DONT ASK DONT TELL: DUMB FROM THE GET GO.
Shhhhh
SHOW OF WEAKNESS, NOT STRENGTH.
The United State's military policy of ''Don't ask, Don't tell'' is unconstitutional; it is a clear violation of the rights of Gays in the military to assume their constitutionally guaranteed identity and freedoms. It is a policy built out of ignorance and fear, and enforced with intimidation.
The law states that military superiors cannot ask questions about a soldiers gender preference, and soldier cannot reveal their gender preference. Imagine if you cannot talk to a co-worker about your wife or husband, for fear of losing your job. This law should not be allowed to persist.
Don't ask Don't tell was signed into law by President Clinton in 1993; he signed this law as a compromise to get Republicans off his back. I say this enquivocally, this is the single worst decision President Clinton made while in office, and I am a fan of his. A man or woman should never compromise the rights of another to guarantee his own. I see the same trend happening with the Obama administration, unless he stands up to the Republicans.
Since the incepton of the United States Military in 1775 and the formation of the US army in 1784, men and women of different creeds, color, orientation and ethnic origin have served to defend the sanctity of the federation, and maintain the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans. Throughout this history however, people have used the nations laws as tools of discrimination, seperation, segregation, alienation and suppression. This tatic was employed by the nations political leaders to impose their ideas of morality, religion, political idealogies and social positions. These laws were mostly successful because widespead communication was lacking, and the electorate was not literate. Politicians made laws they wanted, and no one really knew or cared to challenge it.
US politicians have used the military as a staging ground for alienating blacks, women, other minorities, the disabled and also for religious and ethnic suppression within our borders. The irony of this however is that the US service people of the Army, Navy, Airforce, Coast Guard etc, have never really had an issue with the race, ethnicity, creed, religion or background of the man or woman serving beside them. Soldiers know that when the beagle sounds, your life is in the hands of the man or woman standing beside you. They know that there is unity in the sum of their numbers, and they are all of one accord.
The suggestion by many US politicians, led by Senator John McCain that the presence of gays in the military affects morale is ludicrous; morale is affected by the intrusion of the politicians into what is the normal flow of life, and the infusion of hate and bias into the ranks of the military. The mere creation of that absurd policy has put the issue of military service by gays on the fore-front of our soldiers minds; this has in effect detracted from their ability to serve in clear consciousness of the enemy.
The US military was segregated for most of it's earlier years. Blacks have always served in the military, even during the height of slavery; blacks could only do so in segregated units, and were never allowed alongside whites. It was not until after world war II that blacks finally got a chance to fight alongside white soldiers against the Germans in 1918.
Women were always banned from fighting in the frontlines, I guess the argument there is that it would create too much of a distraction to see those beautiful locks, through the haze of all that gun powder. I am sure that politicians will also argue that it will not sit well with the American public to see female casualties of war; news flash, it does not sit well with us to see male casualties either, but we reallize it is a necessary consequence of war.
The same politicians have also always supported policies that promote inequality within the ranks, and inbalance in our forces. Women could not attend the military's West Point Academy for the longest time, only finally breaking through in the last few years. The percentage of minority students at West Point is highly disproportionate, and the precentage of rich kids to poor kids is even more staggering.
The issue of Gays in the military and ''Dont ask, Don;t tell'' is troubling on many fronts. It sends the message to me that the constitutional liberties that were built into the constitution by our fore-fathers in 1776 are open to widespread interpretation. Any political group or Government entity can manipulate the constitution to suit their agenda, and undermine your rights. We see this already happening with the Government's ability to monitor citizens with wire-taps. This new approach to governance will strip all Americans slowly, but surely of all those rights you were taught you had in high school (some may be necessary evils, given the times)..
This tendency to manipulate the constitution through amendments may not end with gays. There may eventually be laws against big people, short people, not so good looking people. beautiful people-ladies in the frontlines? There may be laws along religious lines, and even based on education. How far can we let the constitution be eroded before we speak up.
Word of caution, watch out for the Tea party; if the could, they would change it all.
Gays in the military are no threat to anyone; we all have friends and co-workers that are gay (that word in itself is redundant, it means happy in English, what could be so wrong with happy); we all use the same bathrooms as gay people do. We share bathrooms at airports, sports stadiums, schools, churches, and some of the people there are gay; does this dampen your morale? Do you go home and say to your wife ''honey, I am not feeling it tonight, because I shared a bathroom with a gay guy''. Come on world.
To think that the greatest military force in the world, the force that steamrolled the Republican Guard and overthrew the Great Iraqi Dictator is scared of gay men and women is absurd. I know that 75% of US forces have communicated that they will like to see Dont ask, Dont Tell repealed. It is an unfair law that targets the soldiers comrades, and denies them the same protections that they are fighting to give others.
Repeal and discard ''Dont ask, Dont Tell'' or instead replace it with ''Live and Let live''.
