Annotations for Subject-headings: Militarization

This is news from Latino USA. I'm Maria Martin.

It is not a perfect solution. It is not identical with some of my own goals and it certainly will not please everyone, perhaps not anyone.

As President Clinton correctly predicted, his policy on gays in the military drew mixed reaction. From the gay community, there was anger and disappointment. Letitia Gomez is with a National Latino Gay and Lesbian Alliance in Washington.

It's incredible to me that if you say you're gay and you're in the military, that that is considered sexual misconduct and you can be thrown out. I mean, who in the United States has to deal with that except gays and lesbians in the military? One Gallup poll showed that 58% of Americans do favor the compromise.

The US Senate meanwhile has begun debate on a proposal by California Senator Barbara Boxer to allow the National Guard to patrol the border with Mexico. Isabel Alegria has more.

Senator Boxer's legislation would provide for at least $2 million to train members of the National Guard to assist the border patrol along the Border. Guard members would be asked to serve all or part of their obligatory 15 days per year at border stations. The plan has come under attack from Hispanic civil rights groups who say it would further militarize the border. Boxer's legislation is part of a larger defense spending bill that must still be approved by the full Senate and a joint committee of both the House and Senate. For Latino USA, Isabel Alegria in San Francisco.