What's the most appropriate way to disseminate a policy on banning transgender individuals from serving in the military?

[mistercwood 287]

kallend

***My apologies, but I'm really unsure how to respond when asked "What colors do you see?".
I think I see the normal spectrum, but apparently there are other options these days.

Octarine

That's the one that's kind of greenish-purple, yeah?

You are playing chicken with a planet - you can't dodge and planets don't blink. Act accordingly.

[DJL 232]

I've been checking in on this thread just out of morbid curiosity to see it not going anywhere.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[normiss 622]

Given it's the color of magic, more like LSD colors in my mind.

[billvon 2,400]

An open letter from 56 retired US admirals and generals:

======================
The Commander in Chief has tweeted a total ban of honorably serving transgender troops. This proposed ban, if implemented, would cause significant disruptions, deprive the military of mission - critical talent, and compromise the integrity of transgender troops who would be forced to live a lie, as well as non - transgender peers who would be forced to choose between reporting their comrades or disobeying policy. As a result, the proposed ban would degrade readiness even more than the failed ‘don't ask, don't tell’ policy. Patriotic transgender Americans who are serving — and who want to serve — must not be dismissed, deprived of medically necessary health care, or forced to compromise their integrity or hide their identity.

President Trump seeks to ban transgender service members because of the financial cost and disruption associated with transgender military service. We respectfully disagree, and consider these claims to be without merit. The R AND Corporation, as well as research in the New England Journal of Medicine , found that the financial cost of providing health care to transgender troops would be, at most , $8.4 million per year. This amounts to one one - hundredth of one percent of the military's annual health care budget. As for ostensible disruptions, transgender troops have been serving honorably and openly for the past year, and have been widely praised by commanders. Eighteen foreign nations , including the UK and Israel, allow transgender troops to serve, and none has reported any detriment to readiness.

Recently, two former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have taken courageous stands in support of our transgender service members. General Martin Dempsey said of our transgender troops that, ‘The service of men and women who volunteer and who meet our standards of service is a blessing, not a burden.’

And Admiral Mike Mullen stated that, ‘I led our armed forces under the flawed 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy and saw firsthand the harm to readiness and morale when we fail to treat all service members according to the same standards. Thousands of transgender Americans are currently serving in uniform and there is no reason to single out these brave men and women and deny them the medical care that they re quire. The military conducted a thorough research process on this issue and concluded that inclusive policy for transgender troops promotes readiness.’ Admiral Mullen urged civilian leaders ‘to respect the military’s judgment and not to breach the faith of service members who defend our freedoms.’ We could not agree more.

http://hrc-assets.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com//files/assets/resources/56_Generals_and_Admirals_Warn_Trump.pdf
=============================

[DanG 1]

But Trump cleared the policy with his generals before tweeting it. Which generals, you ask? The same ones who called him to congratulate him on that great speech to the Boy Scouts and how he's fixed Mexico's illegal immigration problems.

- Dan G

[normiss 622]

Well, he is the world's greatest person that does not want to let people into the country, so it's in his crazy pea brain idea to not let everyone serve the country either.
They're much braver and more American than he is.
Hell he hasn't served us!

[GeorgiaDon 340]

Quote

They're much braver and more American than he is.
Hell he hasn't served us!

But he does have a purple heart if I recall correctly.

Don

_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

[billvon 2,400]

So it's been almost a month.

The Coast Guard has announced they are not implementing the trans ban.

James Mattis, the defense secretary, says he is still waiting to get the "president's guidance" and so isn't doing anything yet. In the interim he has said he is "going to address whether or not transgenders can serve and under what conditions" - in other words, they're not implementing the ban either until Trump gives them a clear, sensible directive, which they haven't seen yet.

So Trump is prepping the military to doubt his orders, and to wait on implementing them until he makes sense, which may be never. Which, in the long term, is actually a very good thing IMO.

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

billvon

- in other words, they're not implementing the ban either until Trump gives them a clear, sensible directive, which they haven't seen yet.

NEVER gonna happen.

Thanks for the laugh.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo