Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: i-node who wrote (441446)	12/19/2008 12:56:47 PM
From: tejek	Respond to of 1574127

So then, if the vast majority of the people in the military also don't want a black man to lead them or a woman, you think they have to respect their wishes? Well, we've had black leadership before (Powell) and it wasn't a problem. So the point is moot. No it isn't moot. There was a time when a black man would not be acceptable to many military people. But when military people don't have any respect for the leadership I do believe it is a problem, whether black, white, or whatever. When military people do not respect someone because of their skin color, gender or sexuality, then I think they need to be ignored. There is nothing new about this. Consider the case of Gen. Horatio Gates in the Revolutionary War. He totally lost the respect of his soldiers and only Gates' underling, (Col) Benedict Arnold could get the soldiers to follow him. Because they respected Arnold, and not Gates (which we now know, of course, was misplaced respect, but at the time Benedict Arnold was a war hero). So, it isn't so much about gay/straight, black/white, but it is a question of whether soldiers will respect a gay's leadership authority. Gates was a manipulator and a bit of a coward. There was justification for his men losing respect. What does that have do with someone's gayness? Maybe they will; 16 years ago they wouldn't have, we know that. Given the experience Clinton had early on, it would be pretty foolish for Obama to make a similar mistake. I don't think he will. I am not sure what happened 16 years ago. However, I do agree that its unlikely Obama will appoint a gay man to head the Navy.