Today, if you agree with President Trump’s decision on transgenders in the military, chances are pretty good you’ll be slandered as a hater.
But, as millions of Americans know well these days, nothing could be further from the truth. It’s just another strategy aimed at shutting you down – because disagreement is a threat to the radical left.
Remember, the issue is never the issue—the issue is the revolution. So when you find yourself in conversations about the president’s decision, it’s important to break it down into two simple categories: purpose and people.
The purpose of the military is to keep the peace.
George Washington said, “To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.”
And to keep the peace government “bears the sword.” Romans 13:4 describes it this way: “ for [the one in authority] is the servant of God for your good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is the servant of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him who practices evil.”
So government is a servant of God meant for our good—and it “bears the sword” to punish evil and protect peace. This “sword” is also double-edged and includes both our legal system, which protects the peace from within, and our military, which protects the peace from without.
Good government enables both edges of this sword to function without hindrance, which is why it’s vital to have service standards in the military.
This is why it’s important to understand people. Those serving in our military are a select group, trained and disciplined to react swiftly and decisively in the face of any threat. For this reason, the military doesn’t simply just allow all people to serve.
Well, that puts my brother (Jason) out.
But if we agree with these standards, does that mean we hate short and fat people?
Of course not.
Here’s more: Those with chronic asthma, epilepsy, flat feet and hepatitis can’t serve in the military, either.
Is it intolerant for the military to turn these people away? Don’t they have rights? Is anyone fighting for them?
And even more: The military is pretty harsh on those who stutter, too. The reason for their rejection is because of “stammering of such a degree that the individual is normally unable to express himself or herself clearly or to repeat commands.”
Seems pretty hateful and intolerant to me. It would be nice to see the media come to the defense of these people – but, of course, the issue is never really the issue.
The bottom line is that the people listed above cannot serve in the military, regardless of their desire to do so, because the defense of our country must be “decisive and overwhelming,” and no one person’s personal issues should dull that blade.
Of course, we don’t doubt there are some transgenders in the military, and we thank them for their service. And we know there are a few asthmatics and flat-footed soldiers as well. There are always exceptions to the rule—but the standard must remain high when it comes to any personal issue that will negatively affect anyone’s ability to immediately act in the face of national danger.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and himself a military man, said: “For service members to be considered medically fit, they are supposed to be deployable anywhere in the world at any time, without the need for specialized medical care. Yet those who have had gender reassignment surgery do need specialized medical care, and they require hormones for the rest of their lives. This—not the question of whether such individuals are patriotic or want to serve their country—must be the decisive factor in setting military policy.”
Even some former transgenders are speaking up, saying, “Perhaps they have forgotten that our military was forged to be the world’s strongest fighting force, not a government-funded, politically correct, medical sex change clinic for people with gender dysphoria.”
That’s compelling.
While the purpose and the people in the military are important to understand—we must also briefly consider the consequences to the taxpayer.
Americans should not be on the hook for sex-change surgeries and hormone treatments for transitioning service members, which could cost billions.
Peter Sprigg, senior fellow for policy studies at FRC, said: “Service members undergoing gender transition will also be permitted to take leave from the military for one full year prior to surgery, for a ‘real life experience’ living as the desired gender. The cost of this lost time would total nearly $1.8 billion, for existing service members and new recruits, over ten years.
“If these direct (gender re-assignment surgeries and hormone therapies) and indirect costs are all included, the total cost rises to $3.7 billion over 10 years.”
Call us crazy, but when President Washington said, “To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace” —we don’t think he was considering sex change surgery, hormone therapy and a year off for the troops.
So despite the media narrative today that seeks to bully clear-minded folks into silence, understanding the purpose of the military and people fit to serve within (including the burden on the taxpayer) brings a lot of clarity amidst all the confusion.
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