Early Saturday morning two gay Fort Carson soldiers left a gay bar with a go-go boy still dressed in his outfit to go and get some fast food at Albert’s Tacos. While they were there, a group of men started harassing them and then jumped them outside of the Colorado Springs restaurant while shouting racist and anti-gay slurs. One soldier got kicked so badly that he ended up with six bruised ribs and his right eye swollen shut from injury. The other had a facial fracture that required his jaw to be wired shut. Here’s the real kicker though—because the soldiers are gay, they don’t want to give their name to the press, lest the US military discharge them under DADT. Will they cooperate with investigators who will need confirmation of their sexuality to report a hate crime?
Scott Wooledge from Pam’s House Blend adds, “This is why DADT has been a shameful failure from day one. Our men and women who serve are at increased risk and can expect no help from the chain of command, only to be victimized further by their own at times of crisis.”
Mr. Enemabag Jones
Aren’t soldiers trained to fight? How many guys were attacking them, that these soldiers trained in hand to hand combat couldn’t defend themselves?
the crustybastard
@Mr. Enemabag Jones:
FTFA: “While they were there, a group of men>/b> started harassing them and then jumped them…”
the crustybastard
Fatfingered that close tag. Sorry.
Andreas Lights
Hate crimes definition includes perception of sexual orientation as well as actual, so admitting it does not seem necessary in this case.
Ted B. (Charging Rhino)
Hopefully, once DADT gets deep-sixed like OBL, attempting to gay-bash US soldiers will end more like this late-night train ride. No more pulling our punches and more throat-slitting please.
In India, a retired Gurkha soldier (Bishnu Shrestha), singlehandedly killed three bandits, wounded eight and drove off another 30 when the train he was on was attacked by a large gang, who planned to rob several hundred passengers. It all began when some forty bandits, pretending to be passengers, suddenly revealed themselves, and, armed with knives, swords and pistols, stopped the train in the jungle, and proceeded to rob the passengers. When the bandits reached Shrestha, he was ready to give up his valuables, but then the 18 year old girl sitting next to him was grabbed by the robbers, who wanted to rape her. The girl, who knew Shrestha was a retired soldier, appealed to him for help. So he pulled out the large, curved khukuri knife that all Gurkha soldiers (and many Gurkha civilians) carry, and went after the bandits. In the narrow aisle of the train, a trained fighter like Shrestha had the advantage. Although some of the bandits had pistols, they were either fake (a common ploy in India), inoperable, or handled by a man who didn’t want to get too close to an angry Gurkha. After about ten minutes of fighting in the train aisles, eleven bandits were dead or wounded, and the rest of them decided to drop their loot (200 cell phones, 40 laptops, lots of jewelry, and nearly $10,000 in cash) and flee. The train resumed its journey promptly, in case the bandits came back, and to get medical aid for the eight bandits who had been cut up by Shrestha (who was also wounded in one hand). Shrestha required two months of medical treatment to recover the full use of his injured hand. Shrestha was hailed as a hero, not just by the Indian public, but also by the regiment he, and his father, had retired from.
greenmusic23f
@Andreas Lights: Good point.
Jeffree
Do they necessarily have to out themselves to report the crime? Regardless of the motivations of the attackers, the crime occurred at the Taco place, not the bar.
OK, maybe I’m grasping at straws.
Yet another reason for the repeal to be fully enacted….
jmc
The Ninth Circuit enjoined the government from enforcing DADT today. At least for the time being, that should not be an impediment to reporting this.