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Veterans In The Military Research Paper

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Thousands of men and women in this country make the courageous decision to serve in the military. Imagine having the bravery and patriotism to willingly be put into danger in order to protect your country. Many brave, intrepid people, however, are no longer able to make this decision, simply because of their gender identity. On July 26, 2017, President Trump announced a ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military, restricting thousands of possible heroes from willingly defending their country. The ban on transgender service members is an egregiously discriminatory act and should be effaced immediately. Due to the medical treatment the average transgender person needs, it is understandable why one would be concerned about the costs affecting taxpayers. President Donald Trump cited this as one of his reasons for the ban, tweeting, "Our military… cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs... that transgender in the military would entail" (Gillin). However, in an analysis conducted by the Military Times, it was discovered the military’s spending on medication to treat erectile dysfunction amounts to a whopping $84 million annually, …show more content…

Patrick Brady, a medal of honor recipient who served during the Vietnam War, states, “A patriot is one who loves, supports and defends one's country” (Brady). By the definition of a veteran himself, volunteering to defend one’s country, by serving in the military, qualifies as patriotism. Therefore, restricting thousands of willing individuals from doing just that would be restricting patriotism. President Trump has remarked, “When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice” (Trump: ‘When You…’). However, the action of establishing this ban leaves room for nothing but prejudice, closing off any and all room for

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