On July 26th, President Donald J Trump took to twitter and shared to the world that "The United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military" and started an outrage. During Trump's presidential campaign, he was all about protecting the rights of the LGBTQ Community but now that it comes down to following that promise he acts like he never even said it.
Trump revealed the reason for the new ban and it is because the military "cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail." The RAND Corporation ran a study to see how much money actually went to transgender-related services. The study found that out of 49.3 billion dollars towards health care expenses, only 2.4-8.4 million dollars fell into the transgender services category. That's only .004%-.017% of the total dollars that go towards health care.
Ex-Navy SEAL Kristin Beck, formerly known as Chris Beck, weighed in on Trump's new transgender law. When asked about how Trump's tweet made her feel she responded with, transgender people had "a safe space to come out and be free and live as we say Americans do, free and brave, and now you're going to bomb that safe area? It's disturbing." She also believed that with this big of a change in our world today, Trump should have held a press conference instead of just informing the world with three tweets.
Links for Further Explanation
- http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/26/opinions/kristin-beck-on-trump-transgender-tweet-opinion/index.html (Kristin Beck's Interview)
- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/us/politics/trump-transgender-military.html
- http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/the-conversation/sd-why-trump-banned-transgender-military-20170726-htmlstory.html
Discussion Questions
- Do you think if President Donald Trump didn't send out these tweets and actually had a press conference to explain the decision that was made, would people be less upset about the whole situation? If you were the president and how to deliver this message, how would you?
- Do you agree with President Trump's decision and do you think it will be worth it in the long run just to save a few dollars?
- Do you believe that the reason for this ban is to save more or is money just a cover to hide the real reason for the ban?
I chose this current event because the LGBTQ community has taken a huge step forward and has gotten many things approved such a gay marriage being legalized in 2015 and transgender humans getting more human rights until now. On Wednesday, Trump and the government sent them backward by taking a stab at the transgender serving in the United States military and making this law. This event will not be current for a short amount of and it will affect many lives and decisions to come.
Hi Shannon. I will be doing my comment on your post because of the level of importance I feel it has on our country. America is portrayed as a country of diversity and freedom so taking away the chance to serve that country if you are a part of the LGBTQ community, for many is an act of discrimination in my mind. Just because somebody is a part of that community, does not mean they are not capable of serving our country. As you said “The study found that out of 49.3 billion dollars towards health care expenses, only 2.4-8.4 million dollars fell into the transgender services category. That's only .004%-.017% of the total dollars that go towards health care.” I feel this is outrage considering Trump is willing to spend so much on a problem like health care but so little on issues like this. I feel Trump does have another reason for this ban other than expenses, because if it really was about money, it would make much more sense to hold a press conference, rather than keeping his explanations exclusively on twitter. I feel this act is a step in the wrong direction, and that Trump should consider this decision.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think it would make a difference whether or not President Trump held a press conference to explain his decision for banning transgenders from the military; people would still react the same either way. If It were my decision as President, I would hold a press conference instead of sending a tweet because it seems more professional and people are more likely to take you seriously. I’m not sure if I agree with Trump’s decision entirely. However, I do know that transitioning is a very long process and often requires lifelong hormone therapy. Transitioning can be emotionally difficult. When you’re in the military, you have to be physically and emotionally ready at all times. You need to be ready to leave the country at a moment’s notice, without having to worry about the continuous medical care that is needed for the rest of your life if you’re transgender.
ReplyDeleteDonald Trump’s new rule on transgenders not being able to serve in the military is wrong. Anyone who wants to serve should be able to and shouldn't be told they can't. If Donald Trump was thinking of this rule before he went to office, he should not have said that he will help the LGBT community. Citizens of America are not only disappointed of the new rule but because he lied to us. One thing that stood out to me about this rule was the tweet by Nick Jack Pappas “In 2016, Trump told the LGBT community ‘I will fight for you.’ Now they are no longer allowed to fight for us.” This quote stood out to me because it showed not only the disappointment of Trump lying to us but also how Trump is discriminating against Transgenders. Everyone is created equal so that includes transgenders too. So by this law it shows that not everyone is equal. Transgenders should be treated just like everyone in America, they are just like us. If Trump didn't say he would fight for the LGBT community, people probably would be less angry about the rule. Also, Trump is probably hiding the real truth about the law because in the grand scheme of things the money the government would save by eliminating transgenders from the military is minute compared to the entire defense budget. Just like Mike Santopietro said “I feel this is outrage considering Trump is willing to spend so much on a problem like health care but so little on issues like this.” It is a very good point, although Obama care is a huge concern and needs to be dealt with, this ban will do nothing to help the deficient. Trump should rethink his decision on this ban, saving a few dollars isn’t worth discriminating against a group of people.
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