Guess who’s well enough to call into a major cable news network to make grand pronouncements about what the semi-repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell means? You know this guy’s soundbites are going to be inserted into some college textbook in a pullquote that looks like this:
It’s a historic day. It’s something that we’ve all expected. We know that when you’r eon the right side of justice and history, you don’t ever go backwards.
But let’s not give Dan all the attention. Here’s Justin Elzie, the first Marine discharged under DADT:
Oh HAY GURL! It’s Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, ragging on McCandyCain.
Steve
What the hell does this place have agaisnt Choi? Sure, some of his protests have been ridiculous, but he’s been one of the few people out there consistently putting a human face to the terrors of DADT and the repeal effort, which is a hell of a lot more than anyone at Queerty can say.
kayla
McCain is simply enveloped in bitterness. I just don’t think he’ll ever get over being rejected by the American people, not once but twice, for the presidency. After all, he’s a war hero with the scars to prove it. He must feel that he deserved the ultimate political prize. The pain of losing in the primaries to a draft dodger, the first time around must have hurt. But then, the second time around after throwing all his principles and integrity out the window, he still loses, and to a one term senator who also never served, Oh the humanity! All those years in Hanoi Hilton….. He still can’t believe that America rejected him for Obama. He’s decided to dig a trench of anger and hate and set up house…so be it!!
Aaron
It’s @Steve: It’s Queerty, the new Perez Hilton (now that Perez doesn’t do snark). Their cunty-ness is what makes it fun to read.
Kev C
@Aaron: “consistently putting a human face to the terrors of DADT”
His face isn’t *that* terrible.
gregger
I’m really shocked that Faux News actually handled this in a very news-worthy manner. CNN’s coverage was underwhelming. Thank you Lt Col Fehrenbach for being a great and eloquent spokesman and damn hot.
jak
First of all, McCain is hardly a war hero. He spent the war as a POW, incidentally making quite a few propaganda videos for the enemy. Listen to some of the reports from some of his fellow detainees. As for Choi, glad he’s out of the loony bin, but he needs to take it easy, or he’ll be headed right back in.
Jordan
Jak, I know you think you’re being cute and snarky, but regardless of what anyone feels about Dan Choi, calling treatment for PTSD “going to the loony bin” is just totally distasteful, tacky, and out of line. Show the slightest modicum of respect — would you talk about any other wounded soldier that way, all things being equal?
PatrickB
CNN’s coverage is a hot mess!
“Since you’re pimping your book…”
really?!?!
kayla
@PatrickB: I agree that was rather rude. Though, I don’t think it was intentional!
Ollie
@Steve: Damn Right. Leave Choi alone!!!
Bubba in TX
I had to turn off the CNN interview–between the “pimping your book” comment, the “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear your answer so I don’t have a follow-up question” confession and the “better question” reboot, I was really getting embarrassed for the interviewer. YIKES!
15 Minutes of Fame are UP
Hands off Saint Choi!
That’s what everyone with a nervous breakdown does, they call in on TV shows.
He is NOT a self-centered attention whore in case you still have any doubts.
Jeffree
@15 Minutes of Fame:
Not very clever, AndrewW.
Give it a rest.
— — — — —
McCain will be spending the rest of his term playing “Told ya so” if there’s any slight hiccup in the implementation of the DADT repeal. I bet Cindy has already put maskingtape on him to keep him from whining.
Activator
Haha – GREAT NEWS! Bilerico finally blocked AndrewW from commenting. He questioned Choi’s motives and they BLOCKED him.
http://www.bilerico.com/2010/12/comment_of_the_week_andreww.php
Is Queerty next? I want him blocked here, too. We shouldn’t let people express their opinions on the internet, that would ruin everything.
justin
@Activator: I read the Bilerico piece and they said Dan Choi suffered from “mental illness.” Who knew?
KitKat
Choi is a self-promoter. Wait, a crazy self-promoter… and my hero. I’m glad he passed DADT repeal and i hope he gives us marriage equality next.
Jeffree
Dan Choi reportedly suffers from Post-Traumatic Syndrome (PTSD). You can read up on it elsewhere. It’s not a laughing matter.
AndrewW’s being blocked from websites due to difficulty adhering to the sites’ TOS is not a new thing for him.
Jeffree
“Post Traumatic Stress Disorder” is what I should have typed.
Oops.
reason
Choi is suffering from out of control narcissism.
Obama DID say DADT would happen on his watch... (John From England)
@reason:
Thank you. The crap I was reading in the comments here.
Though narcissism is a form of madness to be fair but just one that we let pass because they become ‘tv personalities, movie stars, politicians, activists, models, singers, CEO, entrepreneurs etc’ and this fulfills our deep seated aspirations to be…famous.
Anyway glad that he was in for like, what, 3 days was it in hospital? Just before the senate were going to debate and just after the senate debated. Wow, what a coincidence huh? Uncanny, truly.
I’ve worked with people who genuinely suffer from mental illness and well, most just wouldn’t feel good about themselves to even be in public because they suffer from such low self esteem.
mark
People who are dealing with PTSD deserve our respect.
My dad lead a squadron of 17 flyers in WWII. Only two came back from the war. He dealt with PTSD for decades.
