Obama and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
I'm stunned, flummoxed, and flabberghasted.
I'm not a single-issue voter, but I can't hide the fact that Obama's apparent firing of an openly gay member of the military under that disgustingly atrocious piece of garbage legislation known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is extremely disappointing to me and does some serious damage to Obama in my eyes.
Believe me, I want to try to find some rationale that would make this shocking thing seem less so, but I can come at it by every which angle and there's just no getting around it. As Aaron Belkin notes, Obama could have stopped this legally, easily, and instantaneously; but he didn't. He could have effectively ended "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" with a stroke of the pen, and had both the public's support and the cause of justice and moral righteousness on his side; but he didn't. Obama, as Commander-in-Chief, could exercise some authority over this issue; but he hasn't. Worse is that he doesn't even seem likely to.
Obama better change course on this soon, and live up to his clear campaign promise, or my enthusiasm (and support) for him will start to drop like the recent stock market.
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2 comments:
While this issue isn't one I would ever be likely to cast a vote over, I tend to agree that it is time to do away with 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'. Either keep gays out of the military altogether, or let them be openly gay while enlisted... but playing 'pretend' is childish and helps no one.
At any rate, I too am suprised Obama didn't override the firing, although it way down towards the bottom of the list on things he has done that offend me.
The military is not ready for open gays in the ranks. Too many people are forced to share accommodations to be able to provide adequate facilities. The military must first solve the problem of providing living quarters that do not place people who would (or might possibly want) to engage in a sexual relationship with those that they share facilities with. These types of situations do reduce the ability of a unit to conduct its mission.
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