In a recent opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, Bret Stephens lists some “excellent arguments for ending the U.S. military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy” and some “lousy ones.”
As some of the “lousy ones” Stephens dismissively—even contemptuously—mentions the support of U.S. Defense Secretary Bob Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen to end DADT; the comparisons often made between repealing don’t ask, don’t tell and other civil-rights causes of our time; and the moral equivalence many make to ending the military’s pre-1948 policy of racial segregation.
But to the Journal’s credit, it lists as one of the weakest arguments:
[T]he notion that having openly gay service members will lead to some pandemic of escapades in a military that already forbids and punishes sexual liaisons of any variety except between married couples. Even less persuasive is that the erotic attachments of service members will adversely affect military decision making. If that were true, the military would not allow women to serve, nor would it permit husband-and-wife teams to deploy together. Yet the U.S. military allows both.
According to Stephens, the “best” argument against lifting the DADT policy is that doing so will have an adverse impact on military effectiveness. However, immediately, he asks, “But does ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ contribute to military effectiveness?”
His reply: “Probably not,” and proceeds to explain that “by demanding that gay and lesbian service members keep their sexuality a secret, it makes them uniquely susceptible to blackmail.”
The article also discusses the fact that the policy has resulted in the dismissal of more than 13,000 American service members since it was implemented:
Assume that the presence of openly gay people in uniform poses real if intangible risks to morale or capability. It’s still worth pondering whether those risks outweigh what amounts to the loss of an entire division of war-fighters.
Finally the article mentions something that is often used by opponents of having gays and lesbians serve openly in our military: The allegation that in those countries were such rights have been granted, the effectiveness of their military has been negatively affected.
While I have not seen concrete proof of such claims, I especially cringe when one of the military forces included in such a category is the Israeli military.
In my opinion, the Israel Defense Forces are one of the finest fighting forces in the world. Agree with the government’s policies or not, the professionalism, discipline, bravery of the IDF troops are legendary.
Gays and lesbians have served openly, bravely and honorably in the IDF since 1993, including in its elite Special Forces units.
Even the Wall Street Journal, when “pondering” the experience of countries where gays and lesbians serve openly, has this to say:
A better comparison is the Israeli military, which hasn’t yet been deemed incompetent or pusillanimous even by those who otherwise routinely defame it
In “Asking and Telling in Israel,” in the latest Newsweek, Yoni Schoenfeld, a gay major with more than 16 years of combat service in the IDF tells a compelling story about his proud service in the Israeli Army, including his service in a special-forces unit, “and a damn good one, at that.”
Please read his story here.
But, should you decide not to read it, I would like to leave you with these thoughts and words by Major Schoenfeld:
As Israelis, we are taught from a young age to admire the United States. The American dream offers an alternative to the somewhat harsh reality of life in the Middle East. But that dream has been betrayed by the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that governs gay and lesbian service in the U.S. military. Repealing it will help America fall in line with what many other countries have already accepted—that, in the 21st century, sexual preferences should not be a matter of shame or secrecy, not even in the military. The thought of living a lie while serving—of not being able to share one’s personal life with fellow fighters and commanders—is hard to bear. (And it’s ridiculous: if Israel, a nation that is forever on high alert, can defend itself just fine with open homosexuals in its defense forces, then any other nation’s army should also be able to integrate.)
(Emphasis mine)
