Ending don't ask, don't tell (Military to be a eharmony.com for gays ???)

Baltimore Sun ^ | February 3, 2010 | Home > News > Our View

[sickoflibs]

Opponents of the Obama administration's plan to scrap the "don't ask, don't tell" compromise by which gay men and women are allowed to serve in the military, so long as nobody finds out they are gay, say that with an all-volunteer force stretched thin by two wars, this is no time to rock the boat. They're wrong. Precisely because the military needs all the manpower -- and woman power --it can get, now is the time to end one of President Bill Clinton's least satisfying triangulations, a discriminatory and unjust policy that never made much sense.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that he will appoint a high-level commission to study how the Pentagon can transition to allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. The commission plans to survey top commanders, troops in the field and military families to determine their views on gays in the services and to review how the change would affect Pentagon policy on matters such as whether to provide benefits to domestic partners of gay servicemen, or how to handle the objections of a straight soldier who refuses to bunk with a gay comrade.

(clip) Removing the threat that a soldier could be outed lessens the climate of fear for gays in the military, but it doesn't afford them equality and justice, and the idea that the Pentagon could still take up to a year to figure out a way to reverse the policy is frustrating. (clip) Al-Qaeda and the Taliban make no distinctions based on whether our soldiers are straight or gay, and neither should the country that sends them into harm's way.

[sickoflibs]

LOL, Maddows lead story each night. Matthews love it too.

[RipSawyer]

“Over at MSNBC they keep quoting polls that say the public overwhelmingly wants this.”
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I wonder how the question reads. If they just ask whether we should end the current policy a lot of people may think the question is whether we should go back to the old policy rather than throwing the gate wide open.

If this is done it will worsen recruiting problems, not help. For every gay who joins and turns out to be worth his salt two or more straight men will decide not to join because of it and there will be much greater morale problems because of gays openly flaunting their homosexuality.

I thought it was bad enough being cooped up with straight sailors who liked to brag about their exploits with women, I kept mine to myself. I would have puked my guts out if I had had to listen to a bunch of queers bragging about their trip ashore.

[RipSawyer]

“I would be very interested in learning what FR Veterans think this will do to Unit Cohesion and camaraderie.”
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My opinion is at post 22.

[sickoflibs]

RE :”I thought it was bad enough being cooped up with straight sailors who liked to brag about their exploits with women, I kept mine to myself. I would have puked my guts out if I had had to listen to a bunch of queers bragging about their trip ashore’

LOL, I try not to think of things like that. Not pretty.

You ever see Married with Children where Al Bundy carpools with three huge (very fat) women and he has to listen to them talk about their previous night's bedroom experiences? “Oh he was so good”... LOL, Al looks like he will puke and makes a joke about seeing a pork chop out the window to distract them.

[TRY ONE]

Quick...buy stock now in the Soap-on-a-Rope Company!

[sickoflibs]

Remember the show the Love Boat. The new navy!

[steve86]

If they allow open gays, last time I ever salute the flag or say the Pledge of Allegiance. Will start to lean toward the “Let’s hasten Armageddon” side.

[Stoat]

• My opinion is at post 22.

Thanks very much...a perspective that I believe will be shared by most.

Just as the wonderful Swift Boat Vets saved our nation from John Kerry, I remain hopeful that if this insanity gets much further along that a similar group of distinguished veterans will rise up and encourage a popular revolt against it.  It is such a monumental offense against everything our country stands for that I simply cannot believe that it will actually get passed into law.

How many normal, healthy parents will encourage their kids to join the military if it has regressed into such an environment?

But then again, BHO is President.

"sigh"

[kingattax]

[sickoflibs]

What is missing from the cannon is a figure of a male part, their object of worship.