Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Tolerance Traditions in the USA – DADT Policy in the US Military

One of the great American traditions is tolerance.  According to the Encarta Dictionary of English (North America) the word has 6 (six) meanings.  The one I mean here is "the acceptance of views other than ours and recognizing other people’s right to have different beliefs or practices without attempting to suppress them".

Throughout the country’s history, which, by the way, is quite short in global terms, the perception of tolerance has also changed.  Being a country that started as a result of a revolution the American set of mind is naturally “born to be free”, “born to be wild”.

One of the most recent example is the DADT policy.  A link to President Obama’s speech on the issue at the Human Rights Campaign (HRS) on Saturday, October 1st, 2011 is not enclosed here but is listed below.

The acronym itself stands for Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and describes the policy of the US Military Forces hiring practices towards gay and lesbian candidates.  In simple terms the policy means that the recruiters don’t ask “the question”, and as long as the homosexual candidate does not admit it openly they will be hired as military personnel, of course, subject to meeting other criteria.

This policy had been adapted as a compromise between the two opposing views and is considered one of the great achievements in the tradition of American tolerance.

President Obama’s Speech at the 2011 Human Rights Campaign Dinner:



Note about the Article.  The Comments that follow are examples of everyday American English.  That’s how Americans write, talk and think.  This is real American English you will deal with in the USA.  Regardless of the fact whether you agree or not, read the notes to improve your “common folks” vocabulary.  This is the “real” everyday American English.

No comments: