Here’s the anticipated sit down with First Lt. Dan Choi, the Obama administration’s first dismissal of an Arabic linguist under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. You already know where we stand on the matter, and how detrimental the Obama White House’s refusal to act on the campaign promise to repeal the policy. As Choi tells Rachel Maddow, his dismissal is not just a personal insult, but declares members of his own unit “suffered” because there was a gay person serving with them.
If Choi resigns now, he would receive an honorable discharge.
He’s not going to do that. He plans on fighting the “charge.”
OldFAQ
Good for Lt. Choi. DADT was wrong under Clinton and it’s grotesquely wrong under Obama. 15 years of myopic, institutional bigotry & discrimination is enough. Yes, it might take a few months to get Congress on board to repeal this act but Obama can issue an executive order immediately halting all DADT discharges pending the repeal. As Congressman Sestak, a former 3 star Admiral, said to Choi on the Maddow show; “Thank you for your service to your country.” OK, Commander-in-Chief, time to pony up. Do the right thing.
JohnV
Everyone should be calling the White House.
202-456-1111
Lee
The note to Lt. Tsao, far from reassuring, raises another alarm, for it does NOT reiterate the President’s promises to “repeal” DADT but speaks, again, of “changing” it.
Not only does no dictionary/thesaurus declare “repeal” and “change” synonyms, but there is historical reason, both recent and older, as well as Mr. Obama’s known care with the right word, to be concerned. Is his word choice evidence that the temporary replacement of “repeal” with “changing” in the recent Scrabble game played on WhiteHouse.gov was no accident, but, rather, indicative of a new intention, yet revealed or explained to us, to tinker with rather than trash DADT?
Further, it seems to have been forgotten, but for a period of time only changing the ban policy created during WWII was discussed during the Clinton administration. Specifically, the idea was put forth of segregating soldiers from non-gay soldiers in such situations as military housing, job assignments, promotions, and deployment. Are those the matches that President Obama is considering playing with?
One hopes, rather, that he will soon return to the excellent outline for action that he promised in November of 2007:
“As President, I will work with Congress and place the weight of my administration behind enactment of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which will make nondiscrimination the official policy of the U.S. military. I will task the Defense Department and the senior command structure in every branch of the armed forces with developing an action plan for the implementation of a full repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell. And I will direct my Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to develop procedures for taking re-accession requests from those qualified service members who were separated from the armed forces under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and still want to serve their country. The eradication of this policy will require more than just eliminating one statute. It will require the implementation of anti-harassment policies and protocols for dealing with abusive or discriminatory behavior as we transition our armed forces away from a policy of discrimination. The military must be our active partners in developing those policies and protocols. That work should have started long ago. It will start when I take office. America is ready to get rid of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. All that is required is leadership.”
With that final sentence, Mr. Obama, echoed exactly the unchallengeable conclusion of the 500-page 1993 Rand Corporation Study, paid for with taxpayer dollars but lost in the firestorm ignited by President Clinton’s call for equality for gay and lesbian servicemembers, fueled by the bigotry and willful ignorance led by Bob Dole, Sam Nunn, Colin Powell, and some Presidential advisors, and fanned by the Antigay Industry.
Yes, there are still some determined arsonists stalking and salivating over any attempt to make 66 years of wrong right. But, as poll after poll documents, the American people are no longer kindling nor cord wood for them, and any attempt by them to rub two lies together, damage to unit cohesion and gays as sexual predators, will ultimately only burn their fingers.
Amazingly, sadly, we have come full circle to what Leonard Matlovich said in 1975: the only excuses they have left are prejudice and discrimination.
Mr. President, it’s time to tell Congress: if “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is not wrong, nothing is wrong.
[img]http://www.leonardmatlovich.com/images/346_Button_flat.jpg[/img]
Jason
I can’t believe that none of you see this for what it is: an amazing opportunity that our current administration is handling brilliantly.
Choi is Rosa Parks all over again: A perfect symbol of who an idiotic law or practice hurts, and why that law or practice should change.
Just as Parks didn’t sit where she sat and when by coincidence or happenstance, neither is Choi coming forward now out of coincidence or happenstance.
So everybody relax: Choi’s awesome, things are changing for the better, and Obama knows what he’s doing.
BradK
@Jason: I can’t figure out if you’re joking or not. If so, the LOLZ! But if not then it’s time to put on the coffee and open your eyes to the real world.
GNBRob
Keep on fighting Lt. Dan!
Bitch, please
Oh, listen to the outcry, “We were duped, hoodwinked, bamboozled!” Like that was a BIG surprise that Obama, or any US prez for that matter, would go against the “moral majority” to fight for gay equality. They have a second election to think of, queer people. Where do you think you are? In Canada? This is the US of A-the land where bigotry was and still is the law. The irony is that we then have the shameless hypocricy to point at human rights violations in other countries! “Pots of the world, meet the US kettle.”
jayfox
I want to thank First Lt. Dan Choi for his service to his country and to all gay men and women serving in the closet today. I served four years in the united states army and was a coward the whole time. I served in the closet my partner at the time was a Lt in the military police and would frequnetly set up raids of gay bars looking for gay and lesbian soldiers. ;o(
So many times did I want to stand up and yell this isnt right! But I didnt so I served my time got my honerable discharge. I was a coward I wish I woulkd have been half as brave as this fine soldier.
Jay
tommyb
i’m rooting for Dan!
Dennis
Dan Choi is going to be instrumental in getting DADT, repealed or at least, neutered, this year. He is the perfect example of how the policy damages our country…we need him and several other willing DADT GLBT’s to do a media tour, SOON. Show the country the talent and commitment our military is losing. Get public opinion (even more) in our favor, shame the homophobes into looking more out of touch than they already are, put pressure on Congress and the Pres, and again, this policy will be OVAH this year.
Gene
I think that LT Choi is brave and doing the honorable thing. He may be the spark that gets rid of DADT. One thing bothers me though. Why did an Arabic speaking West Point graduate, resign his regular commission and accept a national guard commission in the New York Army National Guard after five or six years in the Army? If he’s had enough of the Middle East and combat, being in the Natioinal Guard these days won’t protect him!