In a later interview his mother reacted to that phone call after having had time to think about all the publicity. “You got people out there that are so full of hatred… That’s what scares me and my husband the most is we don’t want him to get hurt because of all this. People have the right to say what they want,” she said. She just wants them to think about what they say. “I think he’s compassionate, loving and caring and any mother would be happy to have a son like that.”
Just two short years ago hysterical old military men out of step with today’s generation joined forces with self-righteous politicians catering to the radical right-wing’s political interests, and foretold loudly that by today’s date, there would be hundreds of scandalous reports of homosexual rapes in barracks showers. Dire predictions swirled through the halls of Congress that recruiters would find it impossible to attract enough red-blooded and wholesome Americans to join the service, leaving our country vulnerable. Allowing gays in the military elicited ridiculous fears of fags dangerously distracting soldiers in the heat of battle causing unnecessary casualties.
In a way it was an insult to the men of our armed services that images were being created of big strong soldiers being reduced to helpless and defenseless virgins while some queer beast had his way with them. Then of course there were (and still are) the assertions that it had to be just another "liberal" plot to ban god-fearing religion from society.
Thank Jesus they were wrong.
…By the way, Sergeant Brandon Morgan re-enlisted in the Marine Corps last October and still has about three and a half years of risking his life to serve his country overseas with honor and courage. If that’s not a hero, then I don’t know what one is.
Our hearts and prayers go with you.
Semper Fi Marine and Oo-RAH!
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Jet Gardner
He says he's not a hero but his service to our country proves he is.
2 - Jet Gardner
A youTube video should've been embedded with the article. click here
3 - Brian
A courageous, kind-hearted American hero, he is.
4 - Tom
I thought the photo was a beautiful thing when I saw it a few days ago. Now that you tell the whole story, how very much more beautiful!
5 - Jet Gardner
Let's see how long it takes for the haters to make it ugly Tom... an thanks
6 - John Resch
Thank you for this great article.
Brandon is a hero in my book
7 - Jet Gardner
Thanks, I appreciate your words-he's my hero too. I'm trying to write more often-it's been tough.
8 - Glenn Contrarian
Hi, Jet -
I hope that the sailors that I knew whose careers were ended by DADT find a measure of solace that the military has gotten past the prejudice - at least officially. There will always be prejudice, but as the years go by, those who are prejudiced against LGBT's will be seen in the same view as those who are racist...and that is as it should be.
A side note on the Times Square kiss - I'm a retired sailor and my Darling is a nurse, and when we went to NYC this last time we just had to recreate the moment...and with the love that I feel for my Darling just thinking about that kiss, all I can do is hope that the two men you wrote about have a love just as deep, and just as happy. Their first kiss - that's pretty cool.
And Jet - great article. I guess that's why the conservatives are staying away from it in droves.
9 - Jet Gardner
Thanks Glen... I'm hoping for the day when this isn't even newsworthy.
10 - Jet Gardner
I don't write often any more, but when I do I try to make it worth the wait. Since my recent right arm reconstruction it's hard to touchtype because my pinkie's numb, so when it isn't repeatedly typing a p,/,;, or a[ it's resting under the damned mouse until i realize it's there.
The biggest bitch is being unable to use the right shift, return or backspace key without a lot of cussing...
it's always something.
11 - Dr Dreadful
Do you have any original parts left now, Jet?
I hope there's a diagram somewhere in case you fall to bits!
12 - Jet Gardner
I'm getting weird TR screens that there's tech trouble and my last comment didn't post.
anyone else?
13 - Jet Gardner
Anyway, Doc I just lost the middle toe of my right foot to an infection that threatened my whole foot if I didn't have it amputated.
...don't get me started
14 - Dr Dreadful
If I didn't know better, Jet, I'd say you were trying to get into the afterlife by stealth.
I've got an old copy of IBM ViaVoice somewhere that I could mail to you. Might come in handy if typing's becoming a hassle. It does date from the late 90s and I seem to recall you got a new computer a couple of years ago, so it might not even be compatible with your system. But it's yours if you want it.
As far as the intermittent screens of death you've been seeing, I'm getting them too. We wobble along.
15 - Jet Gardner
It's nerve damage at my elbow, we're hoping physical therapy will relieve it, but thanks so much for offering.
The fun part is spontaneously having these random bursts of excrusiating (sic) pain like I've just bashed my funny bone.
...we wobble on indeed
16 - Fritz Keppler
I've been on a multiday high since seeing that photograph Sunday morning. Thank you for writing a succinct summary of all the events leading up to and following the event. Seeing the photo has given me more hope for the world than I've had in a very long time.
17 - Jet Gardner
May we all be destined to get such a kiss Fritz. I enjoyed researching and telling this a lot.
thanks
Jet
18 - Jet Gardner
Thank god for Adsense reports. I may have only about 8 comments but I've had over 1,250 readers in just the last two days, otherwise I'd be really discouraged.
19 - Fritz Keppler
I've put a link on my FB wall as well as on our Brokeback Mountain Forum, Dave Cullen, I hope that might draw a few readers. I really like it a lot!
20 - Jet Gardner
Thanks, it took me 5 years to perfect the Brokeback novel, I'm glad for the help
21 - Jet Gardner
fritz when I clicked your link in #19 all I got was an Amazon page, please post the link to your forum again.
Here's a link to the question/answer guide covering both Ennis and Jack's lives from both of their births to their deaths (1943-2006)
Here's a link to the novel itself expanded to include elements of both the short story and the screenplay, and all the mysteries are solved that neither answered and you find out what happened to Ennis afterward to his eventual death in 2006.
22 - Jet Gardner
Update: Santorum backs nullifying existing gay marriages
There are 18,000 married gay and lesbian couples in California and at least 131,000 nationwide according to the 2010 census, conducted before New York state legalized same-sex marriage in July.
Rick Santorum says he'll try to unmarry all of them if he's elected president.
Once the U.S. Constitution is amended to prohibit same-gender marriages, "their marriage would be invalid," the former Pennsylvania senator said Dec. 30 in an NBC News interview.
"We can't have 50 different marriage laws in this country," he said. "You have to have one marriage law."
23 - Glenn Contrarian
Y'know, I really, really hope Santorum will be the GOP nominee...because Americans are more and more beginning to support LGBT rights. It wouldn't be the flip side of Nixon v. McGovern, but it would be an Obama landslide nonetheless.
24 - Jet Gardner
The problem with that Glenn is that the only reliable block of voters are rabid right wing teabaggers taken to the poles in church busloads.
Dems have no motivations and most will take the attitude that Santorum can't possibly win and not even bother after a long Tuesday's work day.
25 - Fritz Keppler
Hey Jet, here's the link to where the discussion of the photo started in our Gays in the Military thread. I think this is on the open part of the Forum, but I'm not sure. I did include your name and this link when quoting your article.