Attitudes of white enlisted men toward sharing facilities with Negro troops: A survey Truman ignored

Earlier this month, as part of the year-long Defense Department review of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, the Pentagon distributed surveys to some 400,000 servicemembers to gauge their reaction to repealing the policy. While LGBT groups have characterized the questionnaire — which asks the troops to speculate on the sexuality of fellow servicemembers — as “derogatory and insulting,” the Pentagon continues to insist that they need to know what the troops are thinking in order to properly repeal the ban. “How do we identify beforehand the problems, the issues, and the challenges that we’re going to face? The kind of training requirements we’re going to need, the kinds of changes in regulations, the impact on benefits — all of these things need to be addressed in advance…. That’s where we want to hear from you all,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates told troops stationed in South Korea.

Yesterday, the Advocate’s Kerry Eleveld reported that this is not the first time the military had surveyed the troops. “Prior to President Truman’s 1948 executive order integrating the armed forces…our preliminary research shows that branches of the armed forces undertook a number of modestly sized surveys of the attitudes of enlisted and nonenlisted troops concerning racial issues, integration, and morale,” Eleveld quoted a Defense Department spokesperson as saying.

Today, I traveled to the National Archives and recovered some of the surveys the military conducted about the troops’ attitudes towards black people between 1942 and 1946. At the time, the military — along with the overwhelming majority of the country — opposed integrating black servicemembers into the forces and preferred a ’separate but equal’ approach that would have required the military to construct separate recreation spaces and facilities. One month before Truman’s order, a Gallup poll showed that 63% of American adults endorsed the separation of Blacks and Whites in the military; only 26% supported integration.

These surveys show that the same attitude pervaded the military: 3/4 Air Force men favored separate training schools, combat, and ground crews and 85% of white soldiers thought it was a good idea to have separate service clubs in army camps....

Truman integrated the forces despite the objections of the troops and it remains to be seen if Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen and President Obama (who have to sign off on the DOD study) are willing to do the same for Don’t Ask, Don’ Tell.

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/07/20/old-surveys/

and that applies to 'town-hall meetings' as well. The racists & bigots of all stripes are always louder than anyone else. Besides, I believe the majority should NOT always rule; the majority of people are oftentimes wrong, so why cave in?

Changes in attitude often do not arrive until after being forced to live with what at first seems an undesirable situation. After awhile, 'integrated' units will have been the norm for a sufficient time that everyone doesn't give it a second thought.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=8782485

The results will be suspect regardless of their outcome.

No Native Americans?

My solution: End every policy that discriminates against any race, creed, religion, or gender. There shouldn't be a witch hunt directed at Gays, Jews, Muslims, or Catholics (Yeah I left some groups out but in the interest of brevity I thought it best).

Discharge ANY MEMBER who admits prejudice against ANY member of a group he or she doesn't belong to. Discharge them with an LTH (Less Than Honorable) discharge. Immediately.

Civil rights are not subject to the democratic process.

My impression is that there is far LESS resistance in the ranks to dumping DADT, and that what resistance there is comes from the upper ranks. Perhaps a few generals and admirals need to be told to "Love it or leave it."