Posted on 06/11/2009 6:18:52 AM PDT by Bean Counter
Vancouver, Washington:
The archaic, confusing and discriminatory "don't ask, don't tell" policy of the U.S. military apparently will linger indefinitely. A noncommital U.S. Supreme Court and a reluctant President Obama are seeing to that.
On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear a legal challenge to the policy that attempts to ban known homosexuals from serving in the military. According to The Washington Post, the Obama administration "had urged the justices not to hear the appeal against the policy, even though Obama is on record as opposing it." The president opposed don't ask, don't tell during the campaign last year, but as Lara Jakes of The Associated Press reports: "Obama and his congressional allies want to avoid an issue that would roil the public just as they are seeking support for health care and other initiatives." That prompted the Seattle Times to editorialize about "a troubling duality: our nation's first African-American president presiding over a Pentagon policy that discriminates against gays and lesbians."
Granted, Obama's top priority is the economy, but righting this wrong in the military does not require extensive research, collaboration or preparation. And the demise of this discriminatory policy — rare among western nations — could have been expedited by a courageous Supreme Court.
Instead, don't ask, don't tell lives on in defiance of a 2008 Washington Post/ABC News poll that found 75 percent of Americans favoring a policy that would allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. Americans' attitudes are shifting on gay-rights issues. Several states have adopted or are moving toward legalizing gay marriage. Many more allow domestic partnerships. That 75 percent in the Washington Post poll was only 44 percent when the same question was asked in the poll 15 years earlier. A Quinnipiac University poll two months ago found 56 percent of American voters supporting the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. Among voters who have relatives in the military, half supported repeal and 43 percent supported the policy.
But beyond polls, the need to abolish don't ask, don't tell is compelled by these factors:
America deserves the best military members it can find, regardless of known sexual orientation. More than 12,000 military members — many of them longtime veterans, skilled specialists in high-need areas and decorated war heroes — have been discharged because of this policy. Among the most noteworthy is Maj. Margaret Witt, a veteran of almost 20 years in the Air Force. She served in the Persian Gulf war and has received several medals. Her appeal of her discharge is pending.
The U.S. military has more important priorities. Let's put an end to this needless distraction.
Gays already serve in the military. They always have and always will. Trying to keep them quiet about it is foolish.
Noted military leaders such as retired Army Gen. John Shalikashvili, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, openly oppose the policy. In March, 38 West Point graduates announced they were gay and created "Knights Out" (www.knightsout.org) to promote gay rights and support the repeal of don't ask, don't tell.
Sexual misconduct already is forbidden in the military. That's all the policy that is needed.
The Supreme Court should have acted on the case, and the president should expedite the carrying out of his campaign promise.
Fire at will. They take comments at the site after a brief signup form...
If it makes sense to scrap “don’t ask don’t tell” then it also makes sense to make all military facilities co-ed. The rationale for both DADT and single-sex barracks, showers, etc. is the same.
I vote for keeping both rules.
Thank God.
“...Supreme Court should have ruled on case; president should keep campaign promise...”
He did keep the promise. He took Michelle out to dinner and a Broadway play.......on OUR dime.
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