Obama to End Military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy

Fox News ^ | Jan 14, 2009

[Recovering_Democrat]

WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama will allow gays to serve openly in the military by overturning the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy that marred President Clinton's first days in office, according to incoming White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

The startling pronouncement, which could re-open a dormant battle in the culture wars and distract from other elements of Obama's agenda, came during a Gibbs exchange with members of the public who sent in questions that were answered on YouTube.

[ScreamingFist]

Good for him. I hope he has his draft board set up, because the volunteer service is now officially dead.

[Momaw Nadon]

Many openly gay will not get through basic.

Perhaps there will be separate gay training platoons?

Would there then be all-gay units?

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

What is Zero thinking? That a ‘drag show’ on the front lines will scare the enemy? /s

[manc]

things must be different in the marines and combat role army then as I know of not one nor does anyone else and if they did .
Lets out it this way they would not be around for long

[Drew68]

Defer to you by virtue of your experience. I certainly hope you are correct.

Of course, I speak only of navy life. I haven't a clue what life is like in the other branches.

[nobama08]

I remember reading a couple of years ago about the “homosexual agenda” to infiltrate government, including the military. I guess it’s working.

[Enchante]

I have seen first-hand what the “gay mafia” has done on our nation’s campuses (just about all of them now). They want to do to the military what they have done to campus life everywhere.

FYI, the article below may seem “off topic” but this describes what life will be like once that gay mafia is given as much control over the military as they have long had over our academic institutions.

The incidents described below happened in the ‘80s, but this is just a preview of what the Andrew Sullivans of the world have in store for everyone in our military. I knew some of the people involved with the c-r-a-p described below and will never forget about it. Don’t dare speak or act in any way that could ever be construed as unsupportive of the gay activist agenda, or they will go to the ends of the earth to try to ruin your life:

---

‘I Hope the FDO Has Learned Something...’ [Harvard student driven to suicide by campus gay mafia]

Published On Friday, January 24, 1986 12:00 AM
By LAURIE BURNHAM

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=117324

The following piece was submitted as a letter to the editors, and concerns the recent suicide of a Harvard freshman. After receiving the letter, The Crimson offered Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett ‘57 and Dean of Freshman Henry C. Moses an opportunity to respond to comments concerning Harvard’s interaction with the freshman. The officials declined the offer. (A news story related to the case appears on Page One.)

A friend of mine died Monday, January 6, 1986. He walked out the front door of his house, walked to a nearby field, and shot himself in the heart. He was only 18 and a freshman at Harvard. He was also the nicest guy in the world.

Sam was the last of nine children in his family to go to college; the first to come to Harvard. He came here to play football and to get the best education he could. His brothers teased him when he left in September, said he’d come back all uppity, but I’m sure they were proud of him. Sam couldn’t be uppity. He wasn’t that type of guy. He was too nice for one thing. His father once told him that he was even too nice to play football—”one has to be mean on the field,” he said. Sam’s reply was, “Dad, I can be mean during the game, I just can’t be mean in real life.” That was pretty accurate. Sam was lovable and caring and fun, and I thought he was the greatest.

Unfortunately, he got into trouble at Harvard just before Christmas and the people at the Freshman Dean’s Office didn’t like what he’d done. It happened in the Freshman Union one night during dinner. Seats were scarce and Sam was eating near a table that had a reserve sign on one end of it. Some of the people sitting there got up to leave, and newcomers to the dinning hall were looking for places to sit. Sam reacted by getting up, taking the reserve sign off the table, and setting it up on a nearby garbage can. As he explained to me later, he just didn’t think it fair that empty seats were reserved when others needed them. It was a gut reaction...and Sam did it without thinking.

Unfortunately, it didn’t really register that the group reserving the table was the Harvard Gay and Lesbian Students Association, and that they might not be pleased to see a hulking football player walk over and remove their sign. They immediately protested; one guy grabbed him, and a senior adviser demanded his bursar’s card. Sam just stood there, bewildered and amazed at all the fuss. He didn’t fight back, he didn’t raise his voice, he didn’t say anything obscene. He was just a small town kid reacting to what he perceived was an injustice in the seating system. His purpose was not to make a political statement against the GLSA. If it had been he certainly could have picked a different time and place. Tragically, what Sam didn’t know at the time was that the GLSA had been harassed on many occasions at Harvard and wanted formal recognition of their grievances; and that this was no ordinary meeting, but one that had been arranged through the Freshman Dean’s Office. To make matters worse, the Dean of Freshman had been eating there himself shortly before this happened.

How did the Freshman Dean’s Office respond? According to Sam, they harassed him. It wasn’t enough to call him in for a talk. His senior adviser questioned his motives and frightened him by talking about punishment possibilities, including expulsion. The Dean of Freshmen pushed him to the brink of tears. In Sam’s eyes no one in the FDO ever gave him the benefit of the doubt, or even questioned that maybe he’d made an innocent blunder. Instead, they questioned his motives and analyzed him and made him feel very badly. Sam’s willingness to apologize, and even his desire to send a letter of apology to the GLSA apparently had little impact. No one would say that Sam was unconcerned about the issue. The FDO knew he was tormented; he was there every day trying to explain himself, but it didn’t seem to matter. The Dean said they couldn’t take that into consideration, students are always upset in these cases.

The Dean of Freshmen told me that they did believe his intentions were good. “We all know Sam’s a nice guy,” he said. “But his intent doesn’t matter. We judged him according to his action.” When I asked exactly what Sam was guilty of he replied that he was rude and disruptive.

