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Oh Defense Sec. Robert Gates, you’re adorable! Talking about your “smart” and “stupid way to do change.” Like asking service personnel about whether repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell makes them feel bad or sad, or thinking about the things that they never had. Please rewind 62 years and see if the then-president asked around to see if white soldiers were okay with integrating their units with blacks, or vice versa.
Funny, because this is the most asking the military has done about DADT — and the stupidest way to go about it.
jason
Gates is just looking for oppositon – even a tiny amount – to gays serving openly. He’s basically searching for an excuse to keep this disgraceful DADT policy in place. It’s an abomination that Obama hasn’t taken Gates by the scruff of the neck and pulled him into line.
Cam
It’s funny isn’t it. They didn’t seem to ask soldiers before they changed the policy on how long and how many times they had to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan. No, they completely changed those guidelines in spite of the fact that the soldiers had been promised something completely different when they enlisted.
they don’t ask the soldiers in the morning if they feel like running an obsticle course in Basic Training, they don’t ask the soldiers if they want to go home etc…
Funny how this is the only area where Gates seems to give a shit what the soldiers think. Would be because he’s a bigot now would it? Good thing he wasn’t in charge when the military was desegregated. We’d still be trying to get that done.
jason
What Gates is doing is a tired old tactic of seeking opposition to lifting the DADT policy, and then using this to justify his own opposition to lifting it. He’s looking for back-up. Obama needs back-up too. Keep in mind that Obama instructed Gates to write that letter opposing the lifting of DADT. It is a co-ordinated set-up, mark my words.
Baxter
Last time I checked, our military is not a democracy. You are given orders and you follow them. Are soldiers going to get to vote on every command decision now?
Jaroslaw
Hold on Cam & Bax – I understand what you’re saying but if this stuff really does affect “unit cohesion” then it might be a tiny bit valid. Before you jump on my neck, remember it probably is valid to some extent unless you no longer believe in homophobia, homo-hatred etc. And you are dealing with a lot of 20 year old rednecks too, not mature adults.
Where I have a problem is the military knows all this , knows who the great Gay soldiers are at least sometimes and does nothing to educate the masses. If not “sensitivity training” then at least explain what the consequences are for homophobic crap. Signorile is doing some letters from real (most ex-)soldiers who were honored while in. It is some really sad and totally wrong, reprehensible stuff. EG the lesbian got found out by some guys and had to service them or sacrifice her career.
Hurray for defending our democratic republic!
Bill Perdue
This ugliness is all too familiar.
Gates is doing a replay of what JCS Chairman Colon Powell, bigot and war criminal, and Sam Nunn, Democrat, racist and bigot did when eliminating military bigotry was first introduced in 1993.
Obama is doing a replay of what Clinton did. DADT was Clinton’s unprincipled solution to JCS opposition to ending military violence and harassment of GLBT folks. DADT codified, endorsed and facilitated military bigotry. Along with DOMA, DADT was part of Clinton’s legacy of anti-GLBT hatred. It created an atmosphere that promoted harassment, murder and unfair treatment.
One of its worst effects was that it made being in the closet a legal requirement, ruining the lives untold tens of thousands of LGBT soldiers, air crew, marines and sailors.
DADT is a disaster for us and anyone who defends it is on the wrong side of the trenches.
Mike L.
I wonder what would happen if male soldiers were asked whether women should still be able to serve, and white soldiers where blacks (or other racial/ethnic minorities) should still be able to serve. Just to see what happens it would be an interesting discussion.
Oh! Also ask xtian soldiers (which I think prolly make up the majority) whether muslims or atheists or wiccans and other religious minorities whould still be able to serve.
Just for knowledge’s sake. It would just be interesting. I mean how come they don’t say muslims shouldn’t serve b/c they might shoot to miss at other muslims, or women might have the hots for some male enemy so she would be a liability, these are just as stupid if not less actually than the stereotypes they have about gays/lesbians/bis serving in the military.
Michael
It is insane how obviously full of it this whole thing is.
“Gee, Uncle Sam, do you think for the first time in our history we should maybe see if our military men and women might be ‘OK’ with our new policy?”
WTF is this? Club Med?
WalkderDC
Did they allow the soldiers to vote on minorities or women being let into the military? No.