Posted on 01/14/2009 2:34:57 PM PST by Zakeet
President Obama will end the 15-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy that has prevented homosexual and bisexual men and women from serving openly within the U.S. military, a spokesman for the president-elect said.
Obama said during the campaign that he opposed the policy, but since his election in November has made statements that have been interpreted as backpedaling. On Friday, however, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs, responding on the transition team's Web site to a Michigan resident who asked if the new administration planned to get rid of the policy, said:
"You don't hear politicians give a one-word answer much. But it's 'Yes'."
The little-noticed response, made in a video posted on change.gov, made barely a ripple outside blogs focused on the gay community, but that's not surprising, said those who have been pushing to overturn the ban. Not only was Obama's position expected, they said, but support for reviewing or repealing the policy has grown markedly in recent years, including from some unexpected quarters.
The end of "don't ask, don't tell" may not happen immediately, several critics of the policy said. Although they appreciate clarity from Obama on the issue, they anticipate that the demands of the economy and two wars are likely to trump a speedy policy reversal.
"The question isn't if we do it and the question isn't when we do it, it's how we do it," said Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Walnut Creek, whose 2006 bill to repeal the ban earned broad support among Democrats in Congress but did not move forward in the face of a near-certain veto by President Bush.
"I'm going to reintroduce the bill in the next few weeks," Tauscher said. "We've got the American people behind us."
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
well put.
we had a war, it was between the south and north.
I believe right now we are having a war but this time it is left and right.
we are losing unless we go after these left wing loons and stop going along with their agenda so they might like us.
Screw the queens bury rules time to take the gloves off.
Honestly, I cannot tell you why it works, if it does, or how it does in those services.
I can tell you that I was there for 20 years, and the only time I had a problem was as a company commander, one kid, a private, would smile lovingly at me during inspection in ranks. Quite humorous it was, too, because it was so . . . well, loving. About the same way my golden retriever would smile when I’d talk to him about bird hunting.
The kid wanted out of the service, so he asked to be released, saying he was a homosexual. What the heck did I care? If a man did not want to serve, I didn’t want him in my unit.
He gets processed and leaves word that he tricked me. He’s not really gay.
I tell the men who report this story to me just what I tell you: So what if he tricked me? What the heck did I care? If a man did not want to serve, I didn’t want him in my unit.
He went into civilian life with a less than honorable discharge that he asked for, and the joke is on me? Perhaps not.
But back to topic. I feel certain it would not work because it’s a gut issue. What you’re seeing in this thread is what you’d see in the military. Americans. American military. Again, in my opinion, because I served with these men, and depending on whose statistics you believe, 98 percent of them were gay (sarcasm).
And, you know, even with the more radical anti-gay folks, I can’t remember a single instance of assault on a homosexual. It is a go-along, get-along kind of thing. If it is working on a practical level, why is it necessary to fix it on a philosophical level?
For what it’s worth, the only people you ever hear in the political arena yakking this up never served in uniform. Okay, maybe John Kerry. I’ll give you that. For what it’s worth.
To me, until he releases his own military records and establishes the type of his own original discharge, it ain’t worth much.
I think the two military services you cite probably do a lot of things differently than our military. Does that mean they’re better at those things. Different culture? Hey, I don’t know about them. I just know what I’ve seen in serving in tanks and helicopters for 20 years. The folks that I am familiar with, the best damned fighting force in the history of the world, are going to be very dispirited if their beloved services go openly gay. And those who have not yet joined will not join.
Take it to the bank. Then . . .
Maybe all those rumors about a draft to fill the ranks will not prove to be rumors, after all.
If I’m wrong about this, I invite the whole community to come back and flame me.
As am I. And I never in my life thought that I would say that.
Amen my friend, Amen.
I am sorry to state I was not in the military... they have this rule about needing two eyes. However, I hold the highest respect for the military as an institution, and for those who occupy its positions.
The military discipline is well reasoned and honorable... it is the closest to my Catholic Faith in its doctrine.
Excepting perhaps the role of being a priest, a father, or a mother, NOTHING approaches the honor of military service.
I am sick of 52 million a$$ holes!
LLS
no need to be sorry my friend.
I came from a military background, heard all the stories and heard how my grandad went off to war against Germany and my Nana went to an ammo factory.
Their sacrifices made me so proud, my great granddad served in the 1st world war, My dad served in Korea and I served in Iraq, Balkans.
You are serving this country right now by being opposed to the radical left wing agenda and for that feel proud
I think you hit the nail on the head (no pun intended).
It’s not about how well-adjusted heterosexuals deal with homosexuals. It’s about all the PC crap we have to swallow (pun intended) to work with homosexuals (and their enablers) who portray themselves as victims.
The problem is, with the wave of resignations likely once this policy is established—our all volunteer wil become a thing of the past.
No one will have a free choice to make whether or not they want to serve, live and shower with gay troops. it will forced on that generation that is of age to be drafted.
They WILL push homosexual practices on us as normal. This “forced” policy is another lever. This will sway many young, angry or ambivalent heterosexuals to experiment the other side as never before. It will change the shape of our world.
I’m very sick of many people in this Country. Homos are near the top of my list.
Talk about proving a point! Here we have it. "Sgt. Manc" is the one with the problem in the new obama-ized military. He is the homophobe - which is to say with the new language - the reprobate.
Thanks for pointing that out. / sarcasm,
TS
Not I, no way, no how and I suspect recruiters will have a hell of a time getting anyone in, EXCEPT homosexuals looking to be with an unlimited supply of sexual partners.
It will gut and destroy our Military AS WE KNOW IT TODAY!!
Nudity is not sexual behavior. If you've ever spent even an afternoon on a clothing-optional beach, you know that.
very true
the homo agenda has been pushing this for some time now, it is an institution which they have been after for some time.
The amount of problems with this is high the good it will bring is , well none what I can think of/
they went after the scouts and the military, they lost in the scouts and still believe the military is there for their agenda.
I will be talking to a friend later who is in Iraq and ask him to get a response from there, I have a good idea what it will be but I will still bring this up.
the argument from them that well I know a couple of them and they are friends and are nice people doesn’t wash, we are talking about the military.
same here
Great post!
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