The motives of the FDO are unclear. They said they did what they felt was right. But it bothers me very much that an office full of people whose job it is to look after freshmen and understand them—should react as they did in this case. They acknowledged that they knew a lot about Sam. They knew that Sam’s father died in an auto accident a year ago, and that Sam was extremely upset by this. They knew he couldn’t tell his mother about his troubles because it would break her heart. They knew that he was a deeply religious and very moral young man, who was not in the habit of beating up on others. I believe they also knew that three of his brothers are graduates of military academies, and live according to a code of honor and duty. Yesterday the Dean said he didn’t really think Sam was trying to make a statement against the GLSA, but that his behavior in the Union was nonetheless inappropriate.

So the FDO told Sam they were recommending that he be put on disciplinary probation (which leaves a permanent mark on one’s record) and submitted this recommendation to the Ad Board. Two days before Sam left for Christmas the University sentenced him with probation. And sent him, a local hero from upstate New York, home in disgrace after his first semester at Harvard—for something he didn’t really do.

Sam may have had other problems I don’t know about. He probably did. But it was up to the FDO to find out about these, and to think about the consequences of their disciplinary action. I’m not saying that what Sam did in the Union was right. It wasn’t. What I am saying is that Sam was one heck of a wonderful guy and in no way deserved the punishment that the FDO showered upon him. No one, guilty or not, deserved this kind of treatment the week before Christmas.

Sam can never be replaced, and a part of him shall always be out with me, reminding me of the fragility of life, and the need to look out for others. I hope the FDO has learned something from this, that Sam’s life may not have gone to waste. The next time someone gets into trouble at Harvard, perhaps some administrator will take the time to get to know that person a little better, and think hard about his or her motives before passing judgement.

Laurie Burnham was Sam Burke’s section leader in Science B-15, “Evolutionary Biology.” She is a resident tutor in Lowell House.

[Minipax]

He’s probably “on the down low” himself.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

The socialists don’t want us to have a military. Between acts like this, and the upcoming budget reductions, they’ll be well on their way to achieving that goal.

[rbg81]

Well, I’m glad I’m out.

Mark my words, soon there will be homosexuals living in base housing with their “partners” based on either a civil union or marriage certificate. When that happens, expect a BIG exodus from the military. God fearing men & women make up a very larger percentage of the force and they won’t be subjected to this. They will vote with their feet.

Maybe its all part of O’s plan?

[Let's Roll]

Oh, of course, can’t be judgmental. Tolerating the personally offensive is much more important than a strong military to keep our country safe.

[Centurion2000]

I still think that openly Gay enlistees are destined to get their ass's kicked if they flaunt their enlistment into the military if this goes through

Worse, any of them that get wounded and bleed will be ignored by their fellow straight infantryman .... no AIDS infection for them thank you.

I wonder if the ones that serve get military medical disability discharges if they get AIDS on duty?

[SkyPilot]

This is the Left's big

I remember when Military Chaplains used to pray, for real. They were allowed to say:

- "In the Name of Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen"

If they were Catholic

- "We Pray in Jesus' Name"

If they were Christian Protestant

And they were allowed to say:

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha‑olam...

If they were are a Military Rabbi. Have any of you ever heard a Psalm song in Hebrew? It is the most beautiful song ever given by a human voice.

Sadly, all Military Chaplains that are left are either sellout are retirees.

Those that are left have allowed "Commanders" to strip them of their Authority in God. They don't pray any more to God, but to Performance Reports.

Some one tell me I am wrong. Today?

Any military Chaplain is PREVENTED by regulation of really praying.

They give a Bull-Sheit secular prayer that no one could disagree with:

Dear Everyone,

"Let us all wish for the safe return of our soldiers, and everyone to be safe, and return to their loved ones, and for understanding with our opponents, and for Peace!"

If you think I am exaggerating, you are wrong.

[mortal19440]

Be careful about sticking it out if they are out in the open.

[GinaLolaB]

Why is he doing this? I feel sorry for the men and women in uniform while he is president.

[GinaLolaB]

No one should join the military right now while 0zero is prez. Obviously, he does not have any respect for the military or their traditions so it would be foolish to join right now.

[gondramB]

>>The startling pronouncement, which could re-open a dormant battle in the culture wars and distract from other elements of Obama’s agenda,<<

I thought the book on Clinton was that it was a huge mistake to take this issue on in the first month.

[Centurion2000]

I thought the book on Clinton was that it was a huge mistake to take this issue on in the first month.

Maybe O thinks he's better than the Clinton's; after all he's got one carrying his water at State.

[Enchante]

Agreed. It is easy for some to under-estimate the amount of damage the Obamanation may do to our military in the next 4-8 years.

Everyone who actually cares about the strength and quality of our military (which excludes most Democrats, no matter what words they mouth for electoral purposes) should face the fact that Obama could very rapidly destroy the interest of many in enlistment or re-enlistment or a path through ROTC, the service academies etc.

Who really wants the Obamanation as their Commander-in-Chief? Socialists, sure, b/c they don’t support the military anyway. But who would really want to go into combat with a twit like the Obamessiah as the CinC???

[Gondring]

Wow...I recall when that suicide happened, but never knew the story behind it.

Thank you.

I was also the victim of administrative harassment in academia. I fought it til all charges were dropped, but it is stressful.