Barack Obama offered a straight answer to HRC’s straight-forward question: “If you are elected President, what concrete steps would you take to overturn ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?’”.
Unlike John Edwards, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden, the Illinois Senator actually tells voters what he’ll do to overturn the military’s gay ban: sign the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, among other things.
And, like a good politician, he slyly reminds us that a Democrat – Bill Clinton – helped enact the discriminatory act. Clever.
Read all about it, after the jump…
Fourteen years ago, the Democratic Party faced a test of leadership, and our party failed that test. We had an opportunity to be leaders on the World stage in eliminating discrimination against gay and lesbian service members, to recognize the patriotism and heroism of the hundreds of thousands of gay and lesbian citizens who have served our country. Instead, we bowed to fear and prejudice. We were told that American soldiers weren’t ready to serve next to gay and lesbian comrades. We were told that our airmen, sailors and Marines would lose their “unit cohesion” if we implemented a policy of equality. And so, rather than embracing leadership and principle, we embraced Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – a policy that is antithetical to the values of honor and integrity that our military holds most dear. Patriotic gay and lesbian Americans are now told that they may serve their country only if they hide their true identities. They are forced to live a lie as the price of risking their lives for their country.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Fourteen years later, the United States of America lags far behind. We lag behind our military allies, who are repudiating discrimination against lesbian and gay soldiers in ever increasing numbers – in Great Britain, Canada, Israel, nearly every NATO member in Europe – all with no impact upon military readiness and performance. And our politicians lag behind the American people, who now call for the repeal of Don’t Ask,Don’t Tell in super-majority numbers. It is time for a change.
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.
DaHood
I am so thrilled that we might ha va black in power. Finally get even with the white folks who have shit on us. We shall over come – just wait!!!!
Dawster
in comparison, i can now see where Biden’s answer may have fallen a little short.
Leland Frances
Thanks that great insight, Dawster. You are truly a scholar.
Leland Frances
The above is another post from the psychopathic FAKE “Leland Frances” posing as moi.
Whoever you are, thank you for considering me such a “threat” that you have to try to discredit me with such fraud rather than challenging me directly under your own screen name. While I frequently disagree with Dawster, at least he has the integrity to post as himself. As for you, coward much?
Dawster
(1) it’s interesting that no one can tell the difference… although the constant “god talk” should be a clue.
(2) most rants seem to be off topic… legit rants seem to be more ON topic.
(3) i’m not really sure if this can be solved with going back to the “register to post” concept, or with strong medication (i would suggest Lithium). I’m pretty sure most people are convinced it’s actually two sides of your brain arguing… the god-fearing homo and the atheist activist. would make for a good made for t.v. movie (Sally Field can play your mother just for the symmetry of it all).
(4) i do agree with your other self… i am truly a scholar – so the impostor DOES speak some truth.
I think that it’s a complete “battle of the loons” (my opinion), one of the members in this head-to-head combat has definitely gone off the deep end today, and that’s a shame. i like my loons to have two feet on the ground.
you might need to start linking to a website (owned and maintained by you alone) or you might need to start hiding secret messages in your postings.
hisurfer
I feel like some jilted lover the morning after when his baby comes crawling home all full of apologies. ‘Cause I am still pissed that he was out in public with that slutty gospel singer, and I’m still not talking to him, but if Obama keeps sweet talking me like this then … well … maybe …
kel777
Make no mistake, DADT is coming to and end soon, and hard on its heels will be a draft. That is the ONLY reason DADT will be struck down.
As Bil Hicks said, “anyone dumb enough to join the military deserves to be in it”