Retired. For a reason.
Pam Spaulding's Facebook page clued me in to this great column on CitizenLink, an affiliate of Focus on the Family. Please note that FoF just barely escaped being listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The author, retired Colonel and tired bigot Bill Spencer, had this to say:
"But for today, I fear that our military members in the field are left with these thoughts: 'Does my country not think of me that much? Does the country think it should hobble its forces in the field with these distractions during time of war? Does the country require us to deal with this, as well? Am I indeed a patriot without a country? What moral madness awaits us next? When bullets are flying at me, and everyone back home is apparently just thinking about themselves and their own private behaviors, it’s too much to ask of me to sacrifice my life.'
"I ask you, fellow citizen, after Saturday’s vote, would you give your life for our Senate? Would you give your life for our president? Or, would you go home to your family? Sadly, you know the answers already. If you never made a phone call or never entered the debate on this issue, it’s too late to care now."
I sometimes feel the need to reiterate to chumps like this fogey: America wasn't founded on the principle that the majority can discriminate against the minority, asshole. Any soldier who believed that his place in the Armed Services, the finest group of men and women I have ever met, was to reinforce the backwards ideals and homophobic notions of fringe bigots-- it isn't his place to be in the military. He needs to get out, and he needs to become an out-of-work plumber. Somewhere else.
Because of this simple reason: This is America, goddammit. I swore to protect the Constitution of the United States of America, and that document doesn't have room for your hatred. I am flabbergasted at the notion of any soldier I have ever known-- patriots all-- thinking something this selfish and disgusting. They would promptly be drummed out at best, or locked up for treason at worst. To be frank, it doesn't exist.
Thank God.
[CitizenLink] OAQ note: Please only click this if you are prepared to view BS.
In fact, the Founding Fathers felt so strongly about the need to protect the rights of the individual against the whims of the masses that the Bill of Rights was almost immediately forthcoming. This was not without a great deal of debate regarding the document's potential to be seen as limiting rights instead of expanding and clarifying them. All of that considered, the founders felt clarifying individual freedoms was not only warranted, but necessary.
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