Beauty Fart

About 14,000 members of the military have been discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" since it was introduced in 1993
- VA News, December 20, 2010

I'm a self accepted skeptic, critic, doubter, curmudgeon, etc. - but mostly I'm a pessimist when it comes to human beings and society. The X-Files got it right "trust no one."

Every once in a while I am serendipitously ecstatic to be proven wrong. When it looked like the repeal to 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' was lost in bipolar politics I nodded to the dark side - "once again you have won."

Now here was one of the most simple arguments anyone could have ever made:

• Ever since the US dismissed 'the draft' they have had a problem of signing up competent soldiers.
• Every year they seem to lower their standards on who is eligible to join the military.
• About 14,000 members of the military have been discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" since it was introduced in 1993.
• Rumor (and more than that) has it that maybe 10% of the population is gay.
• Contrary to misinformed sources, gay people are not delicate, but they are as passionate as anyone else. Exactly the pivotal quality you want in a soldier.
• The US population is scared out of their socks that terrorists are hiding behind every corner and that they need a large and effective military to fight that threat.
• I could go on, but now I'm getting silly...

For some reason there was this enormous and influential population in the US that was willing to sacrifice their security because of their homophobic fears.

To those few republicans who voted to repeal this retched insult to civil rights, I am amazed to see politicians who are willing to put their country before their party. Standing back for a moment I am amazed that a few pivotal individuals were able to rise above the bullshit and see things for what they are.

Sometimes the gas does bubble up above the shit, and it's not so offensive.