Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Trump tweet stirs residents

Locals on either side of banning transgenders from military speak out.

In the military, you follow orders ... whether you like them or not.

Portales veteran Mike Woolley said he feels bad for transgender people who may lose their careers if they’re banned from serving in the United States armed forces, but he said the president’s orders must be upheld.

“When you take an oath, your oath says that you’re going to obey the Constitution of the United States and you’re gonna obey the orders of the president, and that president is allowed to make those decisions,” Woolley said.

“If you don’t want to support the Constitution and the president, then you need to find another line of employment. That’s the way it works in the military.”

Woolley was reacting to a tweet from President Trump on Wednesday in which he said the government “will not allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.”

“Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail,” Trump wrote.

Trump’s tweet has been met with support and disgust.

“From what I read, there’s something like 15,000 transsexuals serving in the military. If we want to know how it’s going, it seems to me we should ask their commanders, their colleagues, and themselves, and I think we’ll find out there’s not a problem,” said Portales’ Linda Sumption.

“I think this is fear-based, and I think it’s kind of a cynical political appeal on the part of the president.”

Sumption said she believes the real disruption cited by Trump will come when transgender service members stationed across the world receive news of his decision.

“They’re now on the line in dangerous places in the world, and they’re getting this message,” she said.

John Laun, an Eastern New Mexico University student, said the decision appears to be symptomatic of a larger problem.

“It seems to be more of an issue of people involving themselves in other peoples’ lives, when it’s just not necessary,” he said.

While Laun said the military simply dictates government policy, he believes transgender individuals should be welcome within its ranks.

“I think transgenderism should be welcome in the military, as it should be welcome anywhere. We’re all free, equal individuals, free to do what we want,” he said.