What Will You Spend Your $4.4 Million DADT Survey Refund On?

* “3) “Congress is considering the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. This law generally requires
that a Service member shall be separated if found to have engaged in, or attempted to engage in,
homosexual acts.”
This summary of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law is wrong. Opponents often try to characterize the policy
as preventing the open and public performance of homosexual acts, and this summary is in that vein.
The biggest problem with the DADT law is that a Service member can be fired for simply saying “I’m
gay,” without ever engaging in, or attempting to engage in, a “homosexual act.””

From actually reading the statute, my understanding of it is the same as the authors of the question.

“This summary also
implies that the repeal of this law will result in the open performance of “homosexual acts” on duty and
throughout the military. This summary is not only wrong, but it is highly inflammatory.”

It doesn’t imply that at all.

* “5) ”If Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is repealed, how, if at all, will it affect your willingness to recommend to a
family member or close friend that he or she join the military?”
This question is highly offensive and unnecessary.”

If this is truly offensive, I doubt there’s any way to gather this sort of sociological data that wouldn’t also be “offensive,” and that’s not helpful. These sorts of things, although subject to overreporting due to anonymity, are good to know.

“Would such a question every [sic] be allowed to be
asked about blacks, women, Muslims, Mormons, or any other minority group?”

Of course, unless we’re going to start enforcing speech codes and pretending that everyone operates according to politically correct norms.

* “6) “If Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is repealed, how, if at all, will your military career plans be affected?”
This question has well known bias because, among other reasons, it offers an opportunity to make a
values statement for which the respondent is never accountable. Before the equivalent policy was
changed within the armed forces of the United Kingdom, nearly two-thirds of males said they would
leave the military. After the policy change was made, however, only one person resigned across the
entire force, and even this officer is said to have been ready to retire regardless.”

Ok, great. It’s just a question. And this question — in fact, nothing in the survey, nor the survey as a whole — determine WHETHER DADT gets repealed. Without this question, we wouldn’t be able to compare before-the-fact statements of the kind made by UK soldiers to after-the-fact results, which is valuable information.

* “7) “If Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is repealed and you are assigned to share a room, berth, or field tent with
someone you believe to be a gay or lesbian Service member, which are you most likely to do?” (plus
three additional similar questions)
The real atrocity in these questions, which are some of the worse [sic] in the entire survey, lies in the
answer choices, especially “Discuss how we expect each other to behave and conduct ourselves while
sharing a room, berth, or field tent.” The fact that this is even an answer choice legitimizes the
completely irrational assumption or fear that gays and lesbians need to be “talked to” about their
behavior and conduct, lest they misbehave by default.”

No, it doesn’t. It’s merely one of several possible — in fact, likely — reactions. Many might respond “nothing.”

“Also the suggestion that someone may need to
“talk to a chaplain, mentor, or leader about how to handle the situation” is highly offensive. No survey
would ever be allowed to get away with suggesting or implying such things about any other minority.”

I’m sorry that it’s offensive that some people have serious, irrational personal issues sharing a small living space with one of us, but it’s also a real-world scenario. NOT asking this question would be intellectually dishonest in the interest of being PC.

Jul 12, 2010 at 5:12 pm · @Reply · Flag