Around the time Clinton introduced the DADT policy, he had quite a few Air Force Bases shut down in Europe. One of them was Iraklion AFB, where my dad was serving as a security policeman. It was toward the end of 1994, I think (because I was just starting second grade), that we were told to pack up* and leave. In a strange way, I resent former President Clinton for shutting us down. This is probably because I was just settling down into good friendships for the first time in my tiny little life and I loved Greece enough that I was comfortable with the idea of living so far away from extended family and I will be going back some day for longer than just a vacation...
I also vaguely remember my dad picking up his copy of The Stars & Stripes and reading about the DADT Policy. I know now, after growing up and learning about how he feels on the issue. You said it here: One last aspect I would like to touch on is religious beliefs. This one is hard even for me, because I was taught that homosexuality was a sin. Its difficult to unlearn a lifetime of lessons. That is exactly what my father was brought up to believe and he thinks that by saying: "I have worked with plenty of gay people before" it means that homosexuality doesn't bother him. But I know better. Especially when I can see those micro-expressions of disgust on his face before he can control them.
Because I'm young and I have not served my country (I'm starting to consider seeing if the Air Force would like to have its very own talented artist/graphic designer, though) I've been able to take my own religious background, look at it head on, and say: "What other people believe and feel is as important to them as what I believe and feel is important to me. Therefore, if a friend of mine comes up to me and tells me she is a lesbian, I can still be her close friend because it does not change the fact that she has been there for me through all my drama." Yes, the Bible says that "a man lying with another man" is a sin. But the Bible also says that eating pig parts is a sin. And I love me some bacon. I think that is what puts it all in perspective to me. The Bible was written well before the world itself "grew up" and people branched out to all curves of the globe in exploration.
*grumbles* I have no idea if I'm talking in circles here or what... But I trust you can catch what I'm throwing you here. I understand both sides because my father is all for DADT and I'm all for that old thing just getting thrown out.
*I remember packing up and leaving vividly because it was a painful experience. Not just because we had to ship all of our furniture and stuff out to the States before we left and were stuck with what the Base called "stick furniture." Greece was my home by that time. I was speaking the language and embracing the culture and it was getting ripped out from under me by this guy who looked at all of these Bases and said: "well, that's a useless place for our Armed Forces that's costing us money." That, and one evening before we had to leave, I cracked my head open on the corner of the "stick furniture" coffee table. Which just added injury to insult (and made the plane trips back even more nauseating).
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ninetydegrees
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I also vaguely remember my dad picking up his copy of The Stars & Stripes and reading about the DADT Policy. I know now, after growing up and learning about how he feels on the issue. You said it here: One last aspect I would like to touch on is religious beliefs. This one is hard even for me, because I was taught that homosexuality was a sin. Its difficult to unlearn a lifetime of lessons. That is exactly what my father was brought up to believe and he thinks that by saying: "I have worked with plenty of gay people before" it means that homosexuality doesn't bother him.
But I know better. Especially when I can see those micro-expressions of disgust on his face before he can control them.
Because I'm young and I have not served my country (I'm starting to consider seeing if the Air Force would like to have its very own talented artist/graphic designer, though) I've been able to take my own religious background, look at it head on, and say: "What other people believe and feel is as important to them as what I believe and feel is important to me. Therefore, if a friend of mine comes up to me and tells me she is a lesbian, I can still be her close friend because it does not change the fact that she has been there for me through all my drama." Yes, the Bible says that "a man lying with another man" is a sin. But the Bible also says that eating pig parts is a sin. And I love me some bacon.
I think that is what puts it all in perspective to me. The Bible was written well before the world itself "grew up" and people branched out to all curves of the globe in exploration.
*grumbles* I have no idea if I'm talking in circles here or what... But I trust you can catch what I'm throwing you here. I understand both sides because my father is all for DADT and I'm all for that old thing just getting thrown out.
*I remember packing up and leaving vividly because it was a painful experience. Not just because we had to ship all of our furniture and stuff out to the States before we left and were stuck with what the Base called "stick furniture." Greece was my home by that time. I was speaking the language and embracing the culture and it was getting ripped out from under me by this guy who looked at all of these Bases and said: "well, that's a useless place for our Armed Forces that's costing us money." That, and one evening before we had to leave, I cracked my head open on the corner of the "stick furniture" coffee table. Which just added injury to insult (and made the plane trips back even more nauseating).