Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Let the Door Hit Ya!

[Tery]

So, it looks like the idiotic policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell is on its way to the dustbin of history! (fingers crossed) Rep. Patrick J. Murphy (D., Pa.) is the point man for the repeal of this stupid policy. The repeal could come to a vote on the House floor as early as Thursday, in the form of an amendment to the annual authorization bill for the Defense Department. A Senate committee could advance a similar measure Thursday as well.

Of course, some GOPers are fighting it tooth and nail. They obviously don't realize that they represent gays as well as everyone else in their constituencies. Or that it has cost taxpayers $1.3 billion since it was implemented in 1993. We have kicked out nearly 14,000 service members after spending about $60,000 to train them. How dumb is that? And a goodly number of them are translators of Arabic and/or Farsi. Kind of useful, dontcha think?

Read more here:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front...#axzz0p70WM1Ak

The latest ABC News/Washing Post poll found that 75% of Americans support the rights of gays to serve openly in the military. That's a lot! So, is there anything else 75% of Americans agree on.....?

The first 5 political links to come up when "75% of Americans" is Googled:

Poll: 75% glad Bush is done - CNN.comDec 26, 2008 ... A new national poll suggests that three out of four Americans feel President Bush's departure from office is coming not a moment too soon.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/...oll/index.html

75% of Americans still blame Bush for the economy, but… | Raw StoryApr 22, 2010 ... A new Gallup poll conducted March 26-28 shows that 75% of Americans surveyed still place most of the blame for the current economy on former ...
rawstory.com/rs/2010/0422/75-americans-blame-bush-economy/

75% Are Angry At Government's Current Policies - Rasmussen Reports™Feb 8, 2010 ... Rasmussen Reports - The best place to look for polls that are spot on. (editorial note - NOT!)
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/.../...rrent_policies -

75% back letting gays serve openly - washingtonpost.comFeb 12, 2010 ... Three-quarters of Americans say that they support openly gay people serving in the US military, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News ...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...021104873.html

Pensito Review » Gallup: 75% of Americans Correctly Blame Bush for ...Apr 23, 2010 ... Pensito Review publishes news and commentary about politics and media.
www.pensitoreview.com/.../gallup-75-of-americans-correctly-blame-bush-for-bush-recession/ -

I don't know about you, but I am inclined to let anyone who wants to do so, pick up a weapon to protect this country. I don't give a rat's patoot who they sleep with. We are wasting time and money with this moronic rule. Repeal it, and let those who wish to serve, serve. And God/dess bless them.

[boogerb53]

I could care less who sleeps with who and what they do. I have a nephew who is gay and I love him more than life. Someones sexual orientation has no bearing on them as human beings. HOWEVER....it matters a lot to a lot of people....especially men. And I am afraid if someone were openly gay and living in close quarters with people who are prejudiced, right or wrong, this may cause a lot of trouble. And if you are in a situation of life and death, someone may be stupid enough to let their decision be colored by the fact that this man is gay.

I want to make it clear....I think don't ask don't tell is wrong...but for peoples safety, I think it should be left in place.

[CorbinKale]

I agree. That policy was, as we used to say in the Army, "as wrong as two boys ****ing."

[wally wonder]

i think the people there, in service, are a better judge of what works or not. i don't recall filling out a questionnaire at the afees station in milwaukee...can i do a lenny bruce routine and have it post?....probably not...heh heh...why is this an issue?...where was that thread...forcing religion, was it?

[Lencho_of_the_Apes]

I agree. That policy was, as we used to say in the Army, "as wrong as two boys ****ing."

"knitting"?

[boogerb53]

"knitting"?

[Sigmund]

So, it looks like the idiotic policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell is on its way to the dustbin of history! (fingers crossed) Rep. Patrick J. Murphy (D., Pa.) is the point man for the repeal of this stupid policy. The repeal could come to a vote on the House floor as early as Thursday, in the form of an amendment to the annual authorization bill for the Defense Department. A Senate committee could advance a similar measure Thursday as well.

Of course, some GOPers are fighting it tooth and nail. They obviously don't realize that they represent gays as well as everyone else in their constituencies. Or that it has cost taxpayers $1.3 billion since it was implemented in 1993. We have kicked out nearly 14,000 service members after spending about $60,000 to train them. How dumb is that? And a goodly number of them are translators of Arabic and/or Farsi. Kind of useful, dontcha think?

Read more here:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front...#axzz0p70WM1Ak

The latest ABC News/Washing Post poll found that 75% of Americans support the rights of gays to serve openly in the military. That's a lot! So, is there anything else 75% of Americans agree on.....?

The first 5 political links to come up when "75% of Americans" is Googled:

Poll: 75% glad Bush is done - CNN.comDec 26, 2008 ... A new national poll suggests that three out of four Americans feel President Bush's departure from office is coming not a moment too soon.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/...oll/index.html

75% of Americans still blame Bush for the economy, but… | Raw StoryApr 22, 2010 ... A new Gallup poll conducted March 26-28 shows that 75% of Americans surveyed still place most of the blame for the current economy on former ...
rawstory.com/rs/2010/0422/75-americans-blame-bush-economy/

75% Are Angry At Government's Current Policies - Rasmussen Reports™Feb 8, 2010 ... Rasmussen Reports - The best place to look for polls that are spot on. (editorial note - NOT!)
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/.../...rrent_policies -

75% back letting gays serve openly - washingtonpost.comFeb 12, 2010 ... Three-quarters of Americans say that they support openly gay people serving in the US military, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News ...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...021104873.html

Pensito Review » Gallup: 75% of Americans Correctly Blame Bush for ...Apr 23, 2010 ... Pensito Review publishes news and commentary about politics and media.
www.pensitoreview.com/.../gallup-75-of-americans-correctly-blame-bush-for-bush-recession/ -

I don't know about you, but I am inclined to let anyone who wants to do so, pick up a weapon to protect this country. I don't give a rat's patoot who they sleep with. We are wasting time and money with this moronic rule. Repeal it, and let those who wish to serve, serve. And God/dess bless them.

Well said and high time someone said it. I can name 15 things in 10 seconds that are more important. In fact, belly lint, yay or nay is more important.

[Tery]

The House has voted to include the Inslee Amendment on the Defense Funding Act. One step closer....

Booger, I have to address your comment... Are you saying that a soldier would let a fellow soldier die if he was/was not gay? I beg to differ. When you are relying on someone to cover your a$$ in a combat situation, the last thing you care about is their sexual orientation! Not to mention the fact that there have always been gays serving in the military - they have just not always been "out" due to various reasons, the society, etc.

Hearing from actual soldiers is an eye-opener in regards to this question.So, let's see what a fighting man has to say, shall we?

"I found out this soldier under my command was gay. I learned about it after he died, when his longtime partner wrote to me, not knowing my orientation, to tell me how much this staff sergeant had loved the army; how we were the only family he'd ever known.
In my own life, my partner has none of the privileges of a spouse. We have weathered three long deployments like any other couple might. My partner and I have happily accepted my various assignments because we're truly committed to the army, its soldiers and their families. But after our ten years together, my partner has earned the right to be told first about my death. He has earned the right to be recognized for his sacrifices just as any other spouse.
I deeply believe that America is fighting the right fight in Afghanistan. I believe in this battle against our enemies. And, I believe that the US Army is the single greatest force for good the world has ever known.
But I want to tell the guys I eat lunch with every day about my partner. After all, these are the guys I risk my life with -- the guys who think they know me. I can tell you every detail of how each of them met their wives; how one of them still feels guilty about an affair he never had, but thought about; how one of them cried so hard the day his son was born.
Yet they don't know much about my life. Over the years, I have become good at evading and changing subjects artfully. To slip up -- using the wrong pronoun when describing whom I was with during R&R, or mentioning who I talked to on Skype last night -- is no longer something I worry about. I have become so good at this lying game it eats at my soul.
A week ago, two of my friends were killed in a bombing. The days since then have bled into each other. It is usually not until the evening that I allow myself to think about these things. I will risk my life; I ask to be treated simply like anyone else in the service -- nothing more and nothing less."


It's time for this anachronistic nonsense to stop. ALL Americans should be treated equally. Period.

[Tery]

Once again, a cartoonist says it succinctly:

[Tery]

Just for the record... I'm not completely happy with the way Pres. Obama has dealt with this. I am much more radical than he - I would have stopped ALL drilling in the waters off our country. I would have sacked everyone at the MMS. I would have expected more line toeing from BP and they would not have been happy to see me coming! In fact, by the time I was done, BP AND Trans-Ocean AND Halliburton would be filing for bankruptcy. All their monies would belong to the U.S.

So, while I am not 100% pleased with what's been going on. I do not consider this to be Obama's fault. Nor do I blame him for anything that has happened. This is yet another piece of crap that was left by the previous administration.