we bleed, breathe...

I was watching some news shows on television, and came across a lengthy feature on the acceptance of women in the military. The journalist interviewed some women who suffered damage to their bodies, and have since come home as amputees. These troops were asked if they felt as if they were an integral components of the military, and of course replied YES. They were then asked why the military still segregates the duties and responsibilities of females and males in the armed services and to the woman the same answer resonated, "I have no idea...I bleed, I breathe, I serve like anyone else."

I had read the history of segregation in the military, the idea of permitting blacks to enlist in the military, but do so in 'colored' only platoons. I had read the accounts of how the white soldiers, sailors, pilots, would lose their moral and not be as efficient with blacks serving next to them. I read how the 'colored' were considered inferior and how too much of the inferior would brush the tarnish from the superior, leaving the armed services as just mediocre. The blacks were not asked, as were the women of today's military what they thought, but some blacks, unofficially said, "we bleed, breathe and can serve like anyone else."

I am in the throws of listening to the harangues, wherewithal's, homophobic homilies as to why allowing an open Gay or Lesbian American serve in the military. I have seen the dramatic dances the born again evangelical fear mongers have demonstrated. I have witnessed the feeble findings of fearful men who wallow in their own identity crisis and insist the homo is like the female or black, less capable and separate but equal. I have heard the horn blowing of if we recognize gays in the military, we might have to explain to our children homosexuality exists. And the HIV-AIDS lamentation of the fearful uneducated hetero that gays will bleed tainted blood. And I have heard service men and women say "I bleed, breathe and serve like everyone else."

I have seen, read, listened, reviewed why anyone not white, not male, not heterosexual should not, could not, shan't, can't, won't and don't serve in the military. And none of it has made any sense, none of it is based on fact and none of it is more than nonacceptance of difference and fruition of fear.

How long will we maintain separate but equal, rules based on religious inequality, division based on sexism, racism and homophobia? When do we as a nation so called UNITED, find consensus instead of conflict?