This weekend in the U.S., many of us celebrated the repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” the statute that allowed individuals to be discharged from the military for being openly gay. For many, this represents a Presidential promise made by Bill Clinton, that is finally being fulfilled.
- See Ending ‘Don’t Ask’ Lets Obama Fulfill Another Clinton Promise By Ron Elving
Although this is some evidence that President Obama’s sometimes subtle political techniques, seem to be working, those supporting the repeal should still be concerned that there is currently no timeline for the process of implementation.
- See How Will the Military Integrate Openly Gay Soldiers? By Elspeth Reeve.
- See Also, from NPR, It Will Still Be Months Before ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Is Gone By Mark Memmott
Some might ask, what about our troops, how is this affecting their ability to function on the battlefield. The Marines for one intend to do just what they have always done, they intend to follow orders and to lead the way, but don’t take my word for it. In spite of his own personal opinions regarding the repeal, here’s what General James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps had to say in the New York Times article entitled A How-To Guide for a New Military “the Marine Corps will step out smartly to faithfully implement this new policy.”
While this progressive move by the U.S. government, distinguishes our culture of human rights from that of countries like Uganda, where being openly gay is illegal, the U.S. Senate giveth and the U.S. Senate taketh away.
From NPR, See:
- Anti-Gay Atmosphere Permeates Uganda By Barbara Bradley Hagerty (Audio or transcript)
- Senate Votes To Repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
- Senate Republicans Block A Pathway To Citizenship By Richard Gonzales (Audio or transcript)
- Their argument: It is wrong to reward the children of illegal immigrants for their illegal action of allowing their parents to bring them to the U.S., even if these “children” have served in the U.S. military.
ThomChat 