Well, America: Here is your chance to weigh in on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. By America, of course, we mean only “active duty soldiers.” Oh, and their families.
We couldn’t believe it last month when we saw a letter from Air Force Sec. Michael Donley notifying servicemembers that they and their freakin’ families would soon have a chance to tell the Pentagon what they thought of the discriminatory policy. You know, because since when did the U.S. military care about the warm fuzzy feelings about its soldiers, let alone their spouses, when deciding policy that has a direct impact on national security?
But here it is. All part of Defense Sec. Robert Gates to give off the illusion of “investigating.” Reads a Defense Department release:
A new online inbox that enables servicemembers and their families to comment anonymously about the impact of a possible repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law has gone live.
The inbox will enable servicemembers and families to offer their thoughts about how a repeal of the law that prohibits gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military might affect military readiness, military effectiveness and unit cohesion, recruiting and retention, and family readiness, a defense official explained.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates created an intradepartment, interservice working group to conduct a fair, objective, comprehensive and dispassionate review of these issues, the official said. The online inbox is one method the group will use to systematically engage with the force and their families.
A non-Defense Department contractor will monitor comments made through the inbox and eliminate any identifiable information inadvertently submitted to ensure anonymity, the official said.
Supposedly you can access the “inbox” here, but we’ve been trying all morning and it’s offline. Like this ridiculous stunt should be.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Meanwhile, the inbox is, allegedly, “anonymous,” which means the Pentagon can’t trace back who is submitting what. (The idea that the Pentagon isn’t tracking who’s doing what on its website, however, is a whole other conspiracy theory I don’t have time for.) So how does the inbox ensure that only active duty personnel and their families are the ones contributing, and not, say, subscribers to the Family Research Council’s email list?
Or readers of Queerty?
Lamar
Why don’t we just cut the crap and let someone demonstrate how being gay affects “military readiness, military effectiveness and unit cohesion, recruiting and retention, and family readiness”.
L.Single
First, don’t assume that the feedback will be overwhelmingly negative. My cousins who have served in Iraq have told me about guys they knew who were gay or who they suspected were gay and regretted that they didn’t feel comfortable telling them.
Second, Queerty, why not encourage everyone who has a sibling, spouse, nephew, cousin, second cousin, daughter etc who serves or has served in the military contribute. There are plenty of LGBT people who qualify as servicemembers’ families. Let’s take advantage of that.
Third, to me this smacks of letting everyone who wants to speak up about DADT repeal so that they feel heard and then going about doing exactly what they were going to do anyway. Now when Republicans say “Did you ask servicemembers’ families?” repeal supporters can say yes. Why is that a bad thing?
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
“family readiness”………Since when does Grandma need to be ready for battle??
Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com
@L.Single:
Oh, Mary, PUL-LEEZE! Have you been IN A COMA the last three months while the Obama-Gates Charade of PRETENDING they want repeal has played out?
And why should ANYONE’s family get to vote on anyone else’s rights? Have you forgotten Gates’ additional categories he says they must have input from: their “influencers” and “the broader military community”?
Where was the “Tell Us What You Think About Invading Iraq and Afghanistan” box?
Where is the box for “Soldiers On Their Way to Afghanistan We Know Are Gay But Will Only Discharge If They Make It Back to the States Alive”?
[img]http://ndn1.newsweek.com/media/93/dover-iraq-coffins-NA03-vl-vertical.jpg[/img]
JamesStone
Before they lifted the racial segregation years ago did they let the white folks chime in on what it would be like to sleep under the same roof with the “negroes ” How ridiculous! !!