In breaking news over the weekend, CNN and others reported on a ship board video produced in 2006 by the crew of the USS Enterprise. In it, it is reported, members of the military make a range of lude comments some of which appear to be derogatory towards women and homosexuals.
When I turned on the TV this morning, the Today crowd on NBC topped the news with this Navy story. It is unclear to me why this is the #1 story for America the day we all head back to work after Christmas, but its NBC so I should expect nothing more than agenda. The gist of there story was that its really only a matter of time before the new commander of the Enterprise, the XO at the time of the video, gets hs walking papers.
There are 11 aircraft carriers in the US fleet. Only the best and most skilled warriors are chosen to lead such a ship. Capt. Owen Honors (great name by the way) I suspect is a great leader, though I suspect you need to be stuck on a carrier for 6 months to get the humor of the video.
I personally do not have a problems with gays serving in the military. The military is generally run in an A-Sexual manner (i.e. military is focused on staying alive not having sex). People in the military are taught to conform and keep their sexual activity to the next "leave". Looking at the video I have a sense that XO Honors and crew actually are poking a bit of fun at the hypocrisy of the DADT policy in there suggestive gay humor. Though ok with gays in the military, I do have a problem in DADT reform being a back door way to further effect the greater social policy through changes military policy. Or using DADT to force any agenda in the military.
The video is full of bad locker room humor, not sexual bias. It was made in 2006, well before DADT reform. If DADT reform means we are going to re-investigate past behavior and measure it to a new standard we will see military men and women leave the service simply because of some silly indiscretion from a long forgotten video. It seems a bit hypocritical that the Commander in Chief can take advantage of a young intern, but a stupid video may be the end of Capt. Owen Honors. Though this ended up on video, I suspect there are 1000's f indiscretions that don't. So is it only wrong because it was video taped? Is the military prepared to take out Capt. Honors and all other officers who said the same things but were not taped? Or how about the officers that viewed the tape and did not take corrective action?
Frankly I think Capt. Owen Honor should report to Washington and come out of the closet saying he is a repressed homosexual who can finally express his true feelings now with the reform of DADT. I am not sure what the politically correct class in DC would do then, but it would be fun to watch.
We should let the military deal with DADT reform in their own good time and not vilify Capt. Honors. Let him get back to the fight so we can get the mission done, and leave social justice to others.