Don't Ask, Don't Tell

This was in the news again, and I still don’t understand why. I hear the excuses for which I can sympathize with. The problem I see is the excuses are getting all of the attention, but the underlining problem is being thoroughly ignored, at least by the media.

First the excuses. People are feeling discriminated against. The definition of discriminate is, to make a distinction in favor of or against one person or thing as compared with others. When you look at the whole definition, you see we are all guilty of it every day. When you choose to prefer Italian food over Greek food, you are discriminating.

Yes, I know full well the agreement about being treated the same as everyone else, and to that I would answer, you are, for everyone is treated just a little different. More to the point do we really want to be treated the same. I certainly don’t. If I am doing something different, I want to be treated different. If I kill every Black Widow I can find, by definition I would be a serial killer, think about it.

I can hear it now, but you don’t understand, but I do. Fourteen years ago I tried to get a Small Business loan, and was turned down. I wasn’t turned down because I didn’t have a great dream, or a solid business plan, or even because the numbers didn’t work. I was turned down because I was a white male. The loan officer flat told my wife and I, if we put the business solely in her name, she would have the money in three days. No I am not making this up. I have several stories of white men being discriminated against, but this is not the point.

You see the big difference here is what I did afterwards. I didn’t go whining to a lawyer and demand restitution, for this wouldn’t have helped my dream. The American Dream, which isn’t about making everyone try and play nice with each other. The American Dream is going after what you want despite the challenges or odds.

I went after my dream in spite of the idiots I had to deal with. It wasn’t easy by no means, but it was obviously still possible, for I’m still in business, and now looking back, I am grateful for being discriminated against. For if it wasn’t for my hardships, I wouldn’t have grown to be as strong, and knowledgeable as I am now.

Back to the main point, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” of people being kicked out of the military. They are not out of the military for a different lifestyle, they are out for failing to follow orders. Basically with the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, and just to clarify, in the military, policy is just a fancy word for order. If people aren’t allowed to ask about your lifestyle, and you’re not suppose to talk about it, how can you get kicked out for it.

Personally, I wish the media had the same policy, for I don’t ask to see or hear many things, so please don’t tell or show it, especially about what goes on it people’s bedrooms. I especially don’t want my kids to have to deal with this regardless of any lifestyle chosen. It’s unfortunate, people seem to be so desperate to eliminate ignorance, and to educate, they don’t realize it is at the expense of innocence and wonder.