Obama Didn’t Ask Or Tell In Meeting With Anti-Gay American Legion
In just 19 days, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will officially be repealed, opening the door for gay and lesbian servicemembers to serve proudly and openly. So when President Obama met with representatives from the American Legion at the organization’s national convention on Tuesday, you’d think the topic might come up.
You’d be wrong.
Discussing the U.S. military’s successes in a post-9/11 world, Obama told the 6,000 people attending the forum in Minneapolis that America must not forget the debt it owes to its men and women in uniform.
“As today’s wars end, as our troops come home, we’re reminded once more of our responsibilities to all who have served. For the bond between our forces and our citizens is a sacred trust. And for me and my administration, upholding that trust isn’t just a matter of policy. It’s not about politics. It’s a moral obligation.”
But the American Legion supports Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell—and, well, we’re coming up on an election year—so the Prez didn’t mention how enabling the repeal is an example of how his administration is bearing its responsibility to LGBT military personnel. You’d think he’d want to brag about it, but no.
Even now, as DADT is circling the drain, the Legion has some worries about the repeal. Communications director John Raughter told Metro Weekly:
“The American Legion has some concerns about how the new policy will be implemented,” he said. “We’re particularly concerned about military chaplains and those who may hold some strong beliefs that they not be penalized for those beliefs.”
Oh, sorry, we thought wars were won by grunts, seamen and flyboys, not Army chaplains.
The next time you walk by an American Legion hall and see a bunch of old guys drinking, be sure to ask them when the next tea dance is.
Image via The National Guard
More religious people insisting on special rights. Shocka!
It should be noted that the author of the First Amendment, James Madison, was explicitly and unambiguously opposed to using the public fisc to pay legislative and military chaplains.
The danger of silent accumulations & encroachments by Ecclesiastical Bodies have not sufficiently engaged attention in the U.S…
Strongly guarded as is the separation between Religion & Govt in the Constitution of the United States the danger of encroachment by Ecclesiastical Bodies, may be illustrated by precedents already furnished in their short history. (See the cases in which negatives were put by J. M. on two bills passd by Congs and his signature withheld from another. See also attempt in Kentucky for example, where it was proposed to exempt Houses of Worship from taxes.)
The most notable attempt was that in Virga to establish a Genl assessment for the support of all Xn sects…The opponents of the amendment having turned the feeling as well as judgment of the House agst it, by successfully contending that the better proof of reverence for that holy name wd be not to profane it by making it a topic of legisl. discussion, & particularly by making his religion the means of abridging the natural and equal rights of all men, in defiance of his own declaration that his Kingdom was not of this world. This view of the subject was much enforced by the circumstance that it was espoused by some members who were particularly distinguished by their reputed piety and Christian zeal….
Is the appointment of Chaplains to the two Houses of Congress consistent with the Constitution, and with the pure principle of religious freedom?
In strictness the answer on both points must be in the negative. The Constitution of the U. S. forbids everything like an establishment of a national religion. The law appointing Chaplains establishes a religious worship for the national representatives, to be performed by Ministers of religion…paid out of the national taxes…paid by the entire nation…
Better also to disarm in the same way, the precedent of Chaplainships for the army and navy, than erect them into a political authority in matters of religion. The object of this establishment is seducing; the motive to it is laudable. But is it not safer to adhere to a right pinciple, and trust to its consequences, than confide in the reasoning however specious in favor of a wrong one…
James Madison, Detached Memoranda, ca. 1817, W. & M. Q., 3d ser., 3:554-60 1946
In 1986, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit seemed to believe that they had a better understanding of the meaning of the First Amendment than Madison. They felt it would be just too darn burdensome to require religions to finance their own proselytizing and rituals, deciding instead it was far more sensible to require everyone, even nonbelievers, to pay for the US military’s uniformed Chaplain Corps, their salaries, facilities, programs and materials, all of which is self-evidently an unconstitutional religious establishment of the federal government’s invention.
