Hey, military gays? Perhaps you’re among the folks having a difficult time filling out Westat’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell survey that went out to 400,000 troops today? Perhaps it’s because you have to sign on to the survey site using a government-issued computer, then log in using your government-issued Common Access Card, according to one military source. You know, to keep things “confidential.” The “secure” process is leaving some personnel blocked from filling out the survey, which seems appropriate.
soakman
This whole survey thing is so unprofessionally undertaken that the results are honestly almost already invalidated. The sample group may or may not be random, those completing the survey are likely only those who are already strongly opinionated (read: the homophobes and the gays…Need I really remind you which of the two is likely the minority?), and now some members receiving the survey don’t even have adequate means to log-in in order to fill it out.
Do you honestly think that service members who don’t feel strongly one way or the other and have no access to a government issued computer are going to go out of their way to take a 100 question survey?
Some may if they’re patriotic enough. Many will likely not. In addition, it sounds like the 100 question survey will be reported on as if it is something you can summarize. Apparently the questions are too ‘personal’ or too ‘confidential’ to release to the public.
For all we know question one may be, “Does being anally raped offend you?”
Honestly, without access to the questions we have no way as the public to assess whether the survey accurately measures the affects of open homosexuality on troop morale, or whether the survey merely measures the degree of pent-up homophobia an undetermined sample group own up to anonymously.
4.4M wasted. I just wonder who and how they’ll report on the results.
Steve
I suppose it depends on the questions. If they ask, “are you gay?”, then assured anonymity would clearly be required. If they ask, “do the sleeping arrangements in your unit provide adequate privacy?”, it might not be so much. We don’t know what the questions are.
Does anyone here have the list of questions?
Soakman
@Steve
If what I’ve read is accurate, I’m pretty sure they have refused to disclose all of the questions on security and confidentiality grounds.
It might be only until the surveys are returned, but it sounds like they’re going to remain undisclosed. That’s why it’s an awful awful survey. Who exactly is running the numbers and looking at the statistical significance of the results anyway?
jason
This survey marks the end of the relationship between the GLBT community and Democratic Pary in my opinion. The Democrats allowed this travesty of a survey to go ahead. Remember this when you vote this November and every other time there’s an election.
CJ
Keeping this survey within THEIR system behind 20 layers of security sure makes it easy to hide the questions from public. The ability to “cut and paste”, take screen shots, forward, etc, are virtually eliminated by keeping it in a closed system.
Here’s an article via the Army Times. One quote:
“Smith [Pentagon spokeswoman] did confirm that the survey is broken down into three sections: baseline questions regarding respondents’ overall experiences in the military; respondents’ past experiences serving with individuals they believed to be gay; and respondents’ attitudes and sense of repeal’s impact on retention, unit cohesion and effectiveness, privacy, family readiness and their willingness to recommend military service to others.”
I can’t help but think how this survey will create further morale problems with both straights and gays in the military. When you give you input, you are now feeling invested into the decision-making process AND the outcome more personally affects you. You either fill “listened to” or not.
CJ
The Army Times article
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/07/military_dontask_survey_070710w/
jason
Where do bisexual men fit in all this?
Ben K
Your info. is incorrect. A government issued computer is not needed. Access to a government computer is not needed. Use of the CAC is not needed. Just the facts.
Adam Aaaron
@jason: Somewhere in between, Jason.
D Smith
@ Jason
out of curiosity just who would you have us vote for then? not voting simply isnt an option imo because that is just one less vote that the Republicans have to fight against in order to criminalize and discriminate against those of us in the LGBT community.