Don't ask, don't tell

Talk about “off topic.” But I can’t help myself. I may live in Brazil, but I still feel the beat of US pop culture and follow current US politics. (But, truth be told, without my young students I would not feel the beat of Lady Gaga.)

In this case we have an overlap of the logical pending repeal of the “Don’t Ask – Don’t Tell” policy in the US military and the demonstrated modern reality of young people serving in the military. Don’t get me started.

Check this out. First we have a video made by US troops in Afghanistan. (They must be sooo board.) They, now famously, remade the Lady Gaga “Telephone” video. The original is here. Very fun. And there is even some mainstream media analysis at the Washington Post about what it all means. Check it out.  Gotta love it.



Then we have a competing video by other soldiers, in Iraq, with time on their hands. This one spoofs all the controversy about letting gays serve in the military.



In the end I find fighting for the right to join the military a bit antithetical to my more anti-military point of view. It is a bit weird. I would not encourage anyone to join the military. But as the US military is the largest employer in the country, it is important that they have a non-discrimination policy. Pure and simple.

And it seems apparent that the guys (and likely the gals) in the forces are OK with that.