Saturday, July 10, 2010

Biased and Inflamatory DADT Survey Made Public - Westat Contact Had Predicted Survey Would be Homophobic

I had always anticipated that the DOD survey would be rigged - especially since an insider with Westat connections had warned me that such would be the case a number of weeks ago. In fact, this individual said that DOD was calling the shots on the question content. Now that a copy of the survey (see the full survey here) has been obtained by the Palm Center and has gone viral in the LGBT blogosphere, just how obnoxious the survey is out there for the entire world to see. Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United (pictured above) with whom I collaborate at times on DADT related posts aimed at Virginia audiences in particular, had this to say about the survey:
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[I]t is simply impossible to imagine a survey with such derogatory and insulting wording, assumptions, and insinuations going out about any other minority group in the military. . . . this expensive survey stokes the fires of homophobia by its very design and will only make the Pentagon’s responsibility to subdue homophobia as part of this inevitable policy change even harder. The Defense Department just shot itself in the foot by releasing such a flawed survey to 400,000 servicemembers, and it did so at an outrageous cost to taxpayers.”
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Indeed, one would think the survey was drafted by the folks at Family Research Council or some other professional gay-hating organization. Can anyone seriously believe such a survey would be ever circulated if the word "black" or "Catholic" or Jewish" or "female" were used to replace the words gay and homosexual? Of course not. Because only gays continue to be subjected to legally sanctioned religious based discrimination - something that is, I'm sorry, UNCONSTITUTIONAL. And our President does nothing to stop it. This survey clearly indicates that more resignations need to be demanded by Obama NOW. This survey was obviously prepared at the directions very senior officers at the Pentagon and DOD and had one aim: to get a result justifying a refusal to repeal DADT. Anyone who claims otherwise is either a liar or so incredibly incompetent as to require dismissal. That includes Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell who was disseminating bullshit excuses and defenses yesterday.
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I'm sure that DOD and the Pentagon never expected this survey made public and wanted to keep it secret while claiming their unbiased and objective study justified a continuation of DADT. Frankly, if these people are so stupid that they thought the survey would not get leaked, then they are too stupid to be heading up the nation's military. No wonder we're in such a mess in the Middle East! Metro Weekly looks at some of the lame excuses being put out by the Pentagon:
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In a late Friday afternoon news conference, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell defended the 103-question survey distributed to 400,000 active-duty and reserve servicemembers about the possible end of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, including how repeal may affect morale and unit cohesion.
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Despite his defense, his only response when asked by Metro Weekly why there appeared to be no questions regarding the current impact of DADT and DADT-related discharges on troops’ morale and unit cohesion was, “I don’t know. I’m sure there’s a good explanation. We’ll try to get it for you. I don’t know."
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When asked earlier in the news conference about reports and commentary that the survey was biased, Morrell said, “Absolutely, unequivocally, I reject it as nonsense." “We’re not playing games here, guys,” he said.
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Obviously, games ARE being played and the bastards got caught with their pants down and their sorry asses hanging out in the breeze.

3 comments:

Kyle J said...

Are we surprised at all? We knew that the DOD was going to be against repeal, even with all the promises of Gates and team. Once they said they needed a survey, they showed that they did not really want repeal.

Michael-in-Norfolk said...

Kyle,

I agree that the very need for a survey was a warning sign. Now I am trying to see if my Westat contact can name names as to who at DOD or the Pentagon submitted all the homophobic questions to Westat

Butterflies and hand-grenades said...

Wow, this is just extremely shady. I know that this involved politics, but the underhanded methods might make even McCarthy blush...