SwiftVets.com

[keithee02]

Hello All,
I’m writing you in an attempt to get my concerns it to the public light I hope you will take the time to read this letter.
Thanks, Keith Crago
Rapid City SD

This letter is make sure you are aware of a political battle concerning hate crimes that hasn’t gotten hardly any news coverage and that concerns me. Since I sent a letter similar to the one below in March to Rep. Herseth (D) and Sen. Thune (R) several things have happened. Pres. Bush in a speech said we must put an end to religious discrimination and if there are problems in the military he and our congressmen need to know about them. ABC news did 2 very pro-gays in the military pieces. In a C-SPAN program that ran this summer Military Officials admitted there have been homosexual rapes in the military. When asked how many they said “Statically it’s the same as the number outside the military.” All 66 members of the house armed services committee voted against the Military Readiness Act, which would have allowed open homosexual individuals to serve in the military. I had hoped that the Democrats would have the decency to wait until our troops were out of harms way. But on Sept. 14 the House has passed the same Hate crimes Amendment and attached it to the Child Safety Act with support of 30 Republicans. If you agree with my concerns I hope you will write your senators asking them to remove the hate crimes amendment from the CSA, if you disagree or agree with me I hope you will pass my concerns to others so that they can know and take actions if they choose.


To the Honorable Stephanie Herseth,

Hello, I wanted to be sure you were aware of an issue I brought up during the election for senate campaign concerning the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” and the Hate crimes bill. This letter consists of basically (more or less) what I wrote in 5, 200 word, letters to the editor in the RC Journal with some commentary in between, then 2 pages relaying my experience with it. I wanted to make sure you were informed and I hope your position will change. Sincerely Keith Crago of Rapid City

Revoking Rights
The policy of not preventing homosexuals from joining the military, better known as "don't ask, don't tell" has been a colossal failure. Men have been molested in their sleep, millions of dollars have been spent training over 10,000 personnel 1, who's behavior prevents them from being able to fulfill their obligations, a few gays have been attacked, one even died. When leaving office Clinton said the policy was a mess. The Bush administration has only said that they don't plan on changing the policy and Sen. Kerry sponsored the legislation for homosexuals in the military.
Rather than fixing the mess our politicians have made of the military, by again preventing homosexuals from joining, our senators passed the so-called hate crimes amendment. If this bill becomes law, in military application, if someone causes bodily injury in preventing another that wants to sodomize them from showering with them or sleeping next to them, they face fines and 10 years imprisonment on charges of hate. 2Assuming the sodomite is a homosexual. Our senators are not yet revoking basic human rights against perverts of the opposite sex, but making it a serious crime to similarly oppose same-sex perverts.
Homosexuals come in all shapes, sizes, and colors just like every one else. The problem is not with who they are, but what they do based on what they feel, just like everyone else that has a behavior that causes problems. The 10,000-plus personnel discharged from the military were discharged based on what they did, not because someone asked them if they were a homosexual.
Behaviors like the pervert that molested my shipmate while he was sleeping in 1997 on the USS Rainier. My shipmate was young, 6ft, 190lbs, and an amateur boxer. According to our senator's if my shipmates feel they need to defend themselves from such behaviors they should be sent to Leavenworth for 10 yrs, as only hateful people would feel such.
While the majority realizes they can't handle environments where they have to daily sleep and shower in the same room as 50-100 same-sex individuals; and others get caught; to believe that the actions of one pervert changed Pres. Clinton's tune from 'We can't discriminate' to 'This is a mess' is an insult to one's intelligence.
If one is being sexually threatened they should have the right to defend themselves, regardless of gender. Sexual assaults of men and boys by other men are too common. Legislating law in denial of such behaviors shows an extreme recklessness and a rational that encourages such behaviors.



1 The New York Times, March 24, 2004 pA18 col 05 (12 col in)


2 SA 3183 section 07 of S. 2400

After I wrote these letters to Editor the Journal did an article, which said that intent was covered in rape law; however it's still a sad state where one has to depend on rape and sexual harassment laws, other wise they're in prison much longer than their assailant.

Values
Under the last democrat administration the #1 priority was cutting the military. Part of those cuts included offering early retirement; so they suspended the yearly 1% pay raise to pay for the cuts. They decided to use us for social engineering implementing "Don't ask Don't Tell". So men were molested in their sleep and millions were spent training 10000-plus, who were unable to fulfill their military requirements, but at least behaviors are being ignored.
As demonstrated by the Senate when the Commander in Chief decided to practice infidelity and disregard truth, law, oaths and the American people, they refused to hold him accountable, but who cares about honor and oaths anyway. So we went 20 months with the President as our enemy's poster boy for why America is evil, not to mention the domestic damage done by example.
Now, while we're at war fighting for freedom and the defense of our nation, the Senate’s priorities include attacking the liberties of military personnel with legislation that will send those that dare defend their dignity from same-sex perverts to 10 years in Leavenworth.
Sen. Daschle places politics above the welfare of the military and the nation, and if re-elected will lead the nation to ruin.


I see Abu Ghraib as a picture of the some of the values taught by the senate. That it is OK to disregard honor and country, was the lesson taught by not holding Pres. Clinton accountable. Forcing homosexual behaviors on others, regardless of religious opposition (or perhaps because of it) and regardless of human rights is the essence of the hate crimes bill.

It took me a few weeks before I found out about your vote. When I sent in my letter the journal they said they had stopped taken election letters the day before. So I sent it in the present form but they still didn’t print until the day after the election. In the original form I named names and said this was a bad law passed by bad legislators and we should not support them. I also tried to get KOTA TV to ask you a question concerning your vote but they didn’t do it.

It was a disappointment finding out that the House decided to follow the Senate's leadership in attacking the liberties of military personnel. In a vote that passed 213-186, mostly along party lines, they voted to instruct conferees to keep the senate's so called hate crimes amendment in the final D.O.D bill.1
While there exists some who would seek to harm homosexuals, such crimes are rare in comparison to the crimes on the general public( In 2004, 8000 Vs 1.39 million violent crimes on the public) , and the same laws that protects us peasants, protects them also. This law really is to enable homosexuals to act as rude, crude and vulgar as they want to, while shielding them from the consequential rude, and angry behaviors that result. Those in opposition are deemed hateful and worthy of long-term imprisonment.
This law is particularly burdensome on military personnel who live among such behaviors. The law covers "actual or perceived offences2" so if a guy gets tired of a guy patting his butt, lashes out causing bodily injury, he could face 10 years imprisonment on charges of hate, because law makers think that's the same as attacking a black guy because he's black.

The law protects sexual behaviors at people's detriment. It is not about protection of people's rights or freedoms, but their oppression. The Heterosexual version would say any woman causing bodily injury to a man because of his actual or perceived sexual behavior is a man hater and should be fined and sent to prison for up to 10 years. Fortunately it was removed during committee.

The majority of reasonable Americans recognize the pearls of law that states marriage isn’t connected to children, and that it makes no difference whether a child has a mother and father or not. This has been demonstrated in the 16 states where same-sex marriage has been on the ballot, and soundly defeated in all cases.
Sen. Johnson should stop siding with activist judges, trying to force us into a failing social experiment, in opposition to reason and democracy, and support the Federal Marriage Amendment.
The Heterosexual version of the so-called hate crimes Amendment, that was created and passed in last years senate and then passed the house, but thankfully removed in combined committee; would say any woman causing bodily injury because of a man’s actual or perceived sexual orientation is a man hater and should be fined and sent to prison for up to 10 years. Perhaps our Representative’s have been taken lessons in freedom and equality from the Taliban as Johnson, Daschle, and Herseth all voted for the Homosexual version. Hope you will contact our representatives concerning these important issues.
By Keith Crago of Rapid City.

Prior to our aiding the Afghanistan’s to liberate themselves, 2 women were facing execution because they shared their Christian viewpoints of salvation with Muslims in Afghanistan. Recently 4 Pennsylvanian Christians faced 47 years, practically a life’s sentence, because they expressed a Christian viewpoint, that homosexuality, a disgusting sexual behavior that goes against nature and the continuation of human kind, was wrong, in Pennsylvania. The charges were thrown out of court but the intent of the prosecutor is clear.
When one group blames another for their problems it is also similar to when the Nazi’s blamed the Jews for the problems of the Germans. In 1934 the Nazi’s used the “hateful” assassination of a Nazi official by a Jew as an excuse to further attack the liberties of the Jews. Of coarse what the Nazi’s did didn’t matter. Last year the U.S Congress used the hateful death of one homosexual in the military by another in the military back in 1999 as an excuse to attack the liberties of all in the military and in reality all Americans. I find it troubling that U.S Congress’s idea of freedom and equality looks similar to that of the Nazi’s before the Holocaust. Such that certain groups like blue-eyed blonds or those that have sex with certain others are entitled an elite status, and those in opposition, or said to be in opposition, are to be severely punished.


A tell all on “don’t tell”

Around 1994, with the permission of congress then President Bill Clinton enacted the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy. This barred the Military from asking a person whether they were a homosexual or experienced homosexual tendency. Prior to then, those who said they did were disqualified from military service.
In 1997, I was on a night watch aboard the USS Rainier. I went to my workspace and was surprised to find a subordinate with a pillow and blanket trying to sleep on a workbench. I demanded to know why, because sleeping in the workspace could be considered a dereliction of duty. (Though the only watch he could have been doing an Under Instruction watch with was me, and I found out that wasn’t the case). He told me that he had woken up to someone fondling his *****. He said something as he was waking up, moved his hand, and the guy took off. I didn’t know what to tell him so I just left, but in the morning, we talked to another guy in the division and he then reported the incident.
In greater detail, when I turned on the light and entered, I saw him and asked “What the hell do you think your doing” He kind of grimaced and looked away then said “ I think when I was waking up I felt someone (I forget his exact words but fondling his *****). I focused on the word think and said, “ Well maybe you imagined it.” “No,” he said, “As I was waking I said something” as he jerked his hand up. Again I forget his exact words but his assailant left. Weather he said “he”, or “they left”, or what I can’t remember. I tried to make a joke to ease the tension, but it wasn’t funny, then just left. In the morning, I walked in as he was starting to tell Mike Blanc about it. Mike was a black guy, probably accurately assumed to be more in the know about gossip and what not. Mike’s first reaction was to laugh. My shipmate asked if he had ever heard of something like this happening. Mike said he had, but never on our ship. (Whether he actually had or was just boasting is questionable, I had never heard of something like it happening. Mike told me he reported it later that morning.
From the jokes told, I got the impression that he had told the other men in that birthing and that it had perhaps happened to others. But when I mentioned the incident in shared company he looked at me like I had kicked him, then just laughed and asked, “can you believe that?” nodding his head back and forth. About a mouth and a half later I heard from a first class in another division that the guy had been caught. At the time I assumed in the act, but it could’ve been though the investigation. The guy had only been onboard a few months and I couldn’t attach the name to a face. I’m sorry I can’t tell more, but at the time I was doing my best to ignore the whole thing, as I didn’t sleep in that birthing and didn’t think there was any thing I could do about it.
The military handles such incidents quietly and discreetly, so I don’t know how many such incidents there have been. However, upon leaving the Navy in 1998 the news reported that incidents were at an all time high, and since 1995 about 10000 have been discharged for homosexual conduct or violating “don’t tell” policy. I don’t know how many of our men and women of the armed services have been molested or worst so that homosexuals could feel better about themselves, but it’s not the service they signed up for. To be fair, if I had to daily sleep and shower in the same room as 50 to 100 females I’d be troubled too (hopefully not that troubled).
The “don’t ask don’t tell” policy is unpopular with many of those in the military, but those in the military have to support the Commander in Chief’s policy. When the don’t tell policy first was signed there were many that were disgruntle, the Captain announced that “anyone bad mouthing the policy would be considered to be showing disloyalty to the policies of the Commander in chief, and would face disciplinary action.” There may be other cases like my shipmate’s but the public just isn’t told about the specifics. The military has to support the policy, maintain order, and protect the image of the military for recruitment; none would be accomplished by letting the problems with homosexuals be known.
The first homosexual I met trying to serve in the navy was a Nuclear Propulsion ELT. He was being discharged from the navy as we were being processed in1993 Prior to don’t ask don’t tell. I don’t know what he did or said to show the navy he was a homosexual but he had only been on board a few months.
The second I met was a nuclear propulsion electrician. He had been kicked out of the sub fleet to surface, we were told because he had problems coping with the subsurface. When I asked what kind of problem he had with subs, he wouldn’t say. At that time we were in the smallest birthing on ship, 12 of us shared one shower across the P- way. He slept in the middle rack kiddy corner to me. He was having problems adjusting to the surface too. He told me “I don’t like this, I don’t want to be here.” I asked him why and he starred at me, wondering if he should tell me the truth, then he looked away and said because he wanted to be on subs. Shortly thereafter he grabbed a couple of straight guys and took them to a some gay bars to present evidence of homosexual conduct. After he was gone I found comfort in that he had said he didn’t find me to be his type.
The third I already told about, there may have been one other that was rumored to be homosexual, though those rumors may have been his attempt to get out of the Navy (He said he wanted to). He was always straight around me though, and talking about all the girls he was having sex with.


President Bush and/or Congress should repeal the "Don't Tell" Policy. The Secretary of Defense can do that at any time, however during the Senate debate the point was made that the repeal would effect active duty, not only recruitment; creating a witch hunt environment, which during a time of war could be catastrophic. I think that it might be a realistic possibility, as I think it's easier for gay officers who have the finances, facilities, authority and intelligence to be able to isolate themselves in the military.
Politically it’s a hard sell, to gain public support one has to talk about the problem but talking about the problem hurts the status of the military. If the problem isn’t going to be addressed in a time of war, then best probably best not talk about the problem. Hopefully a time of peace will come when I can write pro- military friends, family and organizations.

[keithee02]

Update: The Hate Crimes amendment was removed from the Child Safety Act in the Judiciary Committee about a month after the house passed it. I hope you will still contact your Congressional Representatives and Senators about this issue though.

Supporting Evidence:
By The Associated Press
Highlights of a survey released Friday Dec 23 by the

Pentagon on sexual assaults and harassment at the three U.S. military academies in the 2004-2005 school year:
U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.:
_6 percent of the female cadets and 1 percent of the males experienced sexual assault,
_41 percent of the females reported the assault,
_39 percent of those said they experienced repercussions,
_62 percent of the females and 12 percent of the males experienced sexual harassment,
_61 percent of the females and 58 percent of the males said the sexual assault and harassment training was slightly or not at all effective,
_34 percent of the females and 49 percent of the males said sexual assault was less of a problem than when they enrolled.
U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.:
_5 percent of the female midshipmen and 1 percent of the males experienced sexual assault,
_40 percent of the females reported the assault,
_17 percent of those said they experienced some type of repercussion,
_59 percent of the females and 14 percent of the males experienced sexual harassment,
_69 percent of the females and 64 percent of the males said the training was slightly or not at all effective,
_53 percent of the females and 64 percent of the males said sexual assault was less of a problem than when they enrolled.
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Col.:
_4 percent of the female and 1 percent of the male cadets experienced sexual assault,
_44 percent of the females said they reported the assault,
_49 percent of the females and 16 percent of the males experienced sexual harassment,
_54 percent of the females and 56 percent of the males said the training was slightly or not at all effective,
_81 percent of the females and 87 percent of the males said sexual assault was less of a problem than when they enrolled.

[Chief RZ]

UCMJ -- Behavior, acts are what is focused on. You can think or believe just about whatever you want. You can "love" a dog, but may not commit sodomy (at least in public) with that animal. This is a crass way to describe the situation now in the military. I, personally did not want some homosexual looking at my private parts in the showers. That is why we had separate male and female facilities. We can not afford a third and fourth facility for gay males and females--what about bi-sexuals. There are enough straight (in more ways than one) people who are willing to defend our country without encouraging the deviants.
_________________
Chief RZ