Last evening, President Obama committed only one sentence to the issue of gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, but it was one huge sentence that gives our troops overseas a lot of hope that support is on the way. On the issue of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell law that keeps gays and lesbians from serving openly, the President said, "This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are." That was a huge moment of hope for those of us who served and are serving (even if the Joint Chiefs, by protocol, had to refrain from applause).
The key word here -- what makes the statement so important -- is "Congress." While the President can and should consider using the power of the budget to temporarily repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (by defunding investigations under the law), only a law passed through Congress can permanently repeal the law.
That can't come soon enough. Fighting in two wars, and reminded that our military has other responsibilities around the world, like in Haiti, overextension of our forces will continue for the foreseeable future. That means men and women being pushed to the brink on their fifth and sixth tours. Meanwhile, specialists, like hundreds of desperately needed translators, have been ripped from our military under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, leaving our servicemembers to fight shorthanded. Both of these issues can be alleviated with a repeal of the law.
Indeed, just this week, the Williams Institute at UCLA found that a repeal "could attract an estimated 36,700 men and women to active duty service along with 12,000 more individuals to the guard and reserve." (Report here, PDF required) It also found that there are an estimated 65,752 gays and lesbians currently serving. All of them are one mistake away from being kicked out. Just leaving a letter from their partner out in the open for a moment could lead to an investigation and discharge. We just can't afford to lose these men and women for being who they are.
Speaking of investigations, with government spending all the rage these days, it's worth noting that we've spent as much as half a billion dollars to conduct investigations under Don't Ask, Don't Tell since it was implemented in 1994. And that doesn't even consider the time-drain this places on our officers who have to conduct the investigations rather than, say, lead men and women in a crucial fight against terrorist enemies of America.
Any way you slice it, our military and our nation's security and wellbeing would be better off with a repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. To keep it in place is sheer lunacy. In the immediate term, it robs our military of the people it needs to win the wars we're in and protect America. In the long-run, it only will continue to handicap our forces and drain our treasury.
By committing to pushing a repeal through Congress this year, the President has acknowledged that this isn't just an issue of fairness to mull over for a while -- it's a desperate national security issue that must be addressed now.
Note: You can join VoteVets.org in calling on Congress to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell law by signing our petition here.
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STILL you don't deserve our sacrifices for YOUR FREEDOMS, the freedoms you are too self centered and stingy to extend equally to us.
don't all men sort of check each other out in the shower rooms? you know, compare? Women do. People have to be discrete about it of course. but what's the difference if it's sexual or not? as long as people don't act on it uninvited. I think it's different if it's a shower with a different gender, because it's not a really comparison going on. Plus, men tend to think uninvited "looks" at women are flattering while I doubt gay men would think that way about looking at other (possibly heterosexual) men.
I think it's somewhat silly to think of this as a real issue. I don't think gay people want to serve in the military to gain access to the shower room. One can just go to the gym for that.
If they are, as you pointed out, they aren't really using their heads. Kind of like Cruiser in Stripes.
Cruiser: I joined the army 'cause my father and my brother were in the army. I thought I'd better join before I got drafted.
Sergeant Hulka: Son, there ain't no draft no more.
Cruiser: There was one?
There's enough drunken @#$holes in the world, in my neck of the woods another drunken driver just about killed some people, how well can YOU control yourself when you're under the influence? If you join our Nation's military, chances are you'll travel, and get to meet people from all walks of life, including gays. Question is, how mature are you? Can you deal with the situation?
In the military DADT is probably the only "workable" safe solution - keeps the crazies from igniting situations.
How on earth is that making an issue of one's sexuality or having an affair? Your argument is just another rehash of "gays flaunt their sexuality." You're the one sexualizing the question. What you support is people being utterly silent/dishonest, 24/7 about a significant part of their lives. This may be good training for spies, but for the military?
Having grown up in New York, I'd think a "consumate New Yorker" like you would be more sophisticated.
It works all across the board in life. Get used to it.
No, because it's an effing FANTASY on your part.
What you describe in you post is a situation that while possible, is unlikely. First of all, the military frowns upon fraternazation between soldiers. That is rule number one that teach in boot camp. Not everyone follows the rules, mind you, but you are not really supposed to be hitting on your fellow soldiers, be they women or men. I think that newly admitted gay members of the armed services would strive to not live up to the stereotypes that follow them around, mainly that they are all sexual predators just looking for a hot shower encounter. I also think that most gay guys when they are told that they guy they are hitting on is straight, they don't see it as thier mission to convert him to the other side of the fence. Exceptions exist, of course, but mostly, I think this is true.
Should gays serve in the military? Should anyone? Can't other countries fight their own wars, can you still call it 'defense' if our military is occupying some other country, why do we have so many military bases around the world, why do we spend that 3/4 of a trillion dollars annually on the military when there's no other country massing troops against us? Is our military mainly just a way for people like (former) Maj. Hasan to get their free college education? Why does it fall to the United States, time and again, to clean up problems overseas? Are there that many problems, or just an unemployed military? Are we an empire? A million questions.
No matter what you think about the importance of gays in the military, why is Obama picking fights that other Democratic leaders have historically lost?