Posted on 01/14/2009 8:07:12 PM PST by CaspersGh0sts
The move is expected to be among a series of symbolic changes he will push through quickly to stamp his mark on the presidency.
He is also expected to reverse several controversial executive Bush decisions within days of taking office next week.
Mr Obama has committed to closing the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay and will formally ban all interrogative techniques that could be described as torture, such as waterboarding.
It is expected that he will also reverse Mr Bush's orders restricting the distribution of funds for stem cell research and to overseas groups that offer abortion counselling.
The change of policy on homosexuality will allow gays to serve openly in all branches of the armed forces.
...
Although introduced before he came to power, Mr Bush's refusal to change the "don't ask, don't tell" policy angered many in America.
...Colin Powell, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is among influential figures who have called for the policy to be re-evaluated.
During his campaign Mr Obama often spoke out against what he called Bush's abuse of executive authority.
"I was a constitutional law professor, which means unlike the current president, I actually respect the Constitution," he said in 2007. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
No, what I meant was that 10% of current serving troops would leave the service if ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is dropped. It was an internal survey.
Thirty-three seconds!
Great minds think alike...
Thats when I stop voicing support for the armed forces.
If only 10% leave, that wouldn’t be too bad, would it? I have a grandson who badly wants to go into the service (Rangers), and I’m really concerned about what he’s getting into. What is your opinion on going in now?
I would advise against it. He will have to serve with openly gay people 24/7 and he cannot say anything about it. He will have no choice. I personally would not go in under those conditions. But I wouldn’t go in anyways because of their mandatory vaccine cocktails they force you to take that cause really bad side effects in people.
And if you want to do research on the vaccines they give soldiers and pilots, etc, that have taken out significant numbers of soldiers, there are web sites out there where people are documenting what is going on. It has wound up causing pilots to be unable to fly, people developing neurological problems and other serious vaccine reactions that they will never recover from.
If you don’t have your health, nothing else matters. He would not be able to refuse taking these vaccines.
Thank you. I will pass this along to him.
He isn't telling either.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great he wants to serve. But with the changes soon to be coming, one, do you really want to be under the command of Obama, do we trust he will use the military properly? Second, the gay issue could be a big one to deal with. Third, the personal health issue of the vaccines they are given. He could be taken out by the vaccines before he ever gets to serve, and he’s permanently disabled.
Perhaps if he is interested in service to the country, he could be a deputy, or firefighter, or go the FBI/CIA route if he’s interested in federal service.
The military won’t like this at all.
Obama = stupid.
You think it will be only 10%? I would expect everyone that can take an early out to do so, immediately, new enlistments to cease altogether. When those that remain are able to get out, they will go and at that point Obama will institute the draft, at which point we will send our sons and daughters to Canada. We won’t need a military force anyway because Obama will talk all our enemies to submission.
Consistently Typical of Dems.
The most pressing issue they think our military faces is sex.
Not body armor.
Well, I’m only using the stat that the armed forces mentioned. It’s as good as any indicator we could otherwise find. I can see where possibly many younger people may not care as long as they get the job done like everyone else and don’t get special treatment. (Of course they would get special treatment, and this would be a source of tension.)
Gays have served in the military. I’m sure of it, but never openly. They did their job and his orientation does not matter. The problem is that there are men and women who are tolerant but not acceptant of them and that is where the problems start.
Point of order Mr. Chairman. I don’t give a whit if you’re into cornholing, just don’t tell me about it.
This is not the beginning of it. Representative Barney Frank wants to cut the defense budget (not including cuts to missile defense, new weapons and the WOT) by 25%. It looks like he will have his way with this, especially before midterm elections next year.
I have seen a plan to reduce troops by 15% (back to clinton levels), and for a shift of personnel placement from Air Force and Navy to the Army.
The only one that is bad that they give now is the Anthrax vaccine (which was almost given to everybody after 9/11). All of the others are the same as if you were traveling to the region as a tourist.
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