Was amazed and pleased to hear on NPR tonight that 75% of Americans now support repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell” and allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. The SF Chronicle has a good write up which points out the tremendous change in attitudes since the early 90’s, when the DADT policy was implemented and when only 44% of Americans opposed it.
According to the article, the ban has led to the discharge of over 12,000 servicemen and women, including over 800 in occupational categories deemed mission critical.
Over 50 retired senior officers have now signed on to the repeal, including including Gen. John Shalikashvili, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Should Obama win in November, Congressional Democrats are likely to seek its repeal. A promised Bush veto has stalled action this term.
John “W” McCain, on the other hand, is on record for continuing the DADT policy:
…open homosexuality within the military services presents an intolerable risk to morale, cohesion, and discipline…I believe the polarization of personnel and breakdown of unit effectiveness is too high a price to pay for well-intentioned but misguided efforts to elevate the interests of a minority of homosexual service members above those of their units. Most importantly, the national security of the United States, not to mention the lives of our men and women in uniform, are put at grave risk by policies detrimental to the good order and discipline which so distinguish America’s Armed Services. For these reasons, which have nothing to do with my personal judgments about homosexual behavior, I remain opposed to the open expression of homosexuality in the U.S. military.
Source: Letter to Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, April 16, 2007.
McCain’s ideology-driven position is unfortunate; no evidence supports the claim that lifting the ban would harm good order and discipline. Gays and lesbians now serve openly without issue in other militaries, including Britain’s and Israel’s.
a few videos from last week’s dadt congressional hearings can be seen here.
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p>like the 1913 laws, it is clear that the only reason to hang onto dadt is bigotry.