Mr. President-Elect, it’s time to end ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

22 Nov 2008 Author: rikyrah

Dear Mr. President-Elect:

There is some concern around the blogosphere, that you are hesitating in ending the horrific policy of
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

This policy was WRONG when instituted under Bill Clinton.

But, back then, the United States Armed Forces was the fittest and strongest Armed Forces in the world.

This is NOT the case today, in 2008.

We have a U.S. Military stretched to its limits.

We are fighting two wars.

We have lost over 4,000 lives between those conflicts.

We have lost tens of thousands of soldiers who are permanently maimed and no good for active duty any longer.

We have lowered the entry standards so far, that it is NOT uncommon to see among recruits classes of folks that were eliminated without hesitation years ago.

What classes are those?

1. Rural Terrorists, better known as White Supremacists.
2. Urban Terrorists, better known as Gangbangers.
3. Straight up criminals.

Now, I would like for someone to explain to me, like I’m a member of Sasha Obama’s classroom..

the justification for giving the United States Military Uniform to White Supremacist thugs, Gangbanging thugs, and criminal thugs..

But, stripping it from law abiding homosexuals and lesbians who want to serve their country.

Tags: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gays and Lesbians in the Armed Services, Military Policy

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http://craighickman.blogspot.com CraigHickman
This isn't a battle Barack can wage out of the gate. His plan is to build consensus in the first year and then overturn it in the second.
I think we need to let the man govern. He's not even President yet.
The criticism in the blogosphere is completely unwarrented.
http://sooncome.blogspot.com/ JunePearl
I actually agree with Craig on this. If this comes up in the legislature, then I would expect Obama to act in a fashion that reflects the need for progression and not regression. However, I highly doubt that it will…because the US is falling apart before our very eyes. His focus should be on getting us to a place where we can function as a nation without fear of going bankcrupt.
http://craighickman.blogspot.com CraigHickman
A reader at the Daily Dish said it better than I:
Allow me to be a dissenter on the criticism people have been leveling at Obama for wanting to move slowly on DADT. The public and younger folks may be perfectly supportive of opening the military to gays serving openly, but that's not the case with the military. No matter how delicately the administration approaches the issue, there will be resentment within the military. And it could turn violent at the lower echelons.
My fear is that moving too quickly and creating resentment by repealing the ban will simply make things dangerous for gays who are currently serving. I want Obama to take the time building consensus and support. I want him to work with the JCS to make that happen. If servicemembers see that the policy isn't being ramrodded down the military's throat, there may not be as open hostility as there currently is or will be.
I want DADT repealed and the ban on gays lifted. Badly. But, I've been with the military for the past 11 years under DADT. Another year is not a long time and worth it if the policy change is implemented smoothly and people are safer as a result. I don't want Clinton's mistakes repeated or compounded.
TruthSeeker
Female soldiers are sexually assaulted in the military,….maybe gays shouldn't tell.
BlackAmericanPrincess
I CONCUR!!!
Monie
the truth indeed.
Webb
I don't want Clinton's mistakes repeated or compounded.
Co-sign. If necessary, Barack should wait till 2014 (his last two years) to initiate (unless it percolates through the legislature as JunePearl has suggested).
As much as people hate on DADT, it's better than if nothing had been done at all. It would not have been necessary if Clinton had been a “more effective” politician. DADT and failed Healthcare Reform in 93 cost Democrats the Congress in 94. We need to keep Nancy and Harry in power beyond 2010.
Quanli
I don't get how people have elected a Centrist and expect him to come out of the gate pushing for very LIBERAL policies. With all of the harassment that goes down in the military, I just can't see it. No one can claim they are being discriminated against due to life style because technically no one “knows”. It seems more peaceful to me to keep it that way than to again try pushing sexuality into an already sexually hostile environment.
Michael J. Harrington
Rikyrah is right. The “Don't Ask” policy enshrines and officially sanctions bigotry. There should be no place in our government for perpetuating it.
http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com CPL
What is wrong with developing a non-discrimination policy that essentially says
“Discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religious or national origin, sexual orientation/choice/identity, will NOT BE TOLERATED within the ranks of any BRANCH of the ARMED FORCES, and any incident of discrimination in promotion, assignment, policy implementation, etc., WILL BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, UP TO AND INCLUDING termination, imprisonment and fines for any violation found therewith.”
Barack Obama has no more excuse than Bill Clinton did back in 1993. Lukewarm support = tacit consent to discriminate by the powers that be. The Chief sends the message AND sets the tone.
Look, Truman ignored his southern redneck buddies back in the 1950s and fully integrated the Armed Forces so that brothas, Latino brothas, Asian and Native American brothas could have the right to die in battle right alongside their rednecked Brethren. So, if Truman had the cajones to integrate the Armed Forces at the height of Jim Crow, as I've said, Clinton didn't have an excuse for his lukewarm support 15 years ago, and Obama would do well not to repeat Bill Clinton's mistakes.
http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com CPL
Presidents get shot for taking on the military too aggressively.
Jack Kennedy was one of them…and Lincoln was, too.
http://craighickman.blogspot.com CraigHickman
But Truman wasn't asked to integrate the armed forces before he was even inaugurated, was he?
Barack will do it, I believe. But not a minute too soon.
http://craighickman.blogspot.com CraigHickman
So was the father of the Progressive Era, William McKinley, who stood for fiscal responsibility, ethnic pluralism, military restraint, and won a realigning election with a revolutionary campaign against his archrival.
http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com CPL
And James Garfield caught a bullet as well – twenty years after the Civil War.
You dropping knowledge, Craig – and it explains why there hasn't been another POTUS actually gunned down since Kennedy – no one else has challenged or taken on the military in over 40 years.
http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com CPL
I totally concur – he has his hands in the lion's mouth on this one. All I want is for him to take a stand, and not a lukewarm one, either, like Clinton did.
Clinton actually campaigned on integrating the Armed Forces more fully – don't you remember how all Vietnam-Era vets got their shorts in a wad because Clinton didn't serve in the military, and were also afraid he'd implement a non-discrimination policy against LGBT?
Truman had already decided he'd do it – he just picked his time when to do it, and kind of did without a whole lot of fanfare. WWII had already depleted the ranks, and it wasn't until late 1948 or so – before the on set of the Korean Conflict, that full integration was actually being achieved.
http://craighickman.blogspot.com CraigHickman
Garfield didn't challenge the military. Reagan took a bullet, too.
But no one has challenged the military in 40 years.
I really don't expect Barack to be the first. If the rumors about Hillary Clinton become fact, well, then…
Sharon
I don't agree. Not the time yet. When one of these conflicts (Iraq/Afghanistan) is nearing a close…that will be a better time.
Richard
This is not his issue. The policy is fine and not relevant. As far as I'm concerned the President-Elect didn't make any commitment on this issue during the campaign and should not allow himself to get drawn into an imaginary issue.
GoGoJoJo
I agree that Don't Ask Don't Tell is a discriminatory policy. I am happy that Obama announced that he would be seeking to repeal this policy in his civil rights agenda. It's a disgrace to our country and our military that it exists.
While I agree that it won't happen immediately, I would like to see some sort of progress ASAP. The reality is that there is an increasing conservative backlash policy-wise to LGBT civil rights issues. I personally believe that DADT and ENDA are the least controversial policies that he could take up.
GoGoJoJo
I agree that Don't Ask Don't Tell is a discriminatory policy. I am happy that Obama announced that he would be seeking to repeal this policy in his civil rights agenda. It's a disgrace to our country and our military that it exists.
While I agree that it won't happen immediately, I would like to see some sort of progress ASAP. The reality is that there is an increasing conservative backlash policy-wise to LGBT civil rights issues. I personally believe that DADT and ENDA are the least controversial policies that he could take up.
GoGoJoJo
I agree that Don't Ask Don't Tell is a discriminatory policy. I am happy that Obama announced that he would be seeking to repeal this policy in his civil rights agenda. It's a disgrace to our country and our military that it exists.
While I agree that it won't happen immediately, I would like to see some sort of progress ASAP. The reality is that there is an increasing conservative backlash policy-wise to LGBT civil rights issues. I personally believe that DADT and ENDA are the least controversial policies that he could take up.
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