No Problems for Chaplains After DADT Repeal
To hear the bigots tell it, the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell would result in a mass exodus of soldiers from the military, especially of chaplains, who would have their religious liberty crushed by the new gay army. I’m sure you’ll be shocked to hear that the reality hasn’t lined up with their predictions of doom.
“To say the dust has settled would be premature,” said Air Force Col. Gary Linsky, a Roman Catholic priest who oversees 50 fellow chaplains in the Air Mobility Command. “But I’ve received no complaints from chaplains raising concerns that their ministries were in any way conflicted or constrained.”
Wagoner, who commands five other chaplains at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in central New Jersey, said the chaplaincy corps was responding professionally and collegially to what he called a “balancing act” precipitated by the repeal.
“We’re good at this stuff — we want to take care of our folks,” he said. “We have to respect the faith requirements of the chaplain and we have to take care of the needs of the airman.”
There will inevitably be some invented outrage from chaplain in the Gordon Klingenschmitt mold who thinks that the very existence of gay people is a violation of their religious freedom.
valhar2000:
July 10th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
How many people have come out in the military? DADT may have been repealed, but I’m sure there is still, at least in some places, significant unofficial pressure placed on recruits to withhold that information.
Perhaps many of these chaplains who would run away horrified simply haven’t become aware of the number of LGBT troops around them.
Another likely possibility is that these chaplains are far more horrified of having to work for a living and will therefore not give up their jobs, not matter how much Teh Gay haunts their every waking hour.
fifthdentist:
July 10th, 2012 at 12:10 pm
The New Gay Army would be a great band name.
Eric Ressner:
July 10th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
I’m not sure about that, Ed. Military chaplain is a pretty nice gig with good job security, great benefits and retirement pay, and you mostly get to keep your hands clean and avoid that whole “fighting” unpleasantness. Plus you don’t have to scramble for charity from the flock like you would in private practice.
I’m guessing they’ll just suck it up and keep their gripes to themselves.
Zeno:
July 10th, 2012 at 12:28 pm
I’m sure that some right-wing Catholics will now demand that Father Linsky be defrocked for failing to denounce the imposition of “the gay agenda” on the U.S. military.
Kevin:
July 10th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Louisiana: Racing Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina to the bottom since 1861.
Kevin:
July 10th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
OK, weird. Meant that comment for the other post about Louisiana. Carry on. Nothing to see here.
d cwilson:
July 10th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
I hear their uniforms are fabulous.
So, the repeal of DADT requires chaplains to do exactly what now?
That’s right. Nothing.
Nothing in their job description has changed. Any complaint that their rights have been infringed upon by the mere existance of teh gay should be laughed off.
baal:
July 10th, 2012 at 12:56 pm
Voting with your feet is a recourse of last option and does not happen regularly despite what these republican talking points suggest.
Folks don’t like change especially on the scale of moving or finding a new job. Further, it’s expensive and time consuming to move. Even for those with a good reason to move (brutal taxation!) and means don’t leave in significant numbers. This Stanford study is pretty good.
slc1:
July 10th, 2012 at 1:03 pm
Considering the high unemployment rate, not a good idea to quit if one like eating 3 squares a day.
The Other Lance:
July 10th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
A very accurate description.
eric:
July 10th, 2012 at 3:20 pm
I hope Col. Linsky is listing those two things in reverse order of priority. Though if he isn’t, I suppose he’s just acting the way most religious hierarchies do; take care of the priests first, the congregation’s welfare is literally secondary.
Larry:
July 10th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
Why would they quit? They have one hell of a gig. No real responsibilities except occasionally spouting some religious BS, decent salary as an officer, meals and digs paid for. No whiny Ned Flanders’ types like civilian priests have to deal with.
What’s not to like? But to give up that cushy chair because of a few gays? Madness.
shakeb:
July 10th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
I’ve come into the Navy since the DADT repeal. There was an openly gay recruit in my brother division, only know of one person who expressed having issues with it and he was a dirtbag (for many other reasons as well as that). The openly gay recruit was division leadership (so the RDCs didn’t seem to have a problem with him being out) and from what I could tell didn’t get it any worse than anyone else. He’s in my class here at “A” School and it’s the same deal. There’s some fun poked (which he encourages) but no actual ill-will.
curtcameron:
July 10th, 2012 at 5:29 pm
Is that different from a slime mold?
wscott:
July 10th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
While I supported repealing DADT, I didn’t expect it would be this completely painless. I’m happy to have been proved wrong!
dingojack:
July 11th, 2012 at 12:19 am
curtcameron (#14) – Klingshitt Moulds are far, far more primitive.
Dingo
left0ver1under:
July 11th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
I am reminded of a cartoon from a few years ago:
http://alturl.com/8uruf
Clearly, it was never really a concern.
kermit.:
July 11th, 2012 at 6:08 pm
This only shows how far the gay agenda has advanced! They have managed to completely suppress the news about the riots and mutinies.