Nobody has a "right" to serve in the Military. Nobody.
What makes people think the Military is an equal opportunity employer? Very far from it.
The Military uses prejudice regularly and consistently to deny citizens from joining for being too old or too young, too fat or too skinny, too tall or too short.
Citizens are denied for having flat feet, or for missing or additional fingers. Poor eyesight will disqualify you, as well as bad teeth. Malnourished? Drug addiction? Bad back? Criminal history? Low IQ? Anxiety? Phobias? Hearing damage? Six arms? Hear voices in your head? Self-identify as a Unicorn? Need a special access ramp for your wheelchair? Can't run the required course in the required time? Can't do the required number of pushups?
Not really a "morning person" and refuse to get out of bed before noon?
All can be reasons for denial.
The Military has one job. War. Anything else is a distraction and a liability.
Did someone just scream "That isn't Fair"? War is VERY unfair, there are no exceptions made for being special or challenged or socially wonderful.
YOU change yourself to meet Military standards. Not the other way around.
I say again: You don't change the Military... you must change yourself.
The Military doesn't need to accommodate anyone with special issues. The Military needs to Win Wars.
If any of your personal issues are a liability that detract from readiness or lethality... Thank you for applying and good luck in future endeavors. Who's next in line?
10 comments:
True.
Even the Peace Corps has physical and mental standards to be met to qualify for service. The concept around which standards are created and enforced is to provide for the most effective delivery of services, not to slight those who are mentally or physically unqualified. It's about getting the job done, not about emotion.
Amen to that!
Well said, and mission focused.
Excellent. The facts, very well presented.
I see no reason that physical limitations should exist: Brains and only Brains will be the future of all top wars!
This is a great article. Well articulated and thoughtful. My daughter asked me what I thought of the policy, I explained that no one can sign up to serve if they have any condition for which they will need surgery or one that will hinder their ability to effectively serve in active duty. So why should there be an allowance for this situation? I told her when you enlist to serve, you are choosing to turn over your life to the military and must be prepared to serve in all capacity immediately. I also told her that the military is a team , much like in sports, and each member of the team must be able to do their part or the whole team will fail. We don't allow people with certain medical conditions to serve because they need medication and in an active war situation, they may not be able to get their medication. In the case of hormone therapy, if one does not get the hormones that they have come to rely on, many things could occur that could hinder their ability to serve in battle. Much like women with postpartum depression, hormones out of whack can cause someone to make poor, often dangerous decisions. This is not a situation you want to happen when you are in the battlefield. With that being said, if trans members of our society want to serve and protect, I have no problem with them applying and being hired to serve in any police force. To me, the issue is not that I don't feel a trans person could protect and serve, I just don't think the military is the outlet for that to happen. I feel the same in that any person that needs knee reconstruction or spinal surgery, or any other incapacitating medical treatment should not be accepted into active military duty. If you are already a member and suffer an injury which requires surgery/time off that is different. Not to mention, that situation many times results in honorable discharge for the injured.
Make Bruce Jenner join ..........
11:50
thanks for your comment General!
Now back to mommies basement.
The corporations for whom we fight wars deserve to have the very best and brightest among us to sacrifice for the profits of foreign land asset seizure.
Post a Comment