SubscribeSometimes I read something that I just can’t believe, where it seems to be just too insane for anyone to have possibly said or done it. Today was such a day. So here we have Recruiting Sergeant Marcia Ramode educating African American Corey Andrew in an exchange of emails as to why being Gay doesn’t let you into the United States Military. Please excuse the capital letters, it would seem that Sgt. Ramode doesn’t know how to use the Caps Lock key:
YOU GO BACK TO AFRICA AND DO YOUR GAY VOODOO LIMBO TANGO AND WANGO DANCE AND JUMP AROUND AND PRANCE AND RUN ALL OVER THE PLACE HALF NAKED THERE AND PRACTICE YOUR GAY MORALS OVER THERE THAT’S WHERE YOU BELONG
Well. Yes. Indeed. My calendar tells me that this is the 21st Century, but I think the half-naked gay Africans dancing voodoo the world over have sent me back to the Middle Ages, just replace witches with gays and you’d be spot on. Get out the faggots and burn them!*
However, the whole email exchange contains so many great little nuggets that I can’t resist adding this little quote on, too:
YOU SHOULD SAY THANK YOU MILITARY PEOPLE FOR WHAT YOU DO SO THAT YOU CAN LIVE A FREE LIFE IN THIS COUNTRY. FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.
I can see how “freedom” having the word “free” in it can confuse the issue. Thanks for putting things straight, Marcia.
* In case you don’t know, a faggot is in fact a bundle of wood. What were you thinking?
I didn’t know that military personnel had such a colourful and expressive imagination to come up with stuff like this! I want some of that, whatever they smoke!
So ignorant. Many places in Africa dont even acknowledge the existence of homosexuality except as a western construct!
No doubt Sergeant Ramode was severely out of line. However, Iâ??m puzzled as to why Corey Andrew Powellâ??s reference to â??pedophilic predatorsâ? â??beggingâ? teenagers to join the military gets a complete pass. I see the implications about the sergeant as being what provoked the over-the-top exchange â?? not the all capitals second email sent by Ramode.
It gets a complete pass because it is a comparison, not an absolute. Notice the word “like”: he didn’t say they are “pedofilic predators”. A small distinction, but a vital one. And I would say that by immediately refusing the man because he’s gay (in capitals) is the initial provocation. And even if, as you say, the man was provoking Sergeant Ramode, someone of Ramode’s stature should have known better.