As usual the self-styled patriots know the least about actual American patriots.
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Well there has been only one veteran whose opinion truly matters to me — my dad’s. When I came out to my parents 31 years ago, before heading home, my dad gave me a super huge hug and said “whatever makes you happy is as valid as my desires or your brothers’.” He then asked whether I was happy, and I gave him a huge hug back, and said “I am now.” My dad enlisted after graduating from Brooklyn Tech in 1943, served in the navy in the Pacific. Twice he held best of friends as they died during attacks, fighting in the Battle of Okinowa and Tokyo (among others). He witnessed the surrender of Japan from the deck of his ship.
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Those old farts have forgotten the many times they rubbed out each other in, or on the way to or from, Korea and ‘Nam.
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@Mav: Last I heard, there were only two of them in that unhappy situation.
The Chaplains who find themselves unsuitable for military service should be told what the Dean of students at Dallas Theological Seminary once told me when I was trying to enroll, “We don’t think you’d like it here. You should go somewhere else.”
Long story behind this little adventure . . .
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I love Queerty but didn’t you guys say you’d do better about spell checking? Hire an editor guys.
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How many of these bigoted old bastards had to be reminded to call him “Mr. President”, and not “boy”?
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More religious assholery, I see. No surprise here. I hope I live to see the day when an atheist is elected POTUS. I fear it is the only time we will finally be free from the chains of religious bigotry.
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“The government shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
That is a direct quote from the US Constitution. Therefore, all of the campaigning on religious grounds is yes, ILLEGAL.
Why is it being allowed?
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The only “penalty” is that chaplains will not get to use their religions against the young men and women sacrificing part of their lives to serve this country, which they shouldn’t be doing in the first-damned-place.
^ Realized this could be read wrong. Didn’t mean gays shouldn’t serve, just meant that chaplains shouldn’t drink the haterade.
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@Mav: Haterade is the beverage of choice in America, and in particular in the military and government, didn’t you know?
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@Shannon1981: That’s…not a direct quote. The First Amendment specifies “Congress”, not “The government” as your post suggests.
Also, the Establishment clause doesn’t prevent people and even politicians from using their religion as a guideline. Essentially, it means that Congress (later extended to the State governments) cannot pass laws that favor one religion over another, or establish a national religion like some countries have.
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Its NO WONDER ,Al ,VFW,have problems getting younger vets to join..99% of the posts are still firmly in the clutches of the ‘old guard”. Read ‘early last century’ mentality here.Most young vets want nothing to do with these narrow minded dinosaurs,with their obsessive rules n regulations,and general contempt for anyone under 75. Sadly, its much worse south of the line.
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I come from a family that has Served since the War of 1812. I’m the only non-handicapped man not to do so because I was “Raised Right” and refused to Lie when they asked about “Homosexual Activity”(this was back in the late 70′s, ‘Hair’ nonwithstanding;>). Hopefully, in another decade folks won’t have to decide on dishonoring themselves to honor their country….
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Speaking of DADT – http://OutMilitary.com has been providing a supportive environment for friending, sharing and networking between Gay active military, vets and supporters since December, 2010
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@Riker: Congress IS the government, Riker. And, besides that, they are making laws that adhere to the religious beliefs over groups with other beliefs or no belief. The anti gay shit is a direct result of Fundamentalist Christianity. You cannot deny that. That is exactly what it is. Everything based in that needs to be abolished immediately.
Religion is a poison that seeps into the fabric of society and eats away at it like the cancer it is, forcing us all to abide by the laws of an ancient book of lies. Disgusting,and, yes, illegal.
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FL Teen Arrested For Same-Sex Relationship Considers Plea Deal
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“We’re particularly concerned about military chaplains and those who may hold some strong beliefs that they not be penalized for those beliefs.”
The only “penalty” is that chaplains will not get to use their religions against the young men and women sacrificing part of their lives to serve this country, which they shouldn’t be doing in the first-damned-place.