Senate Repeals ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

New York Times ^ | DEcenber 18, 2010 | Carl Hulse

[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.

[OldGoatCPO]

“Join the Army - test positive for AIDS/HIV - draw 100% disability for the rest of your miserable life.”

For those who do not understand what that means, let me explain. A life time check of around $41,000 per year, free drugs and free medical care, all on your tax dollar. There are vets injured in Iraq that get less in VA benefits.

With the levels of syphilis, HIV and STDs imagine YOUR cost to allow gays to bugger each other while on active duty. With STDs and HIV you cannot deploy to certain countries which means they can hang out at the local bath house while other men die for their country.

[the invisib1e hand]

Heard inside the beltway: We'll give you the tax bill if you give us the DADT repeal.

[Nowhere Man]

I agree. DADT was a compromise, but liberals always get their foot in the door until the time they can get what they want. I would prefer an outright ban on homosexuals serving in the military.

I like this quote:

"When brute force is on the march, compromise is the red carpet." Ayn Rand

[Nowhere Man]

I agree. DADT was a compromise, but liberals always get their foot in the door until the time they can get what they want. I would prefer an outright ban on homosexuals serving in the military.

I like this quote:

"When brute force is on the march, compromise is the red carpet." Ayn Rand

[Nowhere Man]

Sorry for the double post.

[lbryce]

lol. Certainly feels like it. Ouch!

[Dapper 26]

Congress is not tone deaf, they are stupid. This opens the door to huge problems. I foresee a rash of “hate speech” charges, sexual harassment, spread of aids, housing problems, etc, etc. What a bunch of SOBs.

[exDemMom]

Is this journalistic malpractice?

Before DADT, recruiters did ask, and affirmative answers meant that person was not getting into the military.

DADT meant the question wasn’t asked... but if homosexuality was discovered otherwise, they were processed for discharge.

For 17 years, the MSM has been purposefully misrepresenting DADT as if gays were allowed to join before it went into effect—the truth is, they never were.

This is a bad idea. Keeping gays out of the military has nothing to do with discrimination, and everything to do with protecting people. There are just too many situations in the military where there is no privacy, but at least men and women are segregated. Putting gays and straights together in those situations is no different than having coed dressing rooms, or showers. In some respects, it may be worse.

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

a policy critics said amounted to government-sanctioned discrimination that treated gay, lesbian and bisexual troops as second-class citizens. Mr. Obama hailed...

Oh the humanity

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

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.

!!!

[Lucky Dog]

At issue is a pending vote in the Senate on repealing Section 654 of Title X of the U.S. Code. This law, on the books since 1993, states: "The presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability."

Repeal of the law as noted above does not repeal the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

The UCMJ was passed by Congress on 5 May 1950, signed into law by President Harry S. Truman, and became effective on 31 May 1951.

Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice:

“(a) Any person subject to this chapter who engages in unnatural carnal copulation with another person of the same or opposite sex or with an animal is guilty of sodomy. Penetration, however slight, is sufficient 
to complete the offense.

(b) Any person found guilty of sodomy shall by punished as a court-martial may direct.”

The oath taken by every president on first entering office is specified in Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

US Constitution

Section. 8.

Clause 14: [ The Congress shall have Power] To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

Note that Congress has prohibited sodomy in the military through the UCMJ. All of the hoopla concerning the 1993 law is just that. Commanders, including the “Commander-in-Chief,” are obligated by their sacred oaths to enforce the rules and regulations made and promulgated by Congress for the US military.

What remains to be seen is whether the current “Commander-in-Chief” will adhere to his oath and require subordinate officers to do the same.

[oldbrowser]

"voted to strike down the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military"

I believe that they have passed another half baked law. There needs to be a differentiation between those people who are genuinely gay and those that are bisexual, tri-sexual, having sex with baked goods, or other forms of sex addictions that often times masquerade as "gay".

Those people who are mentally unstable have no place around loaded weapons or classified information regardless of their gender confusion. It will be up to the military to sort them out.

[depressed in 06]

“We righted a wrong,” said Senator Joseph I. Lieberman,...

No Senator, you have wronged a right to be secure in your person. You have told Onan where to put his seed.

[Thermalseeker]

DADT itself was a compromise.

Chip, chip, chip. Progressive incramentalism on display yeat again for everyone to see. These people are very patient. 17 years to get this one through.

I wonder if this means they'll do away with separate bathing facilities for male and female soldiers? Sexual orientation doesn't matter, right?

[1010RD]

No, I’m saying that everyone has the ability to control themselves. Homosexuality is not something beyond a persons control. It is an orientation, a lifestyle choice.

Thousands get molested and only a few manifest it as homosexuality. Homosexuality is a form of permanent sexual immaturity. It was and remains a sexual deviancy and a psychological disorder, despite opposite claims.

Take a listen here and learn how homosexuality came to be removed from the list of sexual deviancies by the American Psychiatric Association (APA): http://www.thisamericanlife.org/sites/all/play_music/play_full.php?play=204

It had nothing to do with science. It was an emotional and political act manipulated by a secret cabal of homosexual activists.

Welcome to Free Republic.

[GenXteacher]

“Like that will stop them. They will come for your kids and they won’t take no for an answer”

They have to have a military to take that approach. If they are having manpower trouble to start with, that would make enforcing their will problematic.

[Dick Bachert]

LOL. Great pic but that looks rather like, “Forward MINCE” to me.

[DBeers]

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.

LMAO!!!!

The leftist LIARS. Homosexual sex has ALWAYS been illegal in the military as are any number of perverted or disruptive activities.