A Force to be Reckoned With: The Military’s Effect on Social Change
Colonel Eugene Householder argued in 1941, “The Army is not a sociological laboratory. Experimenting with army policy, especially in a time of war, would pose a danger to efficiency, discipline, and morale, and would result in ultimate defeat.” Fast forward 72 years, and the Colonel’sthrust still holds relevance as the United States struggles to solvesocial issues and their moral implications.
In the Civil War, slavery was the central point of contention, so there was special poignancy in the image of black soldiers in the 54th Massachusetts Regiment fighting to defend the Union. Since 1863, black men and women have served the United States honorably. However, the U.S. military was not officially desegregated until President Truman issued Executive Order 9981 in 1948. While this seems overdue as black men had proved their value to the United States military for almost a century, in a sense the military was actuallyahead of broader U.S. society, whose Civil Rights movement made its greatest progress in the 1960s.
Military desegregation was not the only catalyst for the black Civil Rights Movement, but the two ideas are related. The military continues to act as a social trendsetter. In 2010, Congress voted to end the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy which prevented gay, lesbian, and bisexual soldiers from openly serving in the armed forces. Since the restriction was lifted in 2010, voters in New York, Maine, Maryland, and Washington legalized same-sex marriage. While not necessarily a causal relationship, the military’s powerful voice swayed the American people towards action. By taking a clear stance, the military proved its own courage in confronting social equality and challenged individuals to do the same.
On January 24, defense secretary Leon Panetta announced the lifting of the combat exclusion policy. With this change, women will now engage in direct combat and have access to the full veteran’s benefits and honors they have long deserved. While this represents progress for the women’s rights, exemplifying success in an male-dominated system, a “glass ceiling” remains intact.
A woman makes only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes in the same job and gender roles remain preeminent in many facets of society. However, one wonders if gender inequality could be hanging by its final thread.
While the evidence suggests that the United States is capable of eventually changing social norms, the embarrassing reality remains that our nation procrastinates in addressing tough issues. Colonel Householder’s statement implies it is better to cling to antiquated habits than to broaden ourselves to progressive thought. This perspective places the United Statesunder a perpetual gag rule: we are slaves to tradition, afraid of nothing but the problems we internalize. As a result, it took 100 years to desegregate the military. The phrase “Don’t ask, don’t tell” inherently instructs people to avoid challenging things we know to be wrong, but are afraid to confront. We live in a nation fraught with peculiar institutions yet to be solved.