Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead

In rec.music.gdead, brown@sunspot.noao.edu (Todd Brown) writes:

> Still scratching my head here. I understand all about the
> discrimination thing, but who wants to be in the military anyway.

> I've been there didn't like it at all. Ya got to be half crazy, no
> completely crazy to WANT to be there.

> Really people fighting to get into the Military, sorry to mind
> blowing to even try to comprehend.

> Flame suit on! Sir! Ready for the attack! Fire at Will! Where's
> Will???  :-) :-) :-)

Will's right here.

No flame intended here Todd, but I think I do understand what's going on.
And yes there's a risk here of drifting from "official" deadhead topics,
but I think this has something to do with all of us.

I too have spent time in the military, and while I thought it was
good for the time I was there, it obviously wasn't something I wanted
to do the rest of my life. 

One of the things I did learn was that for whatever reason, a lot of
people join, and stay in, because they sincerely believe they are doing
something for their country. Others are in because it is a way for them
(as they see it) to improve their lives and that of their families. 

Now these people may be deluded. They may be unwittingly contributing to
our huge satanic war machine, but they may also be changing how our
military operates and making it more like what our defense forces
should be. (For a great peek at that, check out _La Place de la Concorde
Suisse_, which is a book about the Swiss Army.)

To me there are two arguments for "allowing" people who happen to be gay
into the military. One is practical, the other is symbolic. There is no
question that gay people can serve effectively in the military. This has
been going on at least since the time of Alexander the Great. Why then
should gay people be denied the opportunity to choose to support the
country in a way that they see fit?

The symbolic argument is more convincing. The military is a huge part of
our national psyche, our national myth. It is a visible and valuable
part of our government. The fact that gays are, if not entirely excluded,
then certainly closeted, shows that they are not only unwelcome in other
areas of government, but in society as a whole. (Just as Africans were 
when the services were segregated.)

When, and I'm sure that it will happen despite the current opposition,
gay people are openly accepted in the military, people in other areas of
society will start having to rethink what they think of gay people in general.
And I'm sure they will find, as I have, that gay people are people first
and gay second.

Now what does this have to do with deadheads? Have you ever felt a little
self-conscious about that SYF logo you have up at work? Do you ever feel a
little strange talking to people at parties about how excited you are 
about going to a Dead show? Have you looked into the eyes of the Red Coats
at the Oakland Colesium as they scream at somebody for walking over seats
and wondered what they think of deadheads?

Discrimination in all its forms is very ugly and unfortunately very human.
By fighting discrimination against others, we are ultimately fighting
discrimination against ourselves.

-Will