Turning "Lieutenant Dan" into "Lieutenant Danielle" - WHY the order MAKES SENSE!
Finally, some common sense prevails. After extensive consults with Military experts, the United States Government has made the announcement through President Trump that the military "will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military". I gotta say, I agree.
But what about the people that are being discriminated against?
Do you REALLY think that it's discrimination? I mean, c'mon now. Are transgenders a protected class? Um, no, they are not. Are transgenders being racially discriminated against? It's not a race. Are transgenders being religiously discriminated against? It's not a religion. Are transgenders being discriminated against because it's a medical condition?
Hmmm.....let's ponder that one for a moment.
Many Conservatives believe that it is a mental illness. I personally do not. Some of us believe that a person might be born wired the wrong way. However, I'm not a doctor nor a psychologist. I have met many transgender people and they do seem to have a belief that they really are born in the wrong body for their personality. This may be true. This may not be. I really can't say. I am not God.
Regardless, this still brings up another valid point. If they're not mentally ill, as many people like to claim, then how is a sex re-assignment surgery "medically necessary"?
It isn't.
As anybody that has ever had a course in Logic would tell you, something cannot be true and false at the same time.
The law of noncontradiction says that a statement such as “It is raining” cannot be both true and false in the same sense. Of course it could be raining in Missouri and not raining in Arizona, but the principle says that it cannot be raining and not raining at the same time in the same place.
So how can one NOT have a disorder yet REQUIRE that they be treated for something under the guise of "medical necessity"?
Now that we've established this, let's go a few steps further. This is not a "black and white" issue in more ways than one. Now that we've established that the Transgenders are not a protected class and are not asking for things that are medically necessary, let's look at something else that matters. The opinions of our troops.
Do other service members want to welcome transgendered service men and women into their barracks?
Overwhelmingly, the answer is no for the Veterans that I have talked to. Both gay and straight. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. They seem to vary on their reasons however they all have good points. Overall, they just don't feel that it is a good idea.
What does it cost to change someone's gender?
$100,000 and up. That's a pretty good fiscal reason to NOT perform these surgeries on Military members. I think that you will agree that this money could be better used to treat Combat PTSD which is far more universal than "Lieutenant Dan" wanting to become "Lieutenant Danielle". Not to mention the fact that our service members need other things to do their jobs right. They're called weapons. We NEED weapons to fight the enemy. Dan does not NEED to become Danielle.
What's the potential for other problems to arise in the barracks?
Yep, I'm talking hazing and bullying. Seeing as the average age of our recruits is around 20 years old, although I'm pretty confident that although these men and women are well on their way to becoming mature, they're still not mature enough to handle someone that thinks that they are another gender. Sure, "blanket parties" aren't as prevalent in the Military as they used to be, however, I don't think that anybody wants to find out by getting a bar of soap cracked up alongside their head.
Where will it stop?
So if we start turning "Dan" into "Danielle", shouldn't we then turn "Ms. 32AAA" into "Ms. 34DD" just to be fair? Or turn "Mr. Cocktail Wiener" into "Mr. Hung Like a Horse"? I mean, after all, we are playing around in someone's genitals when we start offering gender reassignment surgeries. Or what about PT? Maybe a soldier has 10 pounds to lose to pass the physical fitness test. Could he just DEMAND that he be given liposuction? After all, "Dan" got his unit cut off and turned into a girl so now his physical fitness standards aren't the same anymore. Why can't someone who is struggling with their weight get surgery to help them stay in physical fitness compliance? Do you see what I'm saying now? It can open up a box of worms that NO ONE wants to deal with.
What about the fact it's a VOLUNTARY Military?
This point was actually brought up to me by a high ranking Lesbian who is a Navy Veteran. When I poised the question as to what she thought about all of this, she was quick to point out the fact that NO ONE is forced to be in the Military. Having said this, why should we be FORCED to provide them a new look and feel for their private parts? She also pointed out that although they have pretty much perfected the surgery for turning a male into a female (go figure) it is still very difficult and more costly for female to male surgery due to the urethra length. So what's the odds of more MALE military getting approved for the surgery than FEMALES? My guess would be it probably won't be fair.
Regardless of what you, or I, or the man on the moon thinks, I REALLY DO BELIEVE that is the opinion of the Veterans (both past and present) that should have a voice in this matter above all. They are, after all, the ones that will be sleeping in the same barracks after "Lieutenant Dan" turns into "Lieutenant Danielle".
According to my own poll and the President's own statement, President Trump and high ranking Military experts listened to what they have to say.
My name is Leilani. My partner is a Combat Vet. He, like many other Veterans of both sexes, stands with President Trump in this matter.
