First, in "US Senate blocks debate on gay military policy repeal", the BBC News tells us that President Obama's promise to change the rule that US military personnel must be dismissed from the army if they say that they are gay or lesbian has hit a problem. The new legislation was going to be discussed in the US senate, but not enough senators voted in favour of the discussion, so the new laws cannot be debated, cannot be voted on and cannot become law. For now, US soldiers have to continue to hide their sexuality if they are gay or lesbian.
The second article that read before my shower is "Blacked out", in which The Economist reports on which countries have censored or banned it since January, 2009. Unfortunately, Thailand is high on that list. According to the article, the reasons for such censorship are most often political or religious.
What was the connection? Both articles report on official laws and acts of a country that violate the human right to free speech; that is, the right to peacefully express an honestly held opinion. This is unjust in itself, so at the moment, the US military is unjustly forcing its gay and lesbian soldiers to keep their sexual interests secret, and every nation on The Economist's list of shame is violating its citizens rights to peacefully seek and express honestly held opinions about various topics. I actually think it's more serious because when a topic is censored, the only certain result is ignorance about that topic. This means that the in the US army, commanders and fellow soldiers are ignorant about a very important part of their colleagues lives; similarly, it means that citizens of India, China, Malaysia and Thailand are ignorant of topics that probably matter a lot to them. And this ignorance is official policy!
Although I do think that the ignorance that comes from censorship is sometimes a good thing, I think that knowledge is usually better than ignorance, especially about topics that are important to people culturally, socially or politically. Why do governments want to keep their citizens ignorant about things that are important to the citizens?
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References
US Senate blocks debate on gay military policy repeal. (2010, September 21). BBC News. Retrieved September 22, 2010 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11383753
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Actually Thai military, some soilders are gay but culture belief make them having to pretend to be a real man.In my opinion,they are good in both physical and smart so sometimes it's not a big promblem in Thailand.Because they really understand in culture&society and perform very well. Gay is a good mixer of musculine and feminine.
ReplyDeleteGay or not gay, it doesn't matter for me if there are a good person. I know one gay guy, he is very kind. I think he is more gentle man than some man that called himself "I'm a MAN!".
ReplyDeleteI'm not clear about the news and I have some questions :
ReplyDeleteForm this context "US military personnel must be dismissed from the army if they say that they are gay or lesbian has hit a problem." Is it means that gays are fired from soldiers if the military know what they are?
Another questions is "For now, US soldiers have to continue to hide their sexuality if they are gay or lesbian." Is it means that gays who are soldiers should hide their real sexuality? if yes, is it means they are allowed to be a soldier but have to keep their sexuality?
Last question is gays or lesbian are allowed to be a soldiers or not and Aren't this policy is crucial for this people?
from your question "Why do governments want to keep their citizens ignorant about things that are important to the citizens?". Because the government can benefit themselves from such behavior such as they can corrupt easier if the citizens don't know law much.
Net,
ReplyDeleteYour understanding is correct: under current US law, it is legal to be a gay or lesbian in the US army, but it is illegal to tell anyone, so as soon as the gay or lesbian soldier is found out, they are dismissed.
Soldiers who hide their sexuality, who lie about an important part of their lives, are allowed to continue serving their nation.
Many people, in fact a 70% majority of US citizens according to polls conducted since 2005 (Morales, 2010), and most politicians, want to change the law so that gay and lesbian soldiers can be honest and continue to serve as soldiers.
I was actually more concerned about many governments efforts' to use the law to censor what their citizens can say and know about things that matter to their citizens. The weird situation in the US military was a good example of how stupid and unjust some laws are. It's even weirder because a Federal US judge ruled a couple of weeks ago that those laws are unconstitutional (Schwartz, 2010), which probably means it will now proceed to the Supreme Court, and if that court upholds the Federal Court ruling, the law will have to be changed immediately.
References
Morales, L. (2010, May 10). In U.S., Broad, Steady Support for Openly Gay Service Members. Gallup. Retrieved September 24, 2010 from http://www.gallup.com/poll/127904/Broad-Steady-Support-Openly-Gay-Service-Members.aspx
Schwartz, J. (2010, September 9). Judge rules that military policy violates rights of gays. New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2010 from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/10/us/10gays.html
If the soldiers are dissmissed so it should be good for them right? compare with Thai men they don't want to be soldier so I'm curious that what is the problem from such action?
ReplyDeleteNet,
ReplyDeleteIn the US, people become soldiers because they want to serve their country, and make the military their career. No one is forced to be a soldier.
And the US needs more soldiers, not less, so they have last about 10,000 soldiers who want to serve over the last ten years because of the laws that most people don't want.
Why don't Thai men want to serve Thailand as soldiers in the Thai army?
Why do Thai people have to be forced to join the army?
That sounds like there is something wrong with the Thai army.
Maybe, because the salary of Thai soldier is one of salary which's paid very low for soldiers who didn't graduated from military school. Besides, some soldiers work as servant for authorities, so that why Thai men don't want to be a soldier.
ReplyDeletePeter,
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the Thai people have to be forced to join army because it was a long time ago which Thailand-Myanmar had war about border conflict. Thai military built up the military laws to force every Thai men to join army. However the old military laws still use in the present time, these laws did not be adapted to suit modern society.
Net,
I agree with you 500%. Sometimes I want to tell Thai soldiers graduated from military school who built up the laws. It does not matter “How much money can you earn?” but it is important thing “How useful can you make for society?”
Although soldier is a desirable job in some societies of Thai man; however, such soldiers should be graduated from military academy like I mentioned above because they have good relationship with friends who studied together in the academy. After graduated, they get the jobs as soldier then their career growing up together means they also have more power to help each other or live easier in every ways in their lives. Moreover, the most important thing of being such soldier is there are many ways to earn more money from this job alike the police !!!
ReplyDeletePeter,
ReplyDeleteAccording to Peter question: Why do Thai people have to be forced to join the army? That sounds like there is something wrong with the Thai army.
And according to Net and NK answer, I'd like to make it clearer, what do they mean for "Thai people have to be forced to join the army".
In Thailand, in my opinion I think, it has 2 difference ways to become a soldier.
First, this is the Thai law, when men are 21 years old, they have to go to their local district office to pick black and red card. Who is gets the red card will become a soldier. Who is gets the black card don't have to become a soldier. For some man who don't want to be a soldier and they don't want to take an uncertain chance to pick the black and red card. So, when they are in high school, they are go to army school onec a week (or sometimes more than one, I'm not sure). Therefore, when they are 21 years old, they don't need to pick black and red card. Actually, we have specific word in Thai but I don't what is called in English (maybe army reserve).
For who was get the red card, after they finished their army training. They will go back to their normal life/work. But when the country has a war, these people might get call to join the army again if the country has not enough army to fight.
Second, when boys are in high school or after they graduated high school. They will apply for the army school and become an army after they graduated.
Net and NK,
So, your idea that is " Thai people have to be forced to join the army" Do you mean according to my first way, right? If it is according to my second ways too, I don't think so. Because my friend who is an army now, and he graduted from army school, he said " it has a lot of competitions to join the aremy school. The applicant is more than the number of student in that school wants.
@Apple
ReplyDeleteThai men who've forced to be soldiers are the men in only your first idea but such soldiers get very very low salary and have no power comparing with the men in your second idea.
Homosexuality in United States's army. Is curious that a country where is legal that people from the same sex get marriage still discusses about a legislation to be free to express your sexuality. At the same time I have to say that marriage between people from the same sex is just legal in some states. And this is an important point. US is a democracy but it is still quite conservative in many states. The president's purpose is simple, he proposes a new legislation be voted in the senate, but not enough senators voted in favor of the discussion. It's evident that this group of senators belongs to the conservative side. I would recommend to these group of senators that not even gave the opportunity to the others senators to express their ideas, read about military in the antique Greece, where homosexuality between soldiers was popular. In fact, the "Sacred Band of Thebes", a military unit known for the hight percentage of gay couples who fought in the same team, was one of the most brave unit in the history. It seems that the love between the soldiers, built an united and powerful battalion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with david that US has still been quite conservative. In fact the politic of US is very conservative especially the congress. In addition, both of comittees of senate and representation have chairmans, who are choosen from senority. Chairmans have authority to judge that which Acts should be the issues for voting. In other words, The eldest people of each house control the issue of bills so normally modern Acts are hard to issue.
ReplyDelete