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Most Americans Support Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
Feb 12th, 2010 | 54 responses
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows that a stunning three-quarters of the American people want gay and lesbian Americans to be allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military:
The level of public support for allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly far outpaces that in the spring of 1993, when Congress and the Clinton administration established the policy.
To be clear, it’s only “stunning” in the context of the amped-up opposition of the rapidly shrinking minority who still believe this is a controversial issue.
54 Responses to “Most Americans Support Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell””
This, Kathy:
“There are a few commenters here that I consider very intelligent (and no, they're not all liberals). Roro is one of them.”
Schadenfreude –
I think it's pretty clear that both of us were insulting each other in earnest. We've both apologized, and that's cool and all, but let's not be disingenuous in saying we were just kidding, or not intending insult. If you truly only meant the “jerk” comment about me, fine, but I don't think you can honestly say that it's much of a stretch to interpret the comment as three of us clearly did. You've apologized to me for insulting my intelligence over that comment (saying that I was poor at reading comprehension), and I appreciate that, but even if you didn't mean it to also insult Kathy, that was very much the implication that most who read it took. Can you not see that as a very reasonable, and in fact probable interpretation of what you said?
As far as the “homosexual” term, I've already conceded that I should have stated that the term has been used historically and currently in a certain way instead of (as I had been mistaken) being coined for that purpose. I was mistaken on etymology, but not on historical or current usage and connotation.
I don't disparage the intentions of Krafft-Ebing; in fact, the history shows that pathologizing same-sex attraction was actually a great step in keeping people from out-right jailing or killing gay people during his time. It's just that the term refers to a disease — homosexuality — and now most who think being gay is ok and not worthy of derision no longer consider it a disease. Queer folk don't want it to be considered a disease, and clinically, it no longer is considered one. It's not akin to pedophelia, nor beastiality, nor insest; most would consider those who engage in such activities as “sick” — having a disease. Being gay is obviously quite different, and I think you would agree, but it was not always considered so, particularly at the time when the term was used by Krafft-Ebing.
I don't think I ever implied that it was invented to be a slur, merely that the gay community in general does not wish the term to be used, in part because they dislike its history as the disease, and also because, as your poll data shows, the use of the term makes people less likely to support their rights. Whether the poll results step from explicitly defining gay people as who they have sex with (instead of who they love) or whether it is just because of the slur “homo”, is unclear, although I would be surprised if it weren't a combination of the two.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Okay! You are welcome, then!
OK, truly last and final comment. I made a specific apology about the intellegance crack, and a general apology about the overall tone of my comments, which I meant to include ALL my rude comments. I don't know how to be clearer in my apologies to you, but I will try again:
I apologize for all the rude and inappropriate comments I directed at you on this thread, and I will even extend it to ALL rude and inappropriate comments I have made towards you at TMV. I mean that sincerely.
I also re-extend to Kathy the comment I made before – I am sorry my comments offended her and that she took my comments the way she did, and I will go one step further now and say that I should have phrased my comment towards you in a way that made it more clear what my intentions were, but I did not direct them towards her, and I will not apologize for doing that, as I know I did not do.
I also do not appreciate being called a liar in the face of my repeated, and immediate, denials that they were directed at her. If you go back and look at my initial reaction to your saying I insulted KK, my comments show I was clear from the beginning that I said that was not what I was doing.
Your last paragraph is ever so slightly disingenuous, to borrow your term, on the homosexual question. I am not sure how the statement you made that the word 'homosexual' was, quote, “made up by opponents of gay people” goes with “I don't think I ever implied that it was invented to be a slur”. But all the rest of your discussion only re-enforces what tidbits said and I agreed with – we are in agreement on all the key points and gay rights in general.
Peace.