Repealing of "don't ask don't tell"

[Canarr]

...found an article mentioned that there was a group in the Roman Legions of Pikemen and Shieldmen. The Pikeman needed both hands to use their Pikes and attack, so they depended on their Shieldman to defend them and protect them. You had to trust your partner with your life in this situation.

Now this entire regiment of the Legions was made up of gay men. The Pikemen and their partners were couples who loved each other deeply. I remember reading that the scribes who wrote of their last battle said that no other unit in The Legions fought as bravely or were as devoted to one another. The historians took special note of the fact that even though the Pikemen/Shieldmen were overwhelmed in this particular battle, not a single one of them had a wound in their backs while the Archers, Slingers, and Swordsman did. This means the units of Pikemen and Spearmen faced their enemy when they died while the other turned and fled. Each man guarded his partner with his life.

I've never heard that one, and the Roman Legions are a topic of interest for me, too. As a matter of fact, I didn't even think they had pikemen. Can you provide a link to that?

I would also make the police obsolete if every citizen was armed and trained in self-defense, and educated in the law by the time they were 18.

Oh, yeah... because who needs a professional police force when you can have armed 18-year-old vigilantes handling things for you? Remember, *knowing* the law doesn't always translate into *obeying* the law.

I find it ironic that in a thread that is (partially) about bigotry, prejudice and hate, someone would truly suggest simply arming everybody and believe that might work out. Remember: the haters almost always enjoy superior numbers.

[Rapscallion]

I've never heard that one, and the Roman Legions are a topic of interest for me, too. As a matter of fact, I didn't even think they had pikemen. Can you provide a link to that?

I suspect this is more a Greek thing.

Rapscallion

[bara]

I served in the Army for 8 years and I am proud of every day I served. I served with several gay people. They were good soldiers all except one and I dont think she was very good at anything at all but was a nice enough person. Only 3 or 4 were open about it.. with me at least and I wasnt going to tell anyone. This is before the repeal of dont ask dont tell. Well before in fact.

No one that I recall speaking to about it gave a shit about someone else's sexual orientation. The way we saw it (and this is just from the conversations I had with other people and in no way represents the entire of the military as I didnt talk to them all and cant comment on everyone) as long as they were good soldiers and I could trust them to do thier jobs we could care less if they were gay, straight, or nueter. Which is the way it should be, do your job and I dont care about anything else as long as you arent kicking puppies.