one way or the other, broke down thus…

92% Don’t care either way
5% support keeping DADT
3% support abolishing DADT”.

I think Fred is right, if most of the 10% responding are against repeal the anti-gay activists at least will claim the majority of service members are against repeal.

By: Timothy Kincaid

Timothy Kincaid — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:03:55 +0000

Thanks, Craig. That was a typo on my part.

By: TampaZeke

TampaZeke — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:55:46 +0000

And don’t forget, the SLDN advised gay servicemembers (I think unwisely) NOT to participate in the survey.