Dear Editor,
This is a response to Elisha Sum's March 8 column, "DADT: Queer fodder." The article was not only offensive to homosexuals in the military, but also to servicemen and −women in general. Masking vitriolic anti−war sentiment (which he is entitled to have) by framing it as an LGBT issue of consequence is self−serving and of unsound academic practice in and of itself. However, the general misinformation presented throughout the article must also be addressed.
Mr. Sum uses his column to establish his own view of the military, which he deems an institution that perpetuates imperialism. Never mind that the military that works for the "perpetuation of imperialism" is subject to our civilian government. If the author has a problem with what the military is doing, perhaps it would be more appropriate to write articles deriding the civilian leadership in Washington.
Furthermore, his statement that "veterans live like kings, or so I hear" is offensive to anyone who has ever served our country or knows someone who is a veteran. Sarcastic and disrespectful, the article fails to acknowledge that the mental illness and subsequent homelessness of countless veterans is, in part, a byproduct of the attitude that Sum presents throughout. Support and understanding are vital for recovering from post−traumatic stress disorder. The majority of Vietnam veterans returning home received no such treatment from society. Instead, they often returned to derision — much like that offered even today in Mr. Sum's article, which refers to servicemen and −women as "agents of death and destruction."
Lastly, the author claims that the military exploits the lower classes, but he fails to realize that recruits largely come from the middle class. Mr. Sum would have done well to perhaps seek out and talk to the veterans among his peers here at Tufts. In doing so, he may have garnered a perspective decidedly different than that conveyed throughout his column. Many veterans are now able to pursue a higher education due to their prior service and some plan to return to active duty after graduating.
In short, the military is a far cry from a dead end. Mr. Sum also should have acknowledged the many homosexual soldiers who choose to serve our country not because of some misguided desire for "assimilation" or financial payoff, but rather because they love our country and want to protect the principles on which it stands. One of these principles is an inherent respect and tolerance for others and their life decisions, something that seems to be lacking in his column.
Finally, Mr. Sum supports his perspective by citing the anti−war queer activist CAConrad, who posits that it is impossible to "both decry war and root for DADT's repeal." I'll leave the author with a quote by Douglas MacArthur, "The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war."
Sincerely,
Charles Finn, Class of 2011, Cadet, Army ROTC