My father’s experience is not unlike mine, losing massive numbers of friends to HIV…..in the “war” on AIDS. We have spoken about it and learned something about PTSD from our life experiences.
Who knows what happened to Dan Choi when he was in combat? It’s his business to tell us and only if and when he wants to.
Meanwhile respect for his service as well as his privacy is in order. On the side of Dan’s health and well-being.
~R~
@Obama DID say DADT would happen on his watch… (John From England): The key word to your rant is “most”. You are right, most wouldn’t. But honestly, do you think a victory such as this would remain untouched by Choi? He’s been visually fighting for this for a long time now. You may not like him, but give the man credit: attention whore or not, he made DADT much more visible than the HRC did.
And PTSD is no laughing matter. It is a serious illness when untreated (and veterans hospitals tend to dole out drugs as treatment which is a massive fail! where’s the counceling?) and the end result can be quite disturbing.
He deserves to speak out for this victory because, like it or not, he did have a part in it.
eagledancer
I’m trapped in Arizona (moved down here 18 months ago to be with the SigO)and the Competenetwork.com (“We ARE Gay Sports!) where I now blog is part of the office complex that houses McCain’s local office.
The reason McCain became a POW was because of his lack of impulse control and inablilty to follow orders that led to him losing his plane in the first place.
The thought of a man with so little impulse control being in charge of anything other than the local Starbucks is a very frightening thought…
DR
What vile beings some of you are.
When push comes to shove, I’ll take Dan Choi, willing to engage in civil disobedience, over Kathy Griffin or Joe Solomenese, both of whome were too cowardly to get their hands dirty when called to the carpet by Choi.
Have he been too public at times? Perhaps. Has he backed himself into a corner and created an identity as “Dan Choi, gay soldier and activist”? Perhaps. But some of these comments remind me why people don’t want to be bothered doing advocacy work.
What’s the saying? Oh, right, “let no good deed go unpunished”.
Hacktivism
Choi had nothing to do with DADT repeal. The deal was made by HRC in February. It was designed to get the Military’s support in order to get some Republican votes. It got 8 votes.
HRC doesn’t accomplish much, but they did get this done, not Choi.
JusticeontheRocks
Hacktivism: Here we go with reinventing history. HRC had almost zero impact on DADT repeal. Follow their press releases on the subject – the blew with the wind.
The person we should all thank is the DOD lawyer who convinced Sec. Gates that the Log Cabin suit was likely to overturn the policy. If he hadn’t believed that, the policy would be in place.
Sugah
@15 Minutes of Fame are UP: Cunty much Andrew W?
~R~
@Hacktivism: Obviously, you are clueless on this subject.
Thom Freeheart
Choi is a hero to me.
15 Minutes of Fame are UP
@JusticeontheRocks: HRC got us 8 GOP votes. Choi was never a player, just a mascot.
Jennifer
Bilerico, the Trans website, said Dan Choi was “mentally ill.” I think they know more than has been released to the media.
Cam
@kayla: Said…
”
McCain is simply enveloped in bitterness. I just don’t think he’ll ever get over being rejected by the American people, not once but twice, for the presidency. After all, he’s a war hero with the scars to prove it. ”
_________________________
He would have been kicked out of the academy for poor performance but his father and grandfather were admirals so his mother got them to let him stay in…he graduated at the bottom. He wouldn’t have been taken into the flight program with such poor performance but his father and Grandfather were admirals. He Crashed so many planes that he shouldn’t have been flying. (Four planes before the crash that got him captured) His arms and legs were broken becuase he didn’t pull them in when he ejected from the plane as any novice pilot would have. While in Viet-nam he broke and made propoganda films denouncing the U.S.
I would hardly call him a hero.
Choi's Health
@Jennifer: Bilerico only said that “Choi suffered from mental illness” but didn’t say much more. I don’t visit that site because it’s mostly about trans stuff.
Pam Sapulding said Choi had a “mental breakdown” because the Senate wasn’t voting to repeal DADT and I’m not sure what that even means. As far as I know, 18,000 people had a nervous breakdown when the Senate first rejected repeal. It was very painful.
ProfessorVP
Mental breakdown is daytime tv-speak for hissy fit. Choi didn’t help put to rest that old chestnut about gays being a distraction. Well, not lesbians. Just gay men. The whole issue is pretty silly, but it’s ample fodder for Choi’s career- maybe the next Nate Berkus, or running for congress- and John McCain’s next run for president as a values candidate. Why do I think McCain is running? Because the very idea is insane. I rest my case.
BTW, nothing has been repealed. There will be continued study vis-a-vis implementation, then certification, then a waiting period. Meantime, all hell could break loose… lawsuits,
harrassment, murders, disruptions in the military. Which would be good reason to keep postponing.
Second BTW… I just read this from one of the wire services… warning from top brass has gone out to service people: no public displays of affection, nothing in-your-face! (Not a warning for everybody, just for you-know-who.)
Montana
Poor McCain, he lost the election, because of his choices and now he is like a fish out of water by all his flip, flops on DADT, what a true hypocrite, he should move himeself into a old farts home. We all know that he is a member of the “Gay Old Party” GOP.
McCain Hardball Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUqus4IEh3o