“For we are not a nation that says don’t ask don’t tell. We are a nation that says out of many there are one.” Barack Obama
The President Of The United States signed a law repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”, a policy that allowed homosexual Americans that wanted to join this nations military to serve only if they didn’t reveal publicly that they were in fact homosexual. This was a “compromise”, yes compromise reached by the liberal titian himself, Bill Clinton while President. He could not drum up the support for gays to serve in the military openly, so in order for them to serve at all, they had to “not tell” they where homosexual, in exchange the army, navy and air force could “not ask” if they where gay. So basically, as long they hid the fact that they were homosexual they could risk there lives for America, the minute they where “out”, they where out if you can excuse the bad pun.
That policy, which is as ridiculous as it sounds, will soon come to an end. Those that serve our country that also happen to be homosexual will be given the same opportunity to be as truthful as possible as the next man and woman.
What President did today by signing this repeal is the single biggest advance in civil rights this country has seen since the signing of the last Civil Rights Act in 1964. As we struggle, constantly to be a more perfect union, what can be fundamentally more wrong than denying a man or woman the right to die for this country because of whom they spend there nights alive with.
To those that say that you can’t compare the Black Civil Rights movement to the current Gay Civil Rights movement, I agree with you. While you can hide your sexual preference if you want or have to, you can’t hide the color of your skin. But I also say this, if black people could have hid there skin color in 1948, there would have been a “don’t ask, don’t tell compromise” two generations earlier. Just because someone can try and lie about who they are doesn’t make it any more fair or right to make them have to. Numerous light skin African Americans “passed” for white during the time period of 1950-1980′s. Several cultural issues still exist in the black community because of this. Just cause they could fake it, doesn’t mean it was any easier for them to make it.
To those that say that this decision and repeal will cause disruption in the military, however, if you that was the same thing said in 1948. We are in two wars today, we had just exited our second World War then, and was just a few years from the Korean War. In 1948, the military got over it, they evolved, and they will again today. And any one who thinks the military is not up to this task, has a scary view on the abilities of this countries military and military leaders.
To the social issue, there is no social issue. If being gay was not OK in your house, its not anymore OK today because there is no more don’t ask don’t tell. A few years from now, when gay marriage becomes a reality whether by court order or by another act of Congress, if being gay was not OK in your household, its not going to be anymore OK because a man can marry a man. The same way if being black was not OK, it didn’t become OK because of the Civil Rights Movement. So, as long as we give tax breaks and make laws that are different for people that are married, homosexual Americans should be able to get married just like any other Americans. Little gay boys and girls are not going to all of a sudden get the courage to come out because of a federal law, as sad as that is. Heterosexual males and females are not going to “turn” homosexual because of a repeal of bad law that should not have been in place in the first place. In your household, in America, you get to decide what is allowed or not allowed. But in America, what happens in your household does not get to decide what happens to all of us. The majority decides, but the human and civil rights of the minority must be protected.
No. Not a social issue. Its an American issue. As Americans we believe that you should be able to pray to the God you want, work where you want, and marry who you want. They hate us because we are what…because we are “free”. I live in a country where gay men can serve in the military, when in Saudi Arabia and Iran…its not don’t ask don’t tell. Its if you tell, you will not live. I live in a country where a woman who is different and may not have my social or religious views as me can still be my colleague. Because she is not judge by her sexuality, but by the content of her character, the results or her work, and by the fact that she is American.
Not an issue of the deterioration of our society, but an issue of justice. Let us never forget that an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Because it only affects some Americans, doesn’t make an injustice right. What is right is equality and fairness. What is right is a human set of standards, that do not change because how much money someone makes, what religion he chooses, the color of one’s skin, or the who someone loves. ”For we are not a nation that says don’t ask don’t tell. We are a nation that says out of many there are one.” is what the President said. He couldn’t have put it any better.
DKW
