At this writing DADT or, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, has cleared the filibuster in the Senate by a wide margin of 63-33. The vote advances the Pentagon’s ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military to a floor vote where by all accounts it will pass. The result would be a repeal of the 17 year old Clinton-era policy.
This from Captain Nathan Cox, USMC:
“In the end, Marines in combat will treat sexual orientation the same way they treat race, religion and one’s stance on the likelihood of the Patriots winning another Super Bowl. I do not believe the intense desire we all feel as Marines to accomplish the mission and protect each other will be affected in the slightest by knowing the sexual orientation of the man or woman next to us…. I believe the reluctance many Marines feel about repeal is based on the false stereotype, borne out of ignorance, that homosexuals don’t do things like pull other Marines from burning vehicles. The truth is, they do it all the time. We simply don’t know it because they can’t tell us.”
Though personally I wish DADT would stand, sexuality doesn’t matter on the battlefield according to Captain Cox.
_____
UPDATE on Repealing DADT: DADT has been repealed by a final vote of 65-31. There were 6 (R)’s who joined the 57 (D)’s to close the deal. The (R)’s were: Brown, Collins, Kirk, Murkowski, Snowe, and Voinovich – not altogether surprising imho. Oh, and hey West Virginia… your newly elected conservative governor-turned- senator chickened out on the vote; both on this bill and on the now dead (thank God) DREAM Nightmare Act. Way to take a stand huh?
BTW, some SoD Gates has said that if DADT hadn’t been repealed here, it would have been overturned in the courts. We’ll never know. The bill is now heading to Obama for his signature, turning it into law.
Simon says: With so little time in this congress, why do this now? How many jobs will this create? How many hungry children will this feed? How many fat children will be starved so Moochelle can feel validated?
Mark says: The repeal of this is really too bad and completely unnecessary. Now because of all the propaganda, the spinelessness of our politicians and Gates, and faux outrage of the Left, watch how many soldiers, sailors, airman, & marines refuse to reenlist!. Watch how many will demand to be kicked out of the military. Watch all the drama you get from man on man/girl on girl sexual harassment cases. Unnecessary especially in war time.
Bill says: O pleeeeeeze Mark. Young people, those who will be in the military, really don’t care about DADT. They just want to fight and win. It’s only been an issue for the conservative far right politicians and the evangelicals that support them. Enough of the fearmongering
Mark says: @Bill
There is no room for displaying personal sexual preferences, political opinions or anything else in the military. This will do nothing but cause problems. Wait for it.
Mark says: This repeal is the wussification of our military.
Bill says: LMFAO! With the stripping away of DADT, you Neocons have no whipping boy in Gays anymore. But you still have Muslims and Latinos to scorn and kick around. Your circle of discrimination is shrinking and pretty soon you cons will be in the minority with all your hatred, blubbering, and sniveling.
My work here is finished. Good day.
Jimmy says: You guys are overreacting. The gays who are currently serving in the military in a professional manner will most likely continue to serve the military in a professional manner, and those who have kept their sexual orientation private for years under DADT will likely continue to keep it private without DADT, quite simply, because they are mature enough to realize that straight people want nothing to do, see, hear, or know about homosexuality. Its repulsive to them, and always will be. Even the most liberal straight man wants nothing to do with a gay flirting with him, hitting on him, or talking to him about gay sex.
Cindy says: Hello???? There are already gays serving in the military and have been since we’ve had a military. Next hurdle: Gay marriage rights.
AmVet says: The American Armed Forces just became the laughingstock of the rest of the world, and especially those who seek to destroy us. They are laughing with glee at this absurdity. Henceforth, the Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard will become the dating place and bath houses for the homosexual deviants of the Nation. Those of us who have been so very proud of our children as they answered the call to serve our country will now carry a sense of shame..as will our children. The Democratzi have long sought to destroy America’s ability to defend itself, and Obama and his sycophants have just achieved it.
There is a smell of revolution and civil war in the air. Keep this up and real patriots may just decide that enough, is more then enough. Keep it up you Nazis.
Thank you Barry Sotero for invading and destroying our country. We have just about had it with you and your socialist ideals.
Your name will be cursed in the annals of history by Freedom loving people for centuries to come. You arrogant, ignorant jerk.
lisa says: “and one’s stance on the likelihood of the Patriots winning another Super Bowl.”
the best football team in the history of the universe winning another superbowl is not exactly controversial,
now the cubs going above .500, … that would be controversial
CC says: Making it “legal” is one thing; making it work is quite another. Take it from this Lieutenant Colonel int the Army JAG Corps: the current rules against sexual harassment, fraternization, unbecoming conduct, and other prohibitions against deviant behavior are about to get a vigorous workout. Openly homosexual soldiers will get a chilly reception in the U.S. military.
Gabriela Garver says: There will be hell to pay. America is going down the drain under the gay juggernaut (see: Rise and Fall of Rome). Will we awaken in time to turn back the destructive moral and spiritual forces that are being unleashed in our society and on our nation? Hm, have to wait and see on that one. Fasten your seat belts, it is sure to be a bumpy ride down.
bill – this from one of my facebook career military friends who’s a bit upset over the lifting of dadt:
“A closer reading of the fine print in the newly released #DADT Pentagon survey shows our troops answered as follows:
Q41 Was the effect on the unit’s ability to work together (knowing a fellow troop was gay)…Mostly neg or equally neg/pos 84.1%. Pos 15.9%
Q45. If you had a leader whom you believed was gay or lesbian…9% positive, 91% negative or mixed impact on unit’s performance. #DADT
Q66. If open homosexuality impacts combat performance, is the impact…9% positive, 91% negative or mixed impact. #DADT
Q68c. 85% Marine Combat Arms, 75% Army Combat Arms, 64% overall say Neg, Very Neg, or Mixed impact on unit trust if #DADT repealed.
Q71. 11% feel pos or very pos abt permitting open homosexuality in field environment or out @ sea. 60% neg or mixed. 19% no effect. #DADT
Q73. 5% say repeal would positively boost morale. 41% say neg or mixed impact morale. Rest no effect or don’t know. #DADT
Q80. 6% will pos recommend svc 2 others after repeal. 94% feel neg, mixed, no effect, or don’t know abt recommend military svc 2 others.
Q81. 24% (500,000 thousand) will leave the military or think abt leaving sooner than planned. #DADT
Q90. 29% wld take no action if assigned open shwrs w/ gays. 71% would shower @ other times, complain 2 ldrship or chaplains, or don’t know”
just a few i lifted from his facebook wall….
AMVET 2 says: This is for AMVET, who thinks America’s military is now the laughing stock of the world. If you only knew how many of us “gays” took care of your butt while you were in the service, we are in all areas of military life, payroll, medical, support services and yes we even gave our lives in combat. Get over it ! and be thankful for OUR service as well.
Ken says: “It’s only been an issue for the conservative far right politicians and the evangelicals that support them. Enough of the fearmongering”
Really? Because I could have sworn DADT was enacted under Bill Clinton. Is he a “far right politician”? Please explain. Enough of the “evil right wing Christian conservative” crap.
I think there will be problems that will have to be dealt with, but all in all I have no problem with this. Gays have been serving in the military for years and I, for one, think our military is quite professional enough to deal with it.
Thanks to ALL of our veterans!!!!
17 Comments