White House Removes Don't Ask, Don't Tell Promise From Web Site

AMERICAblog:

In a move that many people I've spoken with see as a shift in policy, and a backward step from a clear campaign promise that was reiterated during the first days of January of this year, the White House has changed the language on its "Civil Rights" page, as it concerns gay civil rights

Read the whole story: AMERICAblog

Comments

[sidel1932]

Get real - I'll bet there are more homophobes in this country (and probably in the military) than there are gays and lesbians. While most of the heterosexual community might support equal rights for gays and lesbians, it is not a high priority with them -- so it is not going to be a high priority with Obama nor with most members of Congress.

DADT has been a generally working arrangement in the military for a couple of decades now, and trying to push further would be politically costly - more costly than just saying "I favor allowing open-gays to serve."

There are many "freedoms" one gives up to serve in the military - the freedom to proclaim homosexuality is just one of them.

Perhaps if all the gays and lesbians in the military went on TV and announced their orientation, the brass would see it as a big cost (all that training wasted and all those key positions unfilled). Then the Pentagon might ASK to permit open homosexuals, I think Congress and The Commander In Chief would approve it. Trouble is - this is a lousy time to ask homosexual soldiers and sailors to risk unemployment. Would it work? Would enough vacancies be created to have the desired effect? I don't know if there are that many military homosexuals, and I doubt that many have special skills, of value to the military and outside as well, equal to those of Mr. Choi.

[DCDemInsider]

oh dont talk about this!

not when we can insult the beauty contestant college student about her breast implants.

priorities people!

[cjt1957]

No big deal, just another broken promise...

[Pie7]

Thank Gawd he's not support this. Now I will vote for him again come re-election time.

[SD Indy]

Spoken like a true big.ot.

[Amunaka]

Grunts in the Military.....Theres just something homo-erotic about that............

[wonketteRAWKS]

Why not just repeal it and get it over with? I keep hearing this and that is not a priority because of the economic crisis, yet the Congress felt it was really important to discuss the Bowl series? Give me a break!

[Lisa-G]

You hit the nail on the head. I've been saying all along that if Obama has time to weigh in on the BCS, he has time to deal with civil rights issues.

[Dynamohum]

This is one of the biggest problems with blogs and bloggers. This is a NON-ISSUE. Basically a rearrangement of the website constitutes abandonment of Obama's core promises relating to the LBGT community. What is wrong with people? How guillable are we here? This is a bogus non story. Bull Shiite!! BS

[Geoffrey Rascher]

I agree, a minor change, but why then? Quite a bit of specific intentions were removed and replaced with vagueness. Text is cheap, but I would not be surprised if this move is meant to reflect a less aggressive position for the White House on LGBT issues.

[DCDemInsider]

2 words.

donnie mcglurkin.

[swanie]

W H Y ? ? ? ? ?

Is the President backing down ON ANOTHER PROMISE ? ? ? ?

Let's hope not, or this is going to be a hellish four years.
.

[Manx]

Is this a sign that Obama wants to move backward, not forward?

[PiscesPrincess]

What is AmericaBlog.com I never heard of it. Is it an agenda site. Who backs it? lots of questions. and unwilling to investigate myself. lol

[martymartymarty]

It was not removed, it was revised. The blog link points out a change in semantics that indeed could prove troublesome for the issue, but with all the crisis issues facing Obama I am just thankful it is even still on their website.

[SD Indy]

Give it a couple months, it'll be gone.

[dm10003]

i personally feel that once the brass is on board, grunts will follow; orders is orders. conservatives are hothouse flowers on paper, but equality won't slow any true military person.

[tnfit78]

OK. I read the story at Americablog. I read the civil rights section of the White House's website. Either I totally missed something, or Americablog just made a giant mountain out of a tiny molehill. If the President's position on the issue hasn't changed why are people getting upset about the website changing? As someone that currently serves in the military I can tell you that right now DADT is the furthest thing from servicemembers minds. And if the President is still going to repeal the law, what is so wrong with him waiting to do it sensibly (ex: after troop redeployments from middle east) instead of doing it now?

[PiscesPrincess]

love your line of reasoning. thanks, you saved me reading something I smelled as irrelavent.

[DCDemInsider]

fanboy

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[jdt67]

Actually, the grunts I know could care less. It's the old school brass who are the stumbling block.

[AnnfromCA]

Personally, I think the military needs to address this upfront.

I do not agree with "Don't ask don't tell" in this day and age.

It's just too silly.

[PiscesPrincess]

Its so Republican. and so silly. I agree. why would anyone care, really.

[Trogenhorse]

With soldiers, airmen, seamen, marines, and coast guardsmen going to war on 2 fronts, don't ask don't tell is just not the priority. I say this having just retired. Few, if anyone in the enlisted ranks discuss it. The senior officers are more staunch and are against this policy. There were against don't ask don't tell as well.

It seems to me, if President Obama wants to get this policy changed with little to no arguements, he should get well established and continue to get the respect of the enlisted. The enlisted ranks are large enough that once they accept it, the senior officer opinions won't matter.

Fight smart

[M1]

I trust Obama to keep his word. Why? Because Gay Americans have finally stood up and have realized the importance of being counted and, despite the discomfort or risk of being counted, are not willing
to sit down anymore and fade away anymore. This is why DADT will be repealed.

NO need to feel betrayed by Obama just keep standing up. He is the best President we Americans have ever had so far. Is Obama perfect? No, but that is where we come in. Stand up, be counted and be proud.
This way you can have both.....DADT repealed and enjoy the best President in our history.

[SD Indy]

"I trust Obama to keep his word."

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Don't count on it. Hope for the best, expect the worst.