Wed Feb 03, 2010 at 09:45:00 AM EST
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Hearings were held in the Senate yesterday on repealing don't ask, don't tell in the Military. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified and made his belief clear:"It is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do," Mullen said. "We have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me, personally, it comes down to integrity - theirs as individuals and ours as institutions," Mullen added. I could not agree more, but Republicans complained that he was not letting the military do a fair review. Defense Secretary Gates said he wants a yearlong review of the policy:Both Gates and Mullen pleaded with lawmakers for time to implement the repeal, but also stressed that a final decision rests with Congress. They noted the law cannot be repealed through executive action.
Should Congress approve new legislation repealing the law, Gates urged lawmakers to give the military at least a year to implement it. For his part, Senator Lautenberg doesn't want any more delays and put out this statement saying he wants to see the policy end now: "No American should be barred from serving in our military simply because of their sexual orientation," stated Lautenberg, an Army veteran. "It is time to recognize the incredible sacrