We need to reinstate Don't Ask, Don't Tell

It has been quite fun! Below, I will provide a brief response to my opponent"s arguments, and then give my closing argument. Response: Sexual Assaults My point regarding the problem of sexual assaults was that my opponent"s solution was not a complete one. Reinstating the DADT policy would definitely decrease the rate at which men were sexually assaulted, but it would not get rid of the problem. Originally, it had seemed that the instigator"s argument was almost solely based on the claim that reinstating the DADT policy would solve the military"s problem with skyrocketing rates of men - on - men sexual assaults. To me, it seemed that my opponent was trying to simplify an incredibly complex issue and portray a temporary and partial fix to the problem as a complete solution. The military has had a problem with internal sexual assaults for a long time. Since the publication of the Tailhook scandal in 1991, the military has had many scandals regarding sexual harassment and rape, both of men and women. The point here is that the repealing of the DADT is not the source of the sexual harassment problem. In fact, many victims of sexual harassment and/or rape have actually been discharged because the military viewed the them as having partaken in "homosexual actions. " Prior to (and even after) the DADT policy, many (most) of the male rape victims were either viewed as liers, blamed for the assault, or labeled as homosexuals and discharged. I doubt that the DADT policy would really provide a suitable solution to this problem, and I doubt that it would even improve the issue significantly. . http://www.military.com... Bias Regarding Friends/Families/Lovers I"m sorry for the claim regarding family members. It was incorrect. However, my opponent cannot deny that there is not some level of personal bias in virtually every military situation. While commanders may not send their family members into combat, they are often presented with situations where they send their friends and associates into danger. Will this not affect their judgement? I understand that having one"s lover under one"s command will affect his/her judgement. But can it not be assumed that soldiers will be able to ignore these emotions temporarily for the sake of national security? Generals and commanders deciding the fate of other soldiers should have the mental fortitude to stop themselves from making biased decisions. If they cannot, the problem is not with the military but their individual qualifications. General Problems I See There are a few structural problems I see with my opponent"s argument. First off, the Don"t Ask Don"t Tell policy has not been in place for "200 years. " It was put in place in 1993 by the Clinton administration. And it was not a "zero tolerance policy on homosexuality. " In fact, it allowed closeted homosexuals to remain in the military. For its time, it was quite liberal. . https://www.britannica.com... I could not find any evidence of occasions on which decisions made by military commanders were influenced by their sexual orientation. While I acknowledge that it creates a bias, I doubt that it is too serious. Closing Argument: While I acknowledge that the DADT policy kept man-on-man rape cases somewhat officially lower, its drawbacks outweighed its benefits. The DADT policy was an unnecessary measure against homosexuals in the military. It created needless tension and distrust between servicemen, and allowed for the unreported rapes of thousands of soldiers. While it may have restricted the biased decisions made by commanders, there is little evidence to suggest that such decisions were influenced heavily by their sexual orientation. While there was an immediate increase in man-on-man rapes following the repeal of the policy, the numbers have decreased in the past two years, showing that the epidemic is receding. Also, the problem of sexual assault is not directly the fault of homosexuals, but the result of mental instability and uncontrolled anger. Rather than blame a policy allowing openly homosexual men and women to serve in the military for the increase in sexual assaults, we should focus on the main cause of it and crack down on it. All people, regardless of sexual orientation, should be able to openly serve in the military. The DADT policy should not be reinstated. Again, I want to thank my opponent for an amazing debate. I would have written more, but it is July 3rd, and my grandparents are calling me out to help get the motorboat ready.