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News & ArtsTuesday, January 6, 2009
News An Army of Fat Felons
Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 9:31 AM
Felons? Sure...
Strained by the demands of a long war, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps recruited significantly more felons into their ranks in 2007 than in 2006, including people convicted of armed robbery, arson and burglary, according to data released by a House committee.... Coupled with sharp increases in the number of waivers for misdemeanors, the trend raises questions about the military's ability to attract quality recruits at a time when it is trying to increase enlistment.
Fatties? Sure...
The waistlines of America's youth are expanding, shrinking the pool of those eligible to join the US military. But an Army program is giving overweight enlistees a second chance—and helping the military with its own expansion.The recently-introduced waiver program allows enlistees who don't qualify for the military because of their weight a chance to shape up after joining. So far, the program has helped the Army make its recruiting goals in what remains a tight recruiting market.
Faggots? Nope...
Lawmakers who say the military has kicked out 58 Arabic linguists because they were gay want the Pentagon to explain how it can afford to let the valuable language specialists go.Seizing on the latest discharges, involving three specialists, members of the House of Representatives wrote the House Armed Services Committee chairman that the continued loss of such "capable, highly skilled Arabic linguists continues to compromise our national security during time of war."
1
Faggism is contagious, right? Besides, we're really doing them a favor. How many fags like fat felons to begin with?
2
Ok, so I've heard this sort of thing before and something's puzzling me. How many Arabic language specialists do they have overall? Because that seems like rather a lot... is there a higher proportion of gay Arabic specialists? Is this something about linguistics in general?
3
I spent 8 years in the military. I was a soldier, and I did it well. When I left, they were begging me to stay. If only they had known that I had the gay.
There are quite a few gay troops. The government needs to just accept it, and move on.
There are quite a few gay troops. The government needs to just accept it, and move on.
5
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Re: An Army of Fat Felons
Felony is something of a requirement for service in George Bush's government so that should come as no surprise. Faggotry however is to be confined to airport restrooms and chat-rooms with congressional pages. It's all very straightforward and above board.
What is news however is the seemingly high percentage of gay arab linguists. Now that I think of it, almost everyone I know that speaks arabic is gay, myself included. Hmmm.
Re: An Army of Fat Felons
Felony is something of a requirement for service in George Bush's government so that should come as no surprise. Faggotry however is to be confined to airport restrooms and chat-rooms with congressional pages. It's all very straightforward and above board.
What is news however is the seemingly high percentage of gay arab linguists. Now that I think of it, almost everyone I know that speaks arabic is gay, myself included. Hmmm.
6
2, it's weird, but almost all my friends in the military were recruited as linguists. I wasn't, but what are the odds?
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I've read some research about the gay linguists thing.
Mix a little expertise at mimicry (which gay men are usually good at to "pass") along with a knack for arts (language) and there are a couple of possible factors
Mix a little expertise at mimicry (which gay men are usually good at to "pass") along with a knack for arts (language) and there are a couple of possible factors
9
First you say that being fat is curable and preventable and a choice and that being gay is not. Then you knock a policy that allows for the fat to be changeable and acknowledges that one is not likely to be "cured" of being gay. Would you be happier if they instituted a policy that allowed someone in if they "renounced" being gay?
We get it - you hate fat people. You feel like it's a choice for everyone. That's nice. Yes, it sucks that the American military can't figure out how to treat everyone equally and leave sexual orientation out of it. Yeah, it needs to be fixed. But complaining that they'll let fatties in if they stop being fatties relates to this how, exactly?
We get it - you hate fat people. You feel like it's a choice for everyone. That's nice. Yes, it sucks that the American military can't figure out how to treat everyone equally and leave sexual orientation out of it. Yeah, it needs to be fixed. But complaining that they'll let fatties in if they stop being fatties relates to this how, exactly?
10
All I'm sayin' is, I wouldn't trust an alcoholic with my booze, and I wouldn't trust a fattie with our army's K-rations.
11
I have always wondered how Dan's very public disgust and disdain for "fatties" plays with his overweight co-workers. Does he talk this kind of shit to their faces? Do they feel safe and non-threatened working for a man who continually posts about how disgusting, lazy and rotten they are because of their size? If I was fat and worked for Dan Savage, I would've filed a mountain of human resources complaints by now.
12
The military has been dropping their requirements for enlistment for a few years now, including "third tier" recruits who would have never made it in seven years ago. At least they have jobs?
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@11 Surely, none of "those" people would ever make it past the face-to-face interview. I can just see the interview notes now...
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Arsonists? Really?! That won't turn out good...
It's going to cost us a LOT of dough when one of them blows up some giant ammo dump just to watch it burn.
Arsonists? Really?! That won't turn out good...
It's going to cost us a LOT of dough when one of them blows up some giant ammo dump just to watch it burn.
16
why bother with openly fleeing the military death trap in iraq? just arrange with a friend to be "caught" kissing him and--voila! instant discharge. no jail time.
17
Would you be happier if they instituted a policy that allowed someone in if they "renounced" being gay?
That is the policy now, you stupid fuck.
That is the policy now, you stupid fuck.
21
I too served in the military. They wanted me to stay in when my enlistment ended. I couldn't risk a long career in the closet.
22
You know what? Fuck them. Fuck them all.
If all of the estimated 50,000 to 60,000 gay and lesbian service members went to their COs and said "yup, I'm gay," this whole freaking nightmare would be over instantly--our war fellating Congress would have no choice but to drop DADT immediately.
If all of the estimated 50,000 to 60,000 gay and lesbian service members went to their COs and said "yup, I'm gay," this whole freaking nightmare would be over instantly--our war fellating Congress would have no choice but to drop DADT immediately.
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@17 No, the policy as stands is "don't get caught and don't tell anyone." Renouncing is after the fact is not enough. Hence, "don't ask, don't tell."
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"the policy as stands is 'don't get caught and don't tell anyone.'"
23, so you're saying the military has the same policy as republican senators, and mega church ministers?
23, so you're saying the military has the same policy as republican senators, and mega church ministers?
25
Gays in the military need to organize and stage a mass outing. They should all come out to their commanding officers on the same day and demand to be discharged under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The crippling blow to the military establishment would be far worse that the casualty counts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The military would be forced to resume the draft, which should then be challenged in court as discriminatory. The Selective Service requires that only males register. Since women have fought long and hard for equal treatment and won the right to serve in virtually all specialties and in all areas, why should they be exempt from selective service registration. When I served in the military I was driven crazy by all the incessant whining by straight people being separated from their families. The demand on military health care by these breeders costs taxpayers of fortune. Perhaps it's time to ban straight people from serving in the military.
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