Harry Reid is promising to bring to a vote a repeal on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell soon. The legislation will be contingent on the president and top military commanders certifying that doing so will not harm the effectiveness of the military. And what does an assessment by the Pentagon say about it all?
A draft of the 370-page assessment has found that the ban could be lifted with little harm and that most troops don’t object to the change in personnel policy, according to officials familiar with its findings.
Of course, it isn’t that simple.
But it also found that some troops had serious concerns with repealing the law.
Military officials have warned that even scattered resistance to the change could pose logistical and discipline problems for field commanders.
That is true. But desegregating the military had the same issues. We need to take a pragmatic approach to this. It’s clear that gays ought to have the right to serve the United States of America. No non-bigot doubts that. The question is how doing what’s right will impact our fighting and defending capabilities. The leak of the report indicates that the change in policy isn’t going to be much different from when we finally allowed minorities and whites to fight side by side. The obvious conclusion is that DADT needs to be repealed so that we might better our military with a broader pool of intelligent men and women.
Filed under: News, Rights | Tagged: Don't Ask Don't Tell, Gays, Military, Right |
For the Sake of Science 
My biggest concern with this whole thing is if it leads to a challenge to the policy of not allowing women in combat roles. We could face much bigger issues than housing if that were allowed.
10 points if you know the rational and science behind the policy.
Why conflate the Gays in the military with an issue of women’s combat roles? They have nothing to do with each other.
There is no rationale behind the DADT policy other than an attempt to preserve xenophobic hatred. That, of course, was engendered by religious dogma.
The change should be made immediately, as a judge has already specified. There is very little opposition within the military and there will be virtually no repercussions. Those that do protest should be dealt with by the military.
Yes only religious people hate gay people. Typical Bob.
The change should be made (if it is) in an orderly manner. 30% (allegedly, the whole thing doesn’t come out until December) said they had a problem with it.
To put that in perspective, 30% is the portion of the army that serve directly in combat roles. 30% is a big ass chunk of people.
Why should they be dealt with by the military Bob? Protesting shouldn’t be allowed in the military but not allowing gays violates their first amendment rights?
A judge, one judge. The appeals court has stayed it. So as three judges, in a higher circuit, have said, it stays for now. Not to mention the supreme court had denied a stay.
It has been reported that 77% say they have no problem with it.
I didn’t say that. I said the xenophobia comes from religious dogma. Read the words for a change.
Because the military is a hierarchical structured entity and they can handily proscribe aberrant behavior.
Let me know what this sentence is about. It has no reference to what I said.
You said that those who protest should be dealt with by the military. How is the quashing of protests not just as a big of a first amendment violation.
Protesting within the military against policy is not allowed. It is not a constitutional right. Gays are not allowed to protest within the military now and that is why the policy must change. Future protests against a changed policy will also not be allowed.
Being gay is not an optional life choice. It is equivalent to gender, color, race, height, etc.
so, yes, quashing of protests within the military are far different than gays first amendment rights.
Freedom of expression is what is being used to challenge this in court. This is, as far as the court is concerned, a first amendment issue. As I said in another post, many rights are given up when you join the military, including the right to express yourself.
Go ahead and change this policy but don’t pretend that the right to express yourself exists in the military at all. Even if you are gay and wish to express that.