Posted on 12/18/2010 6:57:49 PM PST by lbryce
The Senate on Saturday voted to strike down the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military, bringing to a close a 17-year struggle over a policy that forced thousands of Americans from the ranks and caused others to keep secret their sexual orientation.
By a vote of 65 to 31, with eight Republicans joining Democrats, the Senate approved and sent to President Obama a repeal of the Clinton-era law, known as “don’t ask, don’t tell,” a policy critics said amounted to government-sanctioned discrimination that treated gay, lesbian and bisexual troops as second-class citizens.
Mr. Obama hailed the action, which fulfills his pledge to reverse the ban, and said it was “time to close this chapter in our history.”
“As commander in chief, I am also absolutely convinced that making this change will only underscore the professionalism of our troops as the best-led and best-trained fighting force the world has ever known,” he said in a statement after the Senate, on a preliminary 63-to-33 vote, beat back Republican efforts to block final action on the repeal bill.
The vote marked a historic moment that some equated with the end of racial segregation in the military.
It followed an exhaustive Pentagon review that determined the policy could be changed with only isolated disruptions to unit cohesion and retention, though members of combat units and the Marine Corps expressed greater reservations about the shift. Congressional action was backed by Pentagon officials as a better alternative to a court-ordered end.
Supporters of the repeal said it was long past time to abolish what they saw as an ill-advised practice that cost valuable personnel and forced troops to lie to serve their country.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
“We righted a wrong,” said Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, the independent from Connecticut and a leader of the effort to end the ban. “Today we’ve done justice.”
No, you have wronged a right. Today, you have done an injustice.
Join the Army - test positive for AIDS/HIV - draw 100% disability for the rest of your miserable life.
If you don’t believe me check the VA regulations.
65 of our elected representatives voted to destroy the United States military, disrespecting those that have served in harms way and those that have sacrificed for this Nation. If we do not vote each and every one of them out of power we deserve to lose this Nation.........
vs
"the Senate approved and sent to President Obama a repeal of the Clinton-era law, known as “don’t ask, don’t tell,”
So which is it? Did they end the ban or did they repeal DADT?
Like the 13 month extension of unemployment that still has some fox news guests claiming the 99 weeks is now 155 weeks...there seems to be some confusion on what was actually done here.
It’s called orientation for a reason. It’s under your control.
Prepare for a reactivation of the Selective Service System.The Only way the military is going to meet its manpower needs is with a Draft.That was Probably the plan all along.
I hope I’m wrong because I wouldn’t want my child going into that circus.
Well, the Military just had too many dedicated, senior NCO’s, you know, the ones who are going to retire now. We’ll be much better off with a bunch of Marine Gunnery Sergeants wearing skirts leading the attacks on the National Republican headquarters.
This will effectively decimate the U.S. Military. Honorable men will not want to live with sodomites who view them as easily-accessible prey.
In anticipation of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, in 2007, the Pentagon prepared a list of new or reinterpreted nomenclature and practices familiar to many older veterans. The gay EM who supplied Wikileaks sent us a copy just before his arrest. Some of the more interesting items are below.
All marching commands ending in “March” will now end in either “MINCE” or “SWISH,” at the option of the individual issuing the command;
The command “Right dress right,” will be replaced with “Right strapless evening gown, allrighty;”
Due to the distinct possibility that it may be misinterpreted, the command “To the Rear March” will be replaced with “OK, Fellas, Turn Around;”
Marching cadences employing “Jodie” will now replace that archaic appellation with the more metro-sexually appropriate “Brucie:”
The humorous but now out-dated phrase “Drop your c**ks and grab your socks” is to be replaced with “Drop your c**ks and grab the fella’s over there;”
A “Junk on the bunk” inspection will now allow a soldier’s “junk” to actually be displayed on his bunk;
If it will not interfere with “his” duties, a “Latrine Queen” may wear a pair of high heel pumps if they are OD in color;
The rank of “Private” will be replaced with “Newby.”
For those still smoking, as it could lead to serious unit cohesion break-down, the phrase “Field strip that butt” will no longer be used.
As we did deeper into the documents we were provided, we will add other changes.
PS: A bonus INVESTMENT TIP: Buy shares in firms that manufacture SOAP-ON-A-ROPE!
It’s painful to see the destruction of this country by “elected” officials. No quarter must be given to all the bastards that voted for this repeal. Any rino that tries to justify this kind of crap must be run out of the party. We start with the scum rinos that voted with the rest of the traitors in the rat party!
Why isn’t anyone talking about the possibility/probability of overturning it in the House when our new folks get in there in January?
I wonder what happened to all those freepers who proudly donated to Al Gore's running mate and boosted about it on FR. We never hear from them anymore. How are the donations to the "Independent" workin' out for them? Conrad Burns, Jim Talent, and George Allen sure could have used that money instead of the socialist they helped elect.
Did any Republicans vote for this?
Make no mistake, this was a vote that codified, and etched in stone, the now unstoppable American decline. America is finished.
“Prepare for a reactivation of the Selective Service System.The Only way the military is going to meet