As the U.S. Senate returns to the business of arguing over budgets, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network’s Aubrey Sarvis says “all the Senators need do is pass an amendment to the Defense Department bill [that senators will be addressing] directing Secretary Gates to stop DADT investigations while Congress acts on full repeal” of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. That’s all they have to do to protect gay servicemen and women from being ousted! And then maybe senators can add a clause insisting unicorns play a game of musical chairs in front of the Capitol Building and demand leprechauns replenish the U.S. Treasury.
Paul R
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Paul R
I’ve been wondering for a long time what Sarvis is smoking. He seems to be the last supposed advocate for gay vets NOT demanding Obama freeze discharges as he legally can, and now Mary’s returning to the Mary Jane pipe dream that despite the fact that there aren’t enough members of Congress yet who support outright repeal, not even a repeal bill introduced in the Senate yet, they might vote for an end run amendment to another bill. First it was the Defense appropriations bill. DIDN’T HAPPEN. Now, the authorization bill. NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
No wonder gays keep jumping the sinking USS SLDN. No wonder you don’t see Dan Choi wearing an SLDN button. No wonder a group of young gay Iraq-era vets have created their own anti-DADT group, Servicemembers United. No wonder that they, including former Marine Eric Alva, the first American soldier wounded in the invasion of Iraq, announced today they’re partnering with not SLDN but HRC for an anti-DADT
“Voices of Honor” speaking tour.
http://www.hrc.org/sites/voicesofhonor/index.asp
[img]http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/btb/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/ericalva.jpg[/img]
M Shane
The logistical fact of the matter is that the Senate is not going to pass a Bill which presumes the reversal of DADT (or anything similar) before they know it will be reversed. Then if they don’t pass the reversal, what will they do with the soldiers who were kept despite DADT?
This is just common sense- anyone who thjinks that sort of thing can happen in the circumstances has been snorting fairy dust.
It’s really a similar problem as that facing Obama in writing an executive order allaying action on DADT, only it would be concienvable in a very rare case in which the Senate was just delayed from action by something other than indecision.
I am happy to see some activism on the part of members of the community.