Dont Ask Dont Tell Essay - 1863 Words

Justin Cook is a student at Stanton College Preparatory who is currently in the eleventh grade. Cook is enrolled in an AP Psychology and takes a great interest in connecting the work he does in the class to the work in his other current classes. In this essay, Cook presents his argument on why homosexuals should be permitted to serve in the American Armed Forces primarily from a psychological standpoint. Cook is an active advocate for human rights and the equality of homosexuals. He is also an active supporter of The Trevor Project which is the only American non-profit organization that runs a 24/7 suicide and crisis prevention helpline for gay and questioning youth. Homosexuality: A Deciding Factor in the Participation of the American†¦show more content†¦It was not until the twelfth century that homosexuality started to be condemned. This condemnation proved to live through then until now. Due to the fact that America incorporated these early views into its early laws, even the most bland of todays sex acts were seen as unlawful (â€Å"Homosexuality and Mental Health†). Since then, these laws have changed, however, there is still a primarily negative connotation on homosexuals when coming from a church or legal standpoint concerning the masses of America. This condemnation eventually led to the introduction of the separation of homosexuals from military service as seen with the neutral blue discharges which were often given to homosexual servicemen starting in 1916 . This neutral discharge was then labeled â€Å"general† and â€Å"undesirable†, resulting in a less honorable discharge. Discharges concerning men who were found to be guilty in engaging in homosexual acts were severely different than those who were neutrally discharged. If this were the case then you were then dishonorably discharged (â€Å"Dont Ask, Dont Tell† - Wikipedia). The current policy of Dont Ask, Dont Tell, Dont Harass, Dont Pursue1, derived from the original 1993 Department of Defense Directive 1332.14 coined Dont Ask, Dont Tell, ensures that any American citizen can participate in the Armed Forces. This policy is a step-up from the usual immediate discharge, however, this is only if the service member does not identifyShow MoreRelatedDont Ask, Dont Tell Essay1130 Words   |  5 PagesDon’t Ask, Don’t Tell The issue of gays in the military has been controversial in the United States for many decades. Over these decades there have been many different proposals as to what approach to take in order to handle the situation of homosexuals in the military. However, in 1992 when Bill Clinton was running for President of the United States, he made a promise to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military if he was elected (Washington Post). Bill Clinton followed through with his promiseRead MoreEssay on Dont Ask, Dont Tell1447 Words   |  6 Pagesthis problem that the policy known as â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† was designed to avoid, the tension caused between soldiers when homosexuals are serving openly. Without this policy, homosexuals serving openly could create tension that interferes with the military’s effectiveness. While it may not be obvious at first, the policy of â€Å"Don’t Ask Don’t Tell† actually supports the both values of t he military and the rights of homosexuals. As a result, â€Å"Don’t Ask Don’t Tell† is needed to protect homosexual serviceRead MoreComparison of The Crucible And Dont Ask, Dont Tell1273 Words   |  6 Pagesin a park in Japan where he had been serving [Sterngold]. After revealing his homosexuality to his peers in the army, he had been left unrecognizably mutilated and beaten to death. In response, in 1993, the Clinton administration initiated â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† [DADT] which meant that military officers could not investigate a soldier’s sexual preference without reason and a soldier should not voluntarily disclose it [McGowan 4]. Historically, the US military had never directly banned gays, only theirRead More Repeal of Dont Ask Dont Tell Essay1076 Words   |  5 Pages The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy is a major policy of the armed forces of the United States, and allows a number of people to serve their country. This policy restricts the United States armed forces from discovering gays, lesbians, and bisexuals. The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy has, in a way, limited homosexuals from completely fulfilling their military duties by forcing them to serve in the military silent about their personal lives. The policy is a violation of equal rights, forces homosexualsRead More Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy Essay1749 Words   |  7 Pagescountry is a privilege. The Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy is claiming that even though it may be considered an infringement on human rights and freedom of expression, it protects the rights of the rest of the military and opens a loophole for gay men and women to serve in the armed forces. Other countries have successfully integrated gay men and women into their militaries and compared the treatment of other minority groups in the military. Is the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† pol icy really effective orRead MoreDont Ask, Dont Tell1239 Words   |  5 PagesReagan, the gay ban was more stringently enforced. In the 1990s, amidst vicious opposition to repeal the ban, President Bill Clinton enacted the compromise â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue, Don’t Harass† policy that provides for Sexual orientation [not to] be a bar to service unless manifested by homosexual conduct (qtd. in Don t Ask†). While it is true that the institution of the military is largely based on fraternal bonding that should not be cleaved by social factionalism, the call ofRead MoreThe Process of Adjustment in Communication and the Effect on the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy1690 Words   |  7 PagesThe Process of Adjustment in Communication and the Effect on the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy Communication is regarded as a continuous process of adjustment. This process can be explained by looking at the recent repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. This policy restricts the equal rights of homosexuals which has been a topic in heated debate for many years. Over the course of United States history, there have been numerous attempts at equalizing the rights among homosexualsRead MoreMovie Analysis : Soldier s Girl 947 Words   |  4 Pagesresulting trial give rise to wide spread press and a formal review of the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† policy. This case, and several like it, became one of the many examples of just how ineffective the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† policy was when it came to the protection of LGBT service men and women. There has been generally accepted historical facts concerning the struggles of gay service men and women during the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† policy, and debates over its causes and what brought about its end. ItRead MoreWhy Is This A Big Deal?2684 Words   |  11 PagesPresident Obama, during his run for President, promised that if he was elected the military policy of â€Å"don’t ask, don’t tell† would be repealed and that homosexuals would be allowed to serve openly in our US military. As we know, Obama was elected and he followed through with his promise as earlier this year the â€Å"don’t ask, don’t tell† was repealed. The purpose of this essay is to answer the question, why is this a big deal? How will it work? How will it be implemented in the military? OverRead MoreEssay On Transgender Army978 Words   |  4 Pageshuge impact while in service and to ban or get rid of all of them would be an injustice . Openly gay or transgender were barred from serving in the military and those already serving were protected from discrimination and harassment under the Don’t ask, Dont tell bill so determining an accurate number is a tricky thing to do. Because of this, the numbers of actually serving transgender individuals can actually be higher. These numbers alone should be a justification for the impact the transgender community