"I can't fight because I don't believe in it. No wait, I'm gay, too."

[Jay!]

A little too silly for the Current Affiars forum:

Conscientious Objector Says He's Gay

SAN FRANCISCO - A 20-year-old Marine reservist seeking to be discharged as a conscientious objector has given himself a second way out - he's told military leaders he's gay.

"I believe that as a gay man, someone who is misunderstood by much of the general population, I have a great deal of experience with hatred and oppression," Lance Cpl. Stephen Funk wrote in his application for a conscientious objector discharge.

Funk turned himself in to the Marines on Tuesday after being absent without leave since mid-February, when his support battalion was sent to Camp Pendleton near San Diego. He has been assigned desk duty in San Jose while his case proceeds.

Funk, whose father served in Vietnam, said he grew uncomfortable with the military when he was made to shout "Kill! Kill! Kill!" during a basic training exercise. Since his training, he said, he has gone to every major anti-war rally in the San Francisco Bay area.

Funk said in his application that the military "perpetuates feelings of hatred against all that are different" to dehumanize potential enemies.

Funk's lawyer, Stephen Collier, acknowledged that if the Marine Corps refuses to grant him conscientious objector status, Funk probably will be discharged for violating the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy by declaring his homosexuality. The policy allows gays and lesbians to serve as long as they keep quiet about their sexual orientation.

Capt. Patrick O'Rourke, a spokesman for Funk's unit, did not immediately return a phone call Wednesday seeking comment about Funk's announcement that he is gay. Earlier he had said the Marines will treat Funk's case fairly.

Northwestern University sociology professor Charles Moskos, who helped write the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, was critical of Funk.

"As a legitimate conscientious objector he should try to defend his argument on moral and ethical grounds," he said. "Why do the double track?"

It's unclear how many conscientious objector applications have been filed since the Iraq war began. Military officials said 28 were granted last year, and 111 were granted during the Gulf War.

More than 1,200 servicepeople were discharged for being gay in 2001, but the number decreased to 906 in 2002, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

$5 says if they don't let him out for either of these two reasons, he smashes his own hand with a hammer.

edit: here's an article about him the day before he "slipped" that he was gay...
http://www.objector.org/ccco/inthenews/funkco.html

[Suislide]

"it's easier to be black then to be gay, because when you're black, you don't have to tell your mother."

forget who said that quote...


that's a pretty screwed up article....

[kicker1_solo]

Jay said he's gay :hehe:

[tazdev]

"They don't really advertise that they kill people," Funk said. "I didn't really realize the full implications of what I was doing and what it really meant to be in the service as a reservist."

so then he tries to blame the recruiters What the Funk did he think they learned how to strip, clean, and assemble rifles for?



FUN?


From the sounds of it he joined for a free education

[taranaki]

Sounds like the traditional 'I joined the forces to get away from Mom and Dad"routine.Join up,it saves you the trouble of having to fend for yourself.Board,lodging and food all provided,but when push comes to shove,and he has to do the real job,whoops,I made a mistake.

[kaoru-tochiro]

Originally posted by taranaki
'I joined the forces to get away from Mom and Dad"

So he left the comfort of his home to go to some institution to get physically abused and mentally warped? Maybe he "is" gay, and he joined to shower with other young guys and stuff. I think a good chunk of the US army is gay. I mean comeon, when you get to ride in a tanks and shoot at your oponent driving YUGOs, any fairy can do that.

[tonioseven]

Originally posted by S13_Iketani
"it's easier to be black then to be gay, because when you're black, you don't have to tell your mother."

forget who said that quote...

I'd like to know who said that.:huh:

[Jimster]

Originally posted by kaoru-tochiro


I mean comeon, when you get to ride in a tanks and shoot at your oponent driving YUGOs, any fairy can do that.

They actually do that




See ya guys- I'm off to the army

[taranaki]

Originally posted by tonioseven
I'd like to know who said that.:huh:

I think it was Charles Pierce.

[Suislide]

Originally posted by taranaki


I think it was Charles Pierce.

you're right. i knew the last name was Pierce, but i couldn't remember the first name.

[SiRI]

Originally posted by kaoru-tochiro
I mean comeon, when you get to ride in a tanks and shoot at your oponent driving YUGOs, any fairy can do that.

not to mention Yugo's filled with dynomite... id rather sit on AF :silly2:

[2strokebloke]

Originally posted by kaoru-tochiro

...when you get to ride in a tanks and shoot at your oponent driving YUGOs, any fairy can do that.

I don't think that they have Yugos in Iraq, but here's a picture of a Yugo disguised as a "tank" (I can barely contain my laughter!) that got shot at during Yugoslavia's civil war! (NATO can't tell the difference between a TANK and a YUGO, I think I can safely say that NATO is STUPID!)