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Cartoon credit: Chan Lowe of the Sun-Sentinel
Almost lost in all the hullabaloo about the US economy, the flailing stock market, Greek-Euro issues, a North-South Korea flashpoint, and the steadily worsening environmental disaster in the Gulf was the announcement at the end of last week that this current Congress, oft-maligned, spineless and feeble as it may be, has taken major steps towards repealing the disgraceful ban on gays serving in the United States military - the so-called "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
On Thursday, the House voted 234-194 to let the Defense Department repeal the ban, which prevents openly gay American citizens from serving their country. Typically polarized, with 229 Democrats and a laughable 5 Republicans in favor, after the vote the opposed GOP congressmen launched into a ridiculous, if unsurprising, parade of argument against the repeal:
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Diatribe, indeed.
In a separate session on the same day, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved a similar measure that would allow the repeal.
What the measure actually does, if passed by the Senate as well, is allow the Pentagon brass to repeal the ban after a 60-day window to allow an internal military group to study and produce a report on the effects of such a repeal. At this point, President Obama, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, would have to certify that repealing the ban would not affect military efficacy. These three have all publicly stated support for the repeal.
For a country that touts freedom and the rights of self-determination as highly as does the United States, to ban fellow citizens from defending those very rights on the basis of sexual orientation is an unconscionable and unjust position.
It will be exciting to see how this progresses.
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Comments: 27
Do We want this guy defending our Country and our Citizens? Hell NO!
Anyone so consumed with their sexuality will be an unreliable protector of this Country. There is a psychological issue exposed by defining this life style in the initial greeting. Something is clearly wrong!
We need soldiers that are united teams that can trust one another! Inject these unstable individuals into a critical mission will lower esprit de corps and corrupt the corp! If openly gays want to serve, they can hang the curtains, make the beds and shine the silverware! Fighters in the field, forget it!!
It's some straight people who are showing their mental instability in this debate.
That was very funny
Yeah, it worked for bigots like you.
But now Gays want to serve openly. What do you think will happen?
Nothing. Nothing will happen, you think as soon as this passes god will start judgment day?
No I'm straight. I just don't hate gay people like you do.
You just made a baseless claim with no evidence to back it up. In fact polling data shows the vast majority of military soldiers want DADT repealed, plus the majority of the general public wants DADT repealed according to polls. Personally I think your projecting want you would do to gay people.
Your emotions are commendable but your logic is flawed. Yes, we should all get along ........... BUT be realistic, Liberals and Conservatives can't do it, men and women struggle with it and you believe Gays and Straights in the military will!! That's a Liberal utopia!
You can do a goggle search and find many polls that say DADT should be repealed. I'll show you this Gallup poll because Gallup is one of the most respected and neutral polls out there. In the poll, even conservatives want to repeal DADT.
Your emotions are commendable but your logic is flawed. Yes, we should all get along ........... BUT be realistic, Liberals and Conservatives can't do it, men and women struggle with it and you believe Gays and Straights in the military will!! That's a Liberal utopia!
Again projecting your own feelings. Face it, your going to lose this battle.