I had just begun this break from Econ and Accounting reading to check e-mail, scan headlines, and do a local "tour de blog" when I caught something on MSNBC.com about two Republican Senators (Inhofe and Wicker) drafting legislation that would ban same-sex marriage ceremonies on military bases, as well as excuse military chaplains from having to perform said ceremonies if they desired not to.
As for the second part, I don't know the legal side of it well enough to write about it (if chaplains could do the same for a heterosexual couple, that makes it tricky...but people could always find another chaplain). As for the first part though, I OBJECT.
Much like "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- something imposed ON the military, but not coming FROM the military, this type of stuff makes our armed forces look like a bunch of reactionaries. This is NOT coming from us. This is coming from someone trying to USE us to score political points. If there is some type of outcry among veterans abouts same-sex ceremonies happening on their installations, I have not heard about it: Not last year in Afghanistan, not at Fort Hood, not at Fort Dix, not at Fort Devens, and not with the 17 fellow veterans in my program who I see on a daily basis. We've got way too much else on our minds.
What gives these guys the right to "protect" us from something that we may not need protection from in the first place? For what it's worth, I looked up their bios (Inhofe did not serve in the military, Wicker did four years as a USAF JAG and retired O-5 in the Reserves). I guess technically it shouldn't matter anyway -- this is still just garbage.
Still, does it make me want to leave the party I finally went ahead and joined back in April after a decade of "Unenrolled" time following my first few years of adulthood as a D? No. Not any more than Abu Ghraib makes me want to leave the military...which it doesn't. In fact, it just emboldens me to stick around and believe that there's a better way to do things in this region. I can have my Brown and my Baker without my Romney and hope to see people like our former platoon leader get elected at the State level in Augusta.
And to the Dixie-whistlers Wicker and Inhofe, I pose this question: "Who asked ya?"
No one, that's who.
As for the second part, I don't know the legal side of it well enough to write about it (if chaplains could do the same for a heterosexual couple, that makes it tricky...but people could always find another chaplain). As for the first part though, I OBJECT.
Much like "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- something imposed ON the military, but not coming FROM the military, this type of stuff makes our armed forces look like a bunch of reactionaries. This is NOT coming from us. This is coming from someone trying to USE us to score political points. If there is some type of outcry among veterans abouts same-sex ceremonies happening on their installations, I have not heard about it: Not last year in Afghanistan, not at Fort Hood, not at Fort Dix, not at Fort Devens, and not with the 17 fellow veterans in my program who I see on a daily basis. We've got way too much else on our minds.
What gives these guys the right to "protect" us from something that we may not need protection from in the first place? For what it's worth, I looked up their bios (Inhofe did not serve in the military, Wicker did four years as a USAF JAG and retired O-5 in the Reserves). I guess technically it shouldn't matter anyway -- this is still just garbage.
Still, does it make me want to leave the party I finally went ahead and joined back in April after a decade of "Unenrolled" time following my first few years of adulthood as a D? No. Not any more than Abu Ghraib makes me want to leave the military...which it doesn't. In fact, it just emboldens me to stick around and believe that there's a better way to do things in this region. I can have my Brown and my Baker without my Romney and hope to see people like our former platoon leader get elected at the State level in Augusta.
And to the Dixie-whistlers Wicker and Inhofe, I pose this question: "Who asked ya?"
No one, that's who.
1 comment:
I understand and agree with your point. It's political and preemptive and without cause to pass such a law. From what I understand no one is forcing any religious person (not a Justice of the Peace) to perform a same-sex marriage ceremony on a military base. Also there are professional and respectful ways of declining if approached. All one has to say is, 'That's not my niche. I have a friend or two, I know who would assist you.' Then give the couple the contact information.
It's hard defending a definition, when the public policy is broken when it comes to marriage. I will still advocate on the issue on many levels, not just the word itself.
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