Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America
- ISBN-10
- 142990271X
- ISBN-13
- 9781429902717
- Category
- Political Science
- Pages
- 368
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2009-03-03
- Publisher
- Macmillan
- Author
- Dr. Nathaniel Frank
Description
When the "don't ask, don't tell" policy emerged as a political compromise under Bill Clinton in 1993, it only ended up worsening the destructive gay ban that had been on the books since World War II. Drawing on more than a decade of research and hundreds of interviews, Nathaniel Frank exposes the military's policy toward gays and lesbians as damaging and demonstrates that "don't ask, don't tell" must be replaced with an outright reversal of the gay ban. Frank is one of the nation's leading experts on gays in the military, and in his evenhanded and always scrupulously documented chronicle, he reveals how the ban on open gays and lesbians in the U.S. military has greatly increased discharges, hampered recruitment, and—contrary to the rationale offered by proponents of the ban—led to lower morale and cohesion within military ranks. Frank does not shy away from tackling controversial issues, and he presents indisputable evidence showing that gays already serve openly without causing problems, and that the policy itself is weakening the military it was supposed to protect. In addition to the moral pitfalls of the gay ban, Frank shows the practical damage it has wrought. Most recently, the discharge of valuable Arabic translators (who happen to be gay) under the current policy has left U.S. forces ill-equipped in the fight against terrorism. Part history, part exposé, and fully revealing, Unfriendly Fire is poised to become the definitive story of "don't ask, don't tell." This lively and compelling narrative is sure to make the blood boil of any American who cares about national security, the right to speak the truth, or just plain common sense and fairness.
Get the book
Other editions
Similar books
-
Unfriendly Fire: The Promising Life, Military Service and Senseless Murder of US Army Technician Fifth Grade Floyd O. Hudson Jr.
By John HudsonIncluded in this book are images heretofore unpublished, which help tell the story--photos, newspaper clippings, Nazi memorabilia, and other period images.
-
The Presidential Leadership Dilemma: Between the Constitution and a Political Party
By Lara M. Brown, Julia R. Azari, Zim G. NwokoraExamines how the president balances the competing demands of leading his political party and leading the nation.
-
And Then Came Peace
By Greg MasseAll eyes alert for unfriendly fire.” Jacob clipped the next magazine into his weapon, counted another twenty seconds and rose to unload it. At the first sound of automatic gunfire, Mikha'il had pushed Jasmine to the ground.
-
Agricultural Safety
By Keith E. BarenklauCHAPTER 4 Fire Safety There are two types of fires — friendly and unfriendly . H.E. O'Shell , P.E. If civilization were to lose the ability to make fire , it would gradually return to the Stone Age . Fire is often depicted as an evil ...
-
Managing Sex in the U.S. Military
By Beth BaileyThe essays in Managing Sex in the U.S. Military examine historical and contemporary military policies and offer different perspectives on the broad question: "How does the U.S. military attempt to manage sex?
-
A More Perfect Military: How the Constitution Can Make Our Military Stronger
By Diane H. Mazur“[Commanders] shall examine the information . . . and decide whether an inquiry is warranted or whether no action should be taken.” Enlisted Administrative Separations, Enclosure 5, § 3(b), 40. 17. Nathaniel Frank, Unfriendly Fire: How ...
-
Arson Investigation Guide
By DIANE Publishing CompanyFIRE INVESTIGATION: Activity concerned with determining the cause of fires, especially illegal burning. ... or construction that will retard the spread of fire, giving firefighters a reasonable chance to control an unfriendly fire.
-
ATF Arson Investigative Guide
ATF Arson Investigative Guide