{"id":41483,"date":"2017-08-01T00:30:44","date_gmt":"2017-08-01T03:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/?p=41483"},"modified":"2017-10-04T00:33:23","modified_gmt":"2017-10-04T03:33:23","slug":"former-secnav-ray-mabus-awkward-attack-on-trump-transgenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/01\/former-secnav-ray-mabus-awkward-attack-on-trump-transgenders\/","title":{"rendered":"Former SecNav Ray Mabus’ Awkward Attack on Trump, Transgenders"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus published a commentary at Time.com<\/a> railing against President Trump’s decision to ban transgenders from military service. The opinion piece was riddled with passionate but unsupported accusations — and,\u00a0somewhat surprisingly,\u00a0a seemingly\u00a0ignorant perspective of the US military and the world, given his former tenure as the leader of the US Navy.\u00a0 Said Mabus [emphasis added]:<\/p>\n

By barring transgender[s]…Donald Trump told thousands of serving trans patriots they are not worthy<\/strong> of defending the country they love…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Contrary to\u00a0his appeals to emotion, “barring” from service says nothing<\/strong> about anyone’s\u00a0“worth”. By making such an equivalence, it is Mabus — not Trump — who denigrates\u00a0the millions<\/strong> of Americans who are unable to serve in the US military — because they are disqualified for one of the many<\/em> reasons other<\/em> than sexuality.<\/p>\n

[Trump]…seriously weakened the U.S. military.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mabus states this as\u00a0if it is so obvious it requires no\u00a0evidence.\u00a0 Truthfully, it should be easy to prove: After all, it’s only been a year since transgenders could serve openly, so the distinct difference between the strength of the US military in May 2016 versus its strength in\u00a0July 2017 should be easy to demonstrate.<\/p>\n

Mabus doesn’t even attempt to justify the statement —\u00a0and no one can.\u00a0 There is no demonstrable way to prove that allowing people to openly say they feel like a man trapped in a woman’s body (or vice versa) suddenly strengthened the US military, nor any way to prove that banning them from service weakens the military.\u00a0 Mabus —\u00a0who was Secretary of the Navy mere months ago — made an unqualified\u00a0statement on military readiness that is nothing more than meaningless pablum.<\/p>\n

Besides, how can something that is supposed to be so miniscule also be so traumatic? Are there really so few military transgenders that accepting their open service is negligible, as activists would claim,\u00a0or are there so many that the world will end if they are not allowed to serve? It can’t be both, yet that is what activists are claiming.<\/p>\n

Further [emphasis added]:<\/p>\n

[Trump] sent the message that ability doesn\u2019t count<\/strong> and that prejudice wins…he thumbed his nose at something that is basic to who we are as Americans<\/strong>: Anyone<\/strong> who wants to serve and is able to serve should be allowed to serve<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Every<\/em>\u00a0military — not just the US military — long ago made the decision that “ability” is not the only<\/strong> requirement in being allowed to serve. By most accounts, William Calley appears to have been an “able” Soldier. Nidal Malik Hasan was “willing and able” to serve.\u00a0 That wasn’t enough — it isn’t<\/em> enough — and Mabus knows it.<\/p>\n

While gleefully deriding Trump for banning “willing and able” Americans, Mabus\u00a0seems to forget he presided over a US Navy that prevented “willing and able” Americans from joining.\u00a0 He oversaw the discharge of men and women who were “able to serve”. As SecNav he was willing\u00a0to enforce standards — at least, when and where he wanted to. Pretending that “all that matters is the ability to shoot straight” briefs well, but it can have tragic and disastrous consequences.<\/p>\n

Saying “anyone who wants to and is able” should be allowed to serve isn’t true,\u00a0it doesn’t work — and it has never<\/em> been military policy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Further, Mabus appears to be showing a hint of hypocrisy.\u00a0It was he who appeared to denigrate his\u00a0own subordinates when he equated them\u00a0with racists and bigots<\/a> — because of their\u00a0moral or religious beliefs.\u00a0 Apparently, the “anyone” who is “willing and able” doesn’t include people who disagree with “progressive” sexual agendas.<\/p>\n

Mabus does get one thing right:<\/p>\n

The American principle has always been about what you can do, not who you are.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There’s truth in that.\u00a0 Consistent with\u00a0recent US military issues, for example:<\/p>\n