Did a crazed gay officer open fire at Fort Hood?

And how much money would that be? I recently ETS'd after 8.5 years in the Army and I heard of zero instances of individuals being "drummed out" or forced out or encouraged to leave or even "outing" themselves. It was common knowledge that there were a few gay Soldiers in each battalion that I served in and nobody worried about it.

Clay Jones in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star:

http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/Toons/toonView?y=2009&m=112009&d=11132009&f=edjone1113.jpg.jpg

ditto Schmedlap.

I've seen one soldier in 13 years drummed out of a unit I was in because he was gay. One - a 1st LT - Bn Physicians Asst in 3ID. And the investigation consumed the following precious resources --- approx 5 Soldiers breaking up a fight between the 1LT and his older civilian "buddy" at the Bn Aid station. The young LT didn't give the BDE commander many options with a black eye, bloody lip and a story about a lover's quarrel at sick call.

I've never been in a unit that conducted one of these "witch hunts" and have served with a gay/ lesbian Soldier or officer at every assignment - combat units, SF units, logistics and intelligence.

I agree Tom, it's a waste to not let these patriotic serve, but aside from funny cartoons or pithy letters to the editor...I have not seen this as a focus of any unit I've been in. My experience tells me there is no savings here and MORE IMPORTANTLY WOULD NOT HAVE SAVED A SINGLE LIFE. You were on target previously on the Fort Hood story with the angles of : political correctness, inability to fire an incompetent officer, passing a poor performer along to the next assignment and cowardice to confront religious ideas that are inconsistent with the military's oath to the country and constitution.

This is a miss.

Here's what the Wikipedia says about the costs of the current policy:

In February 2005, the Government Accountability Office released estimates on the cost of the policy. Cautioning that the amount may be too low, the GAO reported $95.4 million in recruiting costs and $95.1 million for training replacements for the 9,488 troops discharged from 1994 through 2003.[47]

In February 2006, a University of California Blue Ribbon Commission including Lawrence Korb, a former assistant defense secretary during the Reagan administration, former Defense Secretary William Perry, a member of the Clinton administration, and professors from the United States Military Academy at West Point concluded that figure should be closer to $363 million, including $14.3 million for "separation travel" once a service member is discharged, $17.8 million for training officers, $252.4 million for training enlistees and $79.3 million in recruiting costs.[47] The commission report stated that the GAO didn't take into account the value the military lost from the departures.

This letter to the editor would make sense if the people who don't think DADT should be repealed were also arguing to keep folks like Hasan in the Army. Hasan remained in the Army out of political correctness, not because DADT enforcement was diverting all the resources that would have otherwise been spent on weeding out any Islamic fundamentalists in the military

Why is someone taking advantage of this tragedy to push their agenda? Are they heartless?

The answer that 90% of GIs agree with is here: http://www.g2mil.com/homosexuals.htm

Of course this doesn't satisfy some perverts who demand the "right" to offend others with their "open" displays of perversion. Read that article. GIs don't care what gets others hard, just don't demand the right to display their quirks "openly."

The unrest around the world effects us at home in many ways. Commerce is certainly effected. I surely hope the President will do what is right and not what is simply politically expedient. We are all hurting and nervous.

For those who need help with English, this from Websters:

Main Entry: per·ver·sion

1 : the action of perverting : the condition of being perverted
2 : a perverted form; especially : an aberrant sexual practice or interest especially when habitual

Main Entry: 1ab·er·rant

1 : straying from the right or normal way
2 : deviating from the usual or natural type : atypical

-----------------------------------------
So homosexuality is a perversion. As the article explains, we all have perversions, but in civil society, one keeps them private, and doesn't demand the "right" to display their perversions "openly" and demand that others accept their perversion as normal.

President Obama's desire to allow homosexuals to serve "openly" is far more complex than most realize. Will lovers be allowed to kiss and hold hands while in uniform? Will state approved same-sex marriages be recognized for housing and benefits? Will cross-dressers be allowed to choose their uniforms? Will transsexuals be allowed to dress as they want and use women's restrooms? Since women are allowed to wear make-up, earrings, and long hair, will feminine men be allowed that "right"?

was a major reason cited for blacklisting gays during the cold war. Obviously the policy served to validate the risk, but the risk was real enough in those days. (One wonders if the cross-dressing J. Edgar was turned by his gambling buddies on this issue, and why his top assistant Clyde Tolson was shot.)

I've read that Arabs and the african-american community that comprise most of the moslems in our country are more homophobic than our population at large.

This raises the non-PC question of whether being a gay moslem becomes a blackmail, or otherwise a recruiting-risk factor, if that population is especially exposed to community and family ostracism.

I'm thinking that US or Israeli spooks are not ignoring anything that allows them to 'turn' a target. Are Saudi or Pakistani ISI agent runners, any less motivated? Are takfiri web propagandists and mad mullahs less skilled than a car salesman in knowing how to connect to the lone wolf prospects 'pain'?

On the gross statistical level, the answer to Tom's question is 'definitely maybe.' ( 1:10- same for the loner that shot RFK, orMcVeigh for that matter.) But I hope no information develops to suggest that the bad Dr. Hasan was plagued by a homosexual guilt complex. Gay moslems already have enough to worry about.

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