Military Might

A funny thing is happening in the military; prejudice is being swept away by an Admiral who came out of the closet in testimony to Congress. Admiral Mullen the top military leader in the United States and he announced quite calmly that it's time for gays to serve openly. he also pointed out that he has indeed served with gays since 1968 making it clear the whole don't ask don't tell nonsense is stupid and pointless. It was of course the result of the other spineless Democrat President Bill Clinton who, like President Obama, couldn't sign a morally justified executive order to save his life.

President Truman signed an executive order to allow blacks to serve openly and alongside white personnel but only after World War Two was over and blacks had been ritually humiliated during that conflict. Slowly, slowly the US is edging towards proper civil rights acknowledgements for gays and it seems, once again, the military is going to show the way. There is still plenty of bigotry to be overcome but by an dlarge it is not socially acceptable these days to hate gays for being gay.

I grew up pretty bigoted against gays, I knew no better and went along with the nasty juvenile practice of insulting those who are different. I look back with disgust on many aspects of my childhood which no doubt reinforces my desire never to have children. However in adulthood I found myself surrounded by poofs and benders and shirt lifters and wonder of wonders they were just like me. Except I liked women. Millions of straight people have discovered the same irrefutable truth and finally we seem to have reached the stage where prejudice against gays is no longer cool.

Perhaps it is a function of a younger generation learning to come to terms with gays in their midst, a path opened up by the suffering and misery of the older generation breaking down the prejudice. Perhaps the weight of history which has been pushing us all to accept gays as equal members of society has finally broken down the last reserves. Perhaps this is one good thing to come from the election of a mealy, feeble Democrat for president. It will take time but gay marriage will be next, it is inevitable and of course the delicious prejudice of religious bias will keep gays fro m getting married in most churches but they will sooner or later get to marry in law and they can make their own religious superstitions if they like.

One thing would be nice though; when the breakthrough comes and gay civil rights are enshrined, with pockets of bigotry of course, it would be nice if gays would embrace the next civil rights battle and not do what blacks have done through their churches. Which has been the unedifying spectacle of seeing blacks squirm and reject gay civil rights on the grounds that gays choose their lifestyle and blacks are made that way. Once again I find a reason to despise people, en masse when they behave that way. I would like to imagine that gays will not follow suit. That would be a brave new world indeed, sand I wonder what group civil rights struggle that might be. because we know there will always be one.