Rachel Maddow: Outed Pilot - 'Nobody Surveyed Me If I Was Comfortable Getting Shot At Over Baghdad'

[Hissyspit]

Run time: 07:12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vhq5T6NPtw   Posted on YouTube: July 16, 2010 By YouTube Member: PoliticsNewsNews Views on YouTube: 15   Posted on DU: July 16, 2010 By DU Member: Hissyspit Views on DU: 2337

 
MSNBC The Rachel Maddow Show - 15 July 2010: Maddow Interviews Lieutenant Colonel Victor Fehrenbach, who has served in the Air Force with distinction for over 19 years and is just short of his retirement, and was outed against in 2008. He speaks on the status of his case of separation from the military and discusses the Don't Ask, Don't Tell survey questions.

"You can come to (my) work tomorrow and see that airmen, real warriors, don't care about my private life."

[KeepItReal]

1. Damn that man had my dream job - flying F-15's. That is so wrong he may lose it.

I wish they could make the repeal of DADT retro-active and apologize to all who have served honorably and got kicked out over an f-ed up policy.

(Edited for content)

[moodforaday]

12. Of course "flying" an F-15 isn't a precise job description,

is it? I mean, flying is only a means, not the end of the job.

[Tx4obama]

2. KICK and REC --- n/t

[WileEcoyote]

3. I realize that the DADT is major discrimination

However I've always wondered why any thinking Liberal would want to be a part of the war machine in the first place? That seems to be the bigger issue by far.

The United States armed forces have been thoroughly discredited since Vietnam. Like why bother to enlist? We could have stopped this war if every Gay person had gotten active at writing their Congress critter back in 2003. Telling them to stop the war.

Misuse of political capital. Mass murder is far worse than sexual preference discrimination.

[ProfessorPlum]

5. Money. Training. College. A career. Also, not all gays are liberal.

[WileEcoyote]

13. Dangling the carrot in front of the donkey

It's sad that so much effort is being applied in order to get equal participation in mass murder.

Time for people to move away from myopically self centered goals.

[Mrdie]

18. One should never have to recourse to war for living

I agree that DADT repeal is, objectively, not something particularly worth supporting and which will go away on its own with a broader acceptance of homosexuality. Ending discrimination in schools and among the workforce is more important.

There is a growing segment within conservative groups to court homosexuals, and I can easily see them using DADT repeal to appear both "patriotic" and non-homophobic. We will see the equivalent to "Uncle Toms," who will try to court the "gay vote" en masse to get their way, while many American citizens will continue to view homosexuals as a "privileged" stratum of which they cannot identify with.

So as I said, the task of ending homophobia in the public schools and among working-class families is more important, and will lead to a general all-round acceptance of homosexuality in all fields of life, along with ending the isolation of the gay community. It will also be a way in which opposition to militarism can be shown.

[ProfessorPlum]

20. They are called "Log Cabin Republicans"

[athenasatanjesus]

15. That's part of the scam.

The right wings assault on gay rights is not because the right wing leadership hate gays,it's done for strategic purposes,like creating a political distraction in the country,creating a red herring for what's wrong with this country,and galvanizing conservatives against liberals.
Causing liberals to actually fight in favor of something we normally oppose is just another bonus.

[Overseas]

4. K&R! I remember that line.

I'm really surprised that with such shining examples as this guy and others who have bravely come forward that that alone wouldn't move the issue further along.

Where's all the "we love the troops" stuff?

[Karenina]

6. They would be sooo STOOOPID to separate this guy..

:eyes:

[lame54]

7. k&R "Do The Right Thing"

[unapatriciated]

8. K&R

[truth2power]

9. Fehrenbach says that Truman didn't take a survey

when it came to integrating the military. He just did it, "because it was the right thing to do."

Says it all. Why can't that be done now?

[howmad1]

23. Because Obama has to make nice to rethuglicans.

[demigoddess]

10. gays sometimes make better soldiers. At least in the past

they usually did not have families at home to worry about, they dedicated themselves completely to the job, very intelligent people usually with college educations. The only reason they want to kick gays out of the military is an old, outdated idea that gays are weak and promiscuous, spending a lot of time on their love lives. The opposite is actually the truth. I also think that survey was the stupidest, lame ass way of covering their butts. or trying to cover their butts.

[Shining Jack]

11. What a fucking shame. : (

The U.S Military is lagging behind on that issue compared to a majority of other countries:

-Countries that allow homosexuals (term from the article) to serve in the military:

* 2.1 Argentina
* 2.2 Australia
* 2.3 Austria
* 2.4 Belgium
* 2.5 Bermuda
* 2.6 Brazil
* 2.7 Canada
* 2.8 Colombia
* 2.9 Czech Republic
* 2.10 Denmark
* 2.11 Estonia
* 2.12 Finland
* 2.13 France
* 2.14 Germany
* 2.15 Ireland
* 2.16 Israel
* 2.17 Italy
* 2.18 Lithuania
* 2.19 Luxembourg
* 2.20 Malta
* 2.21 The Netherlands (In 1974, the Netherlands was the first country to ban discrimination
against gays in the military).
* 2.22 New Zealand
* 2.23 Norway
* 2.24 Peru
* 2.25 Philippines
* 2.26 Romania
* 2.27 Russia
* 2.28 Slovenia
* 2.29 South Africa
* 2.30 Spain
* 2.31 Sweden
* 2.32 Switzerland
* 2.33 Taiwan
* 2.34 United Kingdom
* 2.35 Uruguay

- Countries that disallow homosexuals from serving in the military:

* Cuba
* China
* Egypt
* Greece
* Iran
* Jamaica
* North Korea
* Pakistan
* Saudi Arabia
* Serbia
* Singapore
* South Korea
* Syria
* Turkey
* Venezuela
* Yemen

-Countries with other policies:

* 3.1 United States (DADT)


Same-sex unions in the military

Canada:

"In May 2005, Canada's first military gay wedding took place at Nova Scotia's Canadian Forces Base Greenwood. Officials described the ceremony as low-key but touching. A similar wedding has since taken place between two male Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers. Today, the Canadian Forces recognizes same-sex marital and common-law unions, and affords them the same benefits offered to all married or common-law serving members."

Germany:

The German Bundeswehr ruled that it is forbidden to discriminate based on sexual orientation. The "Working Committee of Homosexual Employees in the Military Forces"<11> is the organization that represents the interests of gay men and lesbians in the armed forces. Heterosexuals and homosexuals alike are allowed to engage in sexual activity while in the military service as long as it does not interfere with the performance of their duties. Lesbian and gay soldiers are also entitled to enter civil unions as defined by Germany's domestic "partnership" law.

Those are the only countries that I could find that allow same-sex unions in the military although Germany allows civil unions,not sure what Germany's domestic "partnership" law means.

Please add anything you find about this topic (Marriage in the Military in particular).


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_orientation_and_military_service

[PinkFloyd]

14. How terrible

It's pitiful that they kick out people for being gay while they want to serve and making everyone else do 2, 3, 4 tours to avoid re-instating the draft because they don't have enough people.

[activa8tr]

16. I dare Fox News to do something as frank as this! Rachel ROCKS!

And Fixed Noise SUCKS!

[rhett o rick]

17. I am sure Pres Obama will do the right thing here. nm

[Starry Messenger]

19. k & r

[Swagman]

21. what about all the gays and lesbians who served in WW2 ?

( and thanking them..:hi: ) who gives a damn who you sleep with when an enemy like the Nazis are at the door ?

[Rhiannon12866]

22. K&R. I cannot believe that this is still going on...

:wtf: