Bryan Fischer
Bradley Manning case: homosexuals a national security threat
By Bryan Fischer
Follow me on Twitter: @BryanJFischer, on Facebook at "Focal Point"
(Note: emphasis is mine throughout this column.)
One of the myths about homosexuality is that homosexuals do not experience higher levels of psychological disorders than heterosexuals.
But empirical data indicates clearly that homosexuals are at five times — yes, five times — the risk of mental health problems as straights.
A 2005 study of young people in New Zealand, published by 365Gay.com (not exactly part of the vast, right-wing conspiracy), showed that homosexuality is "associated with increasing rates of depression, anxiety, illicit drug dependence, suicidal thoughts and attempts. Gay males...have mental health problems five times higher than young heterosexual males."
One of the nation's leading AIDS researchers, Ron Stall, reported in the June 2003 edition of the American Journal of Public Health that homosexual conduct is associated with "higher rates of multiple drug use, depression [and ]domestic violence" than in the heterosexual population.
BMCPsychiatry in August of 2008 published the findings of a review of 13,000 (!) papers on the subject of homosexuality and mental health, with a focus on the 28 most rigorous studies, and concluded that lesbian, gay and bisexual people "are at higher risk of mental disorder, suicidal ideation, substance misuse and deliberate self harm than heterosexual people."
Homosexual activists want you to believe that all these mental disturbances are the result of homophobia and discrimination. But alas for this theory, a study in the Netherlands, probably the most homosexual-friendly place on planet earth, showed "a higher prevalence...of mood and anxiety disorders in homosexual men." Once again, this study was not published by a pro-family organization but appeared in the January 2001 edition of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Worse for the homosexual lobby, even their own medical specialists admit these problems. The Gay & Lesbian Medical Association states flatly that gay men "use substances at a higher rate than the general population," are affected by "depression and anxiety...at a higher rate than in the general population, " and "have higher rates of alcohol dependence and abuse."
If we cannot take homosexuals' own word for it, who can we trust?
Bottom line: homosexuals in the military represent an increased risk to our national security. As excerpts from the following AP story indicate, Bradley Manning's own attorney is arguing in court that Manning's mentally disturbed state, connected with his twisted sexual preferences, so messed with his head that he must be excused for betraying his country.
Every homosexual represents the same risk. This is not to say that heterosexuals are immune from mental health issues. But it is to say that if we know that homosexuals are at five times the risk of straights, it's poor public policy to put our national security at risk by making room for them in the United States military.
In Manning's case, his superiors clearly flouted the law which at the time these offenses were occurring flatly prohibited homosexual service in the military. Had his superiors done their military duty and cashiered Manning, none of this betrayal of military secrets would have happened.
There are many reasons to oppose the normalizing of sexual abnormality in the military. The heightened chances of putting mentally unstable people in positions to harm our security interests is just one of them.
—
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — The young Army intelligence specialist accused of leaking government secrets spent his 24th birthday in court Saturday as his lawyers argued his status as a gay soldier before the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" played an important role in his actions.
Lawyers for Pfc. Bradley Manning began laying out a defense to show that his struggles in an environment hostile to homosexuality contributed to mental and emotional problems that should have barred him from having access to sensitive material.
Manning is accused of leaking hundreds of thousands of sensitive items to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, including Iraq and Afghanistan war logs, State Department cables and a military video of a 2007 American helicopter attack in Iraq that killed 11 men, including a Reuters news photographer and his driver...
The Obama administration says the released information has threatened valuable military and diplomatic sources and strained America's relations with other governments.
But among the first issues to arise Saturday was whether Manning's sexual orientation is relevant to the case against him. The defense revealed that Manning had written to one of his supervisors in Baghdad before his arrest, saying he was suffering from gender-identity disorder. He included a picture of himself dressed as a woman and talked about how it was affecting his ability to do his job and even think clearly.
Maj. Matthew Kemkes, a defense lawyer, asked Special Agent Toni Graham, an Army criminal investigator, whether she had talked to people who believed Manning was gay or found evidence among his belongings relating to gender-identity disorder. The condition often is described as a mental diagnosis in which people believe they were born the wrong sex.
Graham said such questions were irrelevant to the investigation. "We already knew before we arrived that Pfc. Manning was a homosexual," Graham said.
Prosecutors objected several times to the questions. Kemkes responded that if the government can argue that Manning intended to leak secrets, "what is going on in my client's mind is very important."
During cross -examination of Treasury Department Special Agent Troy Bettencourt, who investigated the case, defense attorney Capt. Paul Bouchard asked him he was aware during his investigation that Manning was gay. "Yes, sir," Bettencourrt said.
Bouchard asked Bettencourt if he believes Manning's military leaders failed him, given his behavior such as overturning a table and throwing a chair in episodes of rage. Bettencourt said that in hindsight, "I would like to think that had I been in the chain of command, I would have maybe done things differently. I would have been aware of everything we now know to prevent him from deploying — but that is with the benefit of hindsight."...
One of Manning's commanders in Baghdad, Capt. Steven Lim, said Manning should have had his security clearance suspended because of his problems. Lim said the outbursts occurred before he arrived, and that when he learned of them after Manning's arrest, he was shocked. Lim said he was also unaware that Manning believed he was suffering from gender-identity disorder.
Full AP story: Manning's sexual orientation is raised at hearing
For documentation of the above citations from published studies, see The Top Ten Myths About Homosexuality.
(Unless otherwise noted, the opinions expressed are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Family Association or American Family Radio.)
© Bryan Fischer
December 21, 2011
Follow me on Twitter: @BryanJFischer, on Facebook at "Focal Point"
(Note: emphasis is mine throughout this column.)
One of the myths about homosexuality is that homosexuals do not experience higher levels of psychological disorders than heterosexuals.
But empirical data indicates clearly that homosexuals are at five times — yes, five times — the risk of mental health problems as straights.
A 2005 study of young people in New Zealand, published by 365Gay.com (not exactly part of the vast, right-wing conspiracy), showed that homosexuality is "associated with increasing rates of depression, anxiety, illicit drug dependence, suicidal thoughts and attempts. Gay males...have mental health problems five times higher than young heterosexual males."
One of the nation's leading AIDS researchers, Ron Stall, reported in the June 2003 edition of the American Journal of Public Health that homosexual conduct is associated with "higher rates of multiple drug use, depression [and ]domestic violence" than in the heterosexual population.
BMCPsychiatry in August of 2008 published the findings of a review of 13,000 (!) papers on the subject of homosexuality and mental health, with a focus on the 28 most rigorous studies, and concluded that lesbian, gay and bisexual people "are at higher risk of mental disorder, suicidal ideation, substance misuse and deliberate self harm than heterosexual people."
Homosexual activists want you to believe that all these mental disturbances are the result of homophobia and discrimination. But alas for this theory, a study in the Netherlands, probably the most homosexual-friendly place on planet earth, showed "a higher prevalence...of mood and anxiety disorders in homosexual men." Once again, this study was not published by a pro-family organization but appeared in the January 2001 edition of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Worse for the homosexual lobby, even their own medical specialists admit these problems. The Gay & Lesbian Medical Association states flatly that gay men "use substances at a higher rate than the general population," are affected by "depression and anxiety...at a higher rate than in the general population, " and "have higher rates of alcohol dependence and abuse."
If we cannot take homosexuals' own word for it, who can we trust?
Bottom line: homosexuals in the military represent an increased risk to our national security. As excerpts from the following AP story indicate, Bradley Manning's own attorney is arguing in court that Manning's mentally disturbed state, connected with his twisted sexual preferences, so messed with his head that he must be excused for betraying his country.
Every homosexual represents the same risk. This is not to say that heterosexuals are immune from mental health issues. But it is to say that if we know that homosexuals are at five times the risk of straights, it's poor public policy to put our national security at risk by making room for them in the United States military.
In Manning's case, his superiors clearly flouted the law which at the time these offenses were occurring flatly prohibited homosexual service in the military. Had his superiors done their military duty and cashiered Manning, none of this betrayal of military secrets would have happened.
There are many reasons to oppose the normalizing of sexual abnormality in the military. The heightened chances of putting mentally unstable people in positions to harm our security interests is just one of them.
—
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — The young Army intelligence specialist accused of leaking government secrets spent his 24th birthday in court Saturday as his lawyers argued his status as a gay soldier before the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" played an important role in his actions.
Lawyers for Pfc. Bradley Manning began laying out a defense to show that his struggles in an environment hostile to homosexuality contributed to mental and emotional problems that should have barred him from having access to sensitive material.
Manning is accused of leaking hundreds of thousands of sensitive items to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, including Iraq and Afghanistan war logs, State Department cables and a military video of a 2007 American helicopter attack in Iraq that killed 11 men, including a Reuters news photographer and his driver...
The Obama administration says the released information has threatened valuable military and diplomatic sources and strained America's relations with other governments.
But among the first issues to arise Saturday was whether Manning's sexual orientation is relevant to the case against him. The defense revealed that Manning had written to one of his supervisors in Baghdad before his arrest, saying he was suffering from gender-identity disorder. He included a picture of himself dressed as a woman and talked about how it was affecting his ability to do his job and even think clearly.
Maj. Matthew Kemkes, a defense lawyer, asked Special Agent Toni Graham, an Army criminal investigator, whether she had talked to people who believed Manning was gay or found evidence among his belongings relating to gender-identity disorder. The condition often is described as a mental diagnosis in which people believe they were born the wrong sex.
Graham said such questions were irrelevant to the investigation. "We already knew before we arrived that Pfc. Manning was a homosexual," Graham said.
Prosecutors objected several times to the questions. Kemkes responded that if the government can argue that Manning intended to leak secrets, "what is going on in my client's mind is very important."
During cross -examination of Treasury Department Special Agent Troy Bettencourt, who investigated the case, defense attorney Capt. Paul Bouchard asked him he was aware during his investigation that Manning was gay. "Yes, sir," Bettencourrt said.
Bouchard asked Bettencourt if he believes Manning's military leaders failed him, given his behavior such as overturning a table and throwing a chair in episodes of rage. Bettencourt said that in hindsight, "I would like to think that had I been in the chain of command, I would have maybe done things differently. I would have been aware of everything we now know to prevent him from deploying — but that is with the benefit of hindsight."...
One of Manning's commanders in Baghdad, Capt. Steven Lim, said Manning should have had his security clearance suspended because of his problems. Lim said the outbursts occurred before he arrived, and that when he learned of them after Manning's arrest, he was shocked. Lim said he was also unaware that Manning believed he was suffering from gender-identity disorder.
Full AP story: Manning's sexual orientation is raised at hearing
For documentation of the above citations from published studies, see The Top Ten Myths About Homosexuality.
(Unless otherwise noted, the opinions expressed are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Family Association or American Family Radio.)
© Bryan Fischer
The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
