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December 14, 2004
Letter to the Editor: Resolution of discrimination?
I am rather surprised to find out that my school, Hamline University, would consider supporting anything that ultimately leads to less tolerance. If Graham Lampa, Manney Anderson, and their accomplices succeed in passing through HUSC a thoughtless resolution that calls to ban recruiters from the armed forces from establishing themselves on campus because they discriminate against homosexuals, won’t the cycle of discrimination be further entertained?
First, be aware that popular opinion shows the issue of gays being disenfranchised in the military to be highly normative; that is another topic of discussion altogether. One argument is that by not expressing the true feelings of your sexual orientation, you don’t take advantage of a civil right. The other side might argue, however, that since men and woman live in close contact, showering together and the what-not, abandoning the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy will make some feel uncomfortable and exclusive.
For the sake of argument, imagine, temporarily if you wish, that this issue is irrelevant. Now, aside from what some might say/feel about homosexuals, we all realize that the army allows so many people, especially minorities, who come from the lower classes to lift themselves out of unhealthy environments and become financially and intellectually better off.
Those who have lacked guidance and understanding find it through the service. Those who feel that their cultural background restricts their opportunities learn that in the service this is not applicable. Those who come from a racially homogenous area gain tolerance through the mixing pot (perhaps better termed a melting pot) of all the different privates, sergeants, colonels, etc., that they are forced to cooperate with and/or obey.
Men and women from both ends of bigotry are made to live together, eat together, drill together, sleep together, work together, and in being together so much they not only learn to accept each other, but also become friends.
Ask a white person from a small town in northern Minnesota how they felt about minorities before they went into the service and after they got out. Ask a black person from a divided suburb if they felt the presence of racial profiling more in the service or where they grew up.
The military in general turns prejudices into tolerances, doesn’t discriminate against those who have felt discrimination, gives economically suppressed people a viable option, and provides an even playing field for all. If you are appalled by our armed services’ policy regarding homosexuals, you should likewise be appalled by a proposed resolution that promotes discrimination among individuals (many of whom are far less fortunate then the average student here on campus) ensued by constraining the available choices that promote the contrary.
If you support this ban, please reflect on the old adage “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Look at the big picture, and don’t allow personal emotions lead you into a decision that only further exacerbates the principle of the problem you hold dear.
Nathan Ohler
CLA Student
Posted by msveum at December 14, 2004 10:40 AM