SIGN UP FOR OUR
Click image to enlarge
Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff.
Another tweeted bombshell came last week when President Donald Trump advised everyone at the same time – his press staff, the public, the media and the military — that he is banning transgender individuals from serving in any capacity in all branches of the U.S. military – a move that may end up disputed in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Legal challenges to the president’s ban will certainly be filed in federal courts and work their way up the legal ladder.
Although the numbers vary greatly there are already about 2,000 to 3,000 declared transgendered soldiers serving on active-duty in the U.S. military. Others say up to 7,000 are transgender, according to Real Clear Politics. Just how this ban will affect them in the future remains unknown, but there are good reasons for the president to take this controversial and politically incorrect action.
The Israeli Army and 18 other countries allow transgendered soldiers, according to Wikipedia. But transgendered soldiers were not allowed in the U.S. military until 2016 -President Obama’s last year in office.
Apparently even Defense Secretary James Mattis along with the president’s staff of military generals at the Pentagon were all taken by surprise at the presidential announcement, according to news reports.
First it was women in the military during World Wars I and II, but not in combat roles. Then things changed in 2013. Now women are fighting on the front lines right along with the men. History shows women have served in combat roles with honor, bravery and dignity. Some have lost their lives and gave it their all in defense of freedom. There are those that still do not approve of women in combat roles, but that’s their problem, not the courageous women who wear a U.S. military uniform.
Second it was gays in the military – gay men and lesbian women came under former President Bill Clinton’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that began in 1994 that lasted until 2011 when gays could serve openly in the military. This was even more controversial. Gays, too, have proved themselves over and over with the same honor, bravery and dignity as the women. It’s pretty much the same people who oppose women in combat also oppose gays. It took time for the military, veterans, politicians and the general public to warm up to both groups being in the military at all. But time proved the naysayers wrong.
Perhaps this transgender ban will be overturned by the Supreme Court, but then again it may not. To begin with nobody has a ‘right’ to serve in the five branches of the U.S. Armed Services. What makes liberals think the military is an equal opportunity employer? It is not.
“The military uses prejudice regularly and consistently to deny service for being too old or too young, too fat or too skinny, too tall or too short,” says U.S. Army Sgt. Robert Brown — on a Facebook post — that has been seen by 3.5 million people. “Citizens are denied for having flat feet, for missing fingers, poor eyesight and poor hearing will disqualify you, as well as bad teeth. Malnourished? Drug addiction? Bad back? Criminal history? Low IQ? Anxiety? Phobias? Hear voices in your head? Self-identify as a Unicorn? Can’t run the required course in the required time? Can’t do the required number of pushups? All can be reasons for denial. The military has one job — winning wars. 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 … The military doesn’t need to accommodate anyone with special issues. The military needs to win wars. Your personal issues are a liability that detracts from military readiness.”
Former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning, 29, now known as “Chelsea” is a case study of why allowing transgendered males and females in the military might be a bad idea. Manning’s story began when he was arrested in 2013 for leaking about 750,000 pages of classified information to Wikileaks. He was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 35 years. Manning was subsequently jailed in a military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. At first no one knew Manning’s status until he ‘outed’ himself by declaring to be a woman named “Chelsea.” Courts ruled that since Manning was behind bars the military would be responsible for Manning’s medical needs — including his transition from a man to a woman! American taxpayers were stunned to learn they would be paying for Manning’s expensive hormone treatments and controversial gender-reassignment surgery.
Chelsea Manning’s prison sentence was commuted by former President Obama, and she was released in May of 2016, according to Wikipedia.
By joining the U.S. military – many of those that are transgender — seem to be entering the armed services for all the wrong reasons now that women and gays are allowed in. Women, gays and lesbians don’t need hormone treatments and radical surgeries. This is a tough call. Where do you draw the line? According to news reports, many of the transgenders already in the military have served with honor, bravery and dignity in the short time they have been allowed to serve. Current transgendered soldiers should be treated with the respect they deserve as they will apparently be transitioning out of the U.S. military.
About the Author
Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for the Palatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.
Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.
