The military desperately needs Arabic linguists in order to provide translation services in the ongoing war in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. But at least one Navy linguist is no longer providing those much-needed services, because, for some in the Pentagon, there’s a war more important than the war on terror.
The war on gays in the military.
Arabic linguists are in short supply all over the government, and have been for many years. In the military, they provide critical battlefield intelligence which can save soldiers’ lives. This doesn’t matter to the brass back in Arlington, though. If you’re gay, it doesn’t matter if you’re desperately needed. You’re out.
That’s what happened to Stephen Benjamin, a chief petty officer in the Navy who served for two years providing Arabic translation services to troops on the ground. He was done in when he used the Army’s internal instant messaging system, exchanging casual — not explicit — messages with a soldier in Iraq that indicated that they both were gay. A later inspection of the computer system at Fort Gordon turned up 70 service members whose use violated policy in some way.
Benjamin tells his story in aNew York Times op-ed:
The result was the termination of our careers, and the loss to the military of two more Arabic translators. The 68 other — heterosexual — service members remained on active duty, despite many having committed violations far more egregious than ours; the Pentagon apparently doesn’t consider hate speech, derogatory comments about women or sexual misconduct grounds for dismissal.
My supervisors did not want to lose me. Most of my peers knew I was gay, and that didn’t bother them. I was always accepted as a member of the team. And my experience was not anomalous: polls of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan show an overwhelming majority are comfortable with gays. Many were aware of at least one gay person in their unit and had no problem with it.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” does nothing but deprive the military of talent it needs and invade the privacy of gay service members just trying to do their jobs and live their lives. Political and military leaders who support the current law may believe that homosexual soldiers threaten unit cohesion and military readiness, but the real damage is caused by denying enlistment to patriotic Americans and wrenching qualified individuals out of effective military units. This does not serve the military or the nation well. — New York Times
He also points out that since the Clinton-era policy was instituted, 58 Arabic linguists, already in short supply, have been kicked out of the military, compromising a critical intelligence mission in the war on terror.
In Tuesday’s Republican Presidential debate in Manchester, N.H., hosted by CNN and WMUR-TV, only Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) said that gays should be allowed to serve in the military and that only “homosexual . . . and heterosexual behavior that is disruptive should be dealt with. It isn’t the issue of homosexuality, it’s the concept and understanding of individual rights.”
What’s it going to be, the war on terror, or the war on gays?
Until the military gets their collective heads out of their asses, you 58 Arabic linguists might consider serving on the civilian side at the National Virtual Translation Center.
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Karl Marx would love the popular moves among politicians in various state governments and the federal government to ban so-called "junk" food in schools, and to "put healthy food in" convenience stores and on the tables of those they define as poor. It's a very elitist and arrogant mindset that promotes this ideology, and it needs to be addressed.
Ultimately, the war supporters in Congress prevailed in the vote on the resolution. Still, the vote was significant because it places every member of Congress on the record as supporting or not supporting the unconstitutional, costly, violent occupation of a country that never attacked us. This vote should serve as an important reminder to the American people of where their representatives really stand when it comes to policing the world, empire building, and war.
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Anonymous
Jun 10, 2007
At least you didn’t knock anybody in this article, whats happan-nnnan man. But why Military/asses what wrong especially 58 Arabic linguists/ why mention this shit.why are you so madd?
Until the military gets their collective heads out of their asses, you 58 Arabic linguists might consider serving on the civilian side at the National Virtual Translation Center.
you are a trip Michael, you even sound like a kid in this one , are you old enough to vote?
Anonymous
Jun 10, 2007
sorry, that was me above, ddhorton
Fixer
Jun 10, 2007
DD, I’m gonna need a translator to help me figure out what the hell you were attempting to say.
Ron Paul has it right. The disruptive behavior of anyone should not be tolerated regardless of sexual orientation. In any circumstance, sexual orientation is only important to the individual and the person they’re having sex with.
Verbos
Jun 11, 2007
I served in the military many years ago. There was no policy on gays then. There were gays in the military and everyone knew who they were. I am and always have been straight. In particular, I was barracked with two gays. They were true friends. I caught a lot of flack for my association with them but hey grow up. DD you need more than to grow up but I do not know what would help.
Rob Davidson
Jun 12, 2007
I have to agree to Verbos. I was in the Army in the early 70’s, and as Verbos indicated everyone knew someone who was gay, but it usually wasn’t a big deal. (There were regulations against homosexuals in the military back then, but they were only enforced if an incident forced the appropriate authority to do something about it.)
@Anonymous/ddhorton:
Considering how poor your writing skills are, DD, are you sure that you are old enough to be on the internet without parental supervision?
The best.
Jun 18, 2007
This sight is a life saver for many. Michael should be proud of himself. He truly has a heart of gold. God bless him and America.
A citizen
Jun 28, 2007
In the worst case, if happens a worst war and every american soldier will die in battle then America will be populated only by woman, childs, elders and gays.
Jules
Jul 04, 2007
Gays have been in the military since ancient times. The only things that seem to have changed about that is how they are treated. They are every bit as American as the rest of us straight people & should be encouraged and expected to use their talents and skills. If their talents and skills can used to serve our country then they should be. We will all benefit by this.
Theocritus
Jul 05, 2007
And I’ll let you on on a dirty little secret, one that every single gay person knows. Ask a gay friend if he was ever, when young and in school, a fag-basher. One of those people who was the first to sniff out any behavior that seemed to be gay. The first to point a finger. Odds are, unless he’s a very unusual fellow, that he will say yes. It’s called denial.
I am not suggesting that homophobes are all closet cases for I do not believe it, nor does the evidence point that way. I am suggesting that some people that I’ve known have wondered what it would be like to try it just once or twice, and could not bear the thought that they might like it and go to the Dark Side and become one of the Undead. Or that they might not be utterly revolted by it and lose that pleasurable frisson of condescension and disgust at someone else’s sexual activities. It is, I suppose, the same thing as standing on a precipice and wondering what would happen if you jumped.
But you survive an experience with someone of the same sex. And it most likely won’t turn you queer even if you didn’t throw up afterwards.
And here’s one more thing for these people. One gay experience, or two, do not make you gay. They don’t even make you bisexual. Just as one experience with a woman will not make a gay man straight. I know this.
Random Person
Jul 12, 2007
Wow, just wow. The government would rather risk having more of their soldiers die because they are worried that some gay person might look over while they are peeing and see the government’s small penis. This is absurd. There are becoming so many restrictions on homosexuals that soon they will probably have their own “separate, but equal” restrooms. I am a straight male, and used to carry distaste for homosexuals until I met some in college. I quickly learned then that they are only different in the gender they like, and there was just as many crazy gays as there are girls. You would think that if the military hates gays so much, they would send them first into battle and not bar them completely from serving. I do not know, it just seems that every couple decades the government needs someone to pick on until the people speak up about it (blacks, women, gays, etc.). This is my two cents worth.
Zeitgeist
Sep 19, 2007
lack of information, when all the god fearing xtians sit in church every sunday hearding how god (who loves all of his children) just happens to hate gays and sends them to the firey pits of hell, they usually have the wrong impression. Not to mention the all american syndrom where boys have to play football and shoot guns and be manly blah blah blah. PLUS! THERES MORE! movies, TV, radio portray homosexuals as flamboyant stereo types that try to f@%k every man with a heartbeat. Yeah the military brass thinks along these lines. but i also think on the other side of the blade that they might be worried that if some one was found to be not of the hedero sexual nature that they might get their ass beat (no pun intended) by the red state all american boy, so they might be thinking of their safety as well?
Theocritus
Sep 19, 2007
This red-state, conservative-voting gay man is quite big enough to kick someone’s ass. I recall once someone tried and was quite unpleasantly surprised.
All fag-bashers. Get a life.
eric
Oct 16, 2007
I agree, Michael. We all know that the military is understaffed in many critical areas. If a man or woman fits the bill and is willing to help their country, their sexual preference should not even come up as any kind of an issue.
Anonymous
Dec 03, 2007
i am gay
dom
Jan 07, 2008
i really do not see what the big deal is i think that straght people are just scared and simply dont understan what they are even talking about this is the land of the FREE freedom it seems to look some people forgot what that means.