Killing Time

Some days I need to step away from Facebook. It can get compulsive--you're too wired into everyone else and instead of living a real life, you've gone virtual, posting every little event like people are going to care. On one hand I am glad that I've found so many people from so many times and places in my life and on the other, I could spend all day there, "catching up" and accomplishing absolutely nothing.

I become really unproductive when I get caught up in an argument. I try not to do it. My insides boil pretty easily if I get stuck in a back and forth thing. One person posted something to the effect that Obama is going to screw up the entire military by repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. Why does Obama hate the troops?

I don't mind so much if someone holds that opinion, but when they consciously post that to hundreds of others, why do they do it? Is it because they assume they'll get a bunch of "Amens?" I made the error of replying and I closed with "We'll agree to disagree."

He came back with "You baited and cut."

What the hell? Oh yes, of course, I'm a cut and run Democrat. So I went against my rational self and continued to post, knowing that his thinking was not going to change and knowing that we would continue to disagree.

Here's my issue--since leaving the military, I know of several people who are now out of the military and out of the closet. One even said she would have stayed in if she could have lived openly. There is one other person I know of who's living a very low profile life. This is someone that the person who posted the argument would know because the three of us were in the same company as cadets. I know through a friend that he's gay. I emailed him awhile back and wanted so badly to tell him, "I know! And it's OKAY! I don't care, I just hope you're happy!" People just want to live their lives. Straight guys, no one is ogling you and if they are, you report them, JUST LIKE FEMALE SERVICE MEMBERS DO WHEN THEY GET HARRASSED. Besides living with men has taught me that you all can be pretty damned disgusting, especially when there are a bunch of you in close quarters. It's a wonder I'm still straight. Get over yourselves.

His argument was that openly gay people would ruin morale.

My argument was that we have a two front war. If the military can stand that, surely it can survive openly gay members.

I'm coming at this as a person who would have until recent times been prevented from joining the military and serving my country simply because of my sex and race. Looking back, those old rules made no sense and to me, the rules against gay people mirror this thinking and also, MAKE NO SENSE. If someone is willing and able to serve his or her country, let them do it, but don't put some restriction on it telling them they need to hide a huge part of their lives (which is LYING, though our military is very big on integrity), or else be celibate. how is that fair?

I realize he viewed it as a straight, white, male, Godfearing Christian and here's the thing: it's easy to impose restrictions on others when those rules will never apply to you.