Just one week ago, Donald Trump made his thoughts on transgender individuals in the military known via Twitter, when he posted the following message in a series of tweets:
"After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you."
First thing's first, which generals and military experts was Mr. Trump talking to? In an article which was just released, it's being reported that 56 retired generals and admirals have released a statement which runs contrary to the president's claim that such individuals are on his side in this debate. In the statement, they wrote:
"This proposed ban, if implemented, would cause significant disruptions, deprive the military of mission-critical talent, and compromise the integrity of transgender troops who would be forced to live a lie, as well as non-transgender peers who would be forced to choose between reporting their comrades or disobeying policy. As a result, the proposed ban would degrade readiness even more than the failed 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. Patriotic transgender Americans who are serving - and who want to serve - must not be dismissed, deprived of medically necessary health care, or forced to compromise their integrity or hide their identity."
In addition to this powerful statement, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford said "the military would not implement the ban until it receives an official directive from Trump."
Not only that, but as seems to be the norm, Donald Trump is off with his numbers. The military's annual health care budget is $47.8 billion. The estimated costs of transgender service members' transition care is $5.6 million, which is 0.01% of the total budget. To place this in an even greater context, this annual budget includes $41.6 million worth of payments for Viagra prescriptions, which is a little less than eight times what would be needed to cover transgender service members' medication costs.
Lastly and most importantly, Donald Trump is a man who used a total of five deferments, one health-related, in order to avoid fighting in the Vietnam War. He is a man who has never shed blood or even taken the risk of shedding blood for his own country, yet he has the gall to try and prohibit brave men and women from putting their lives on the line to protect this great nation? No matter what one's gender is, race, creed, or orientation, we all bleed the same color, and for Donald Trump to deny that fact due to blind ignorance and prejudice just goes to show he's weak, doesn't care about our national security, and doesn't care about anyone other than himself. Donald Trump should look toward these transgender men and women in uniform as role models, for they exemplify bravery, something of which the president has absolutely no clue.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/26/trump-transgender-240980
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/344761-56-retired-officers-warn-against-trumps-transgender-troops-ban
http://time.com/money/4874800/heres-what-transgender-service-members-actually-cost-the-military/
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/us/politics/donald-trump-draft-record.html
"After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you."
First thing's first, which generals and military experts was Mr. Trump talking to? In an article which was just released, it's being reported that 56 retired generals and admirals have released a statement which runs contrary to the president's claim that such individuals are on his side in this debate. In the statement, they wrote:
"This proposed ban, if implemented, would cause significant disruptions, deprive the military of mission-critical talent, and compromise the integrity of transgender troops who would be forced to live a lie, as well as non-transgender peers who would be forced to choose between reporting their comrades or disobeying policy. As a result, the proposed ban would degrade readiness even more than the failed 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. Patriotic transgender Americans who are serving - and who want to serve - must not be dismissed, deprived of medically necessary health care, or forced to compromise their integrity or hide their identity."
In addition to this powerful statement, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford said "the military would not implement the ban until it receives an official directive from Trump."
Not only that, but as seems to be the norm, Donald Trump is off with his numbers. The military's annual health care budget is $47.8 billion. The estimated costs of transgender service members' transition care is $5.6 million, which is 0.01% of the total budget. To place this in an even greater context, this annual budget includes $41.6 million worth of payments for Viagra prescriptions, which is a little less than eight times what would be needed to cover transgender service members' medication costs.
Lastly and most importantly, Donald Trump is a man who used a total of five deferments, one health-related, in order to avoid fighting in the Vietnam War. He is a man who has never shed blood or even taken the risk of shedding blood for his own country, yet he has the gall to try and prohibit brave men and women from putting their lives on the line to protect this great nation? No matter what one's gender is, race, creed, or orientation, we all bleed the same color, and for Donald Trump to deny that fact due to blind ignorance and prejudice just goes to show he's weak, doesn't care about our national security, and doesn't care about anyone other than himself. Donald Trump should look toward these transgender men and women in uniform as role models, for they exemplify bravery, something of which the president has absolutely no clue.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/26/trump-transgender-240980
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/344761-56-retired-officers-warn-against-trumps-transgender-troops-ban
http://time.com/money/4874800/heres-what-transgender-service-members-actually-cost-the-military/
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/us/politics/donald-trump-draft-record.html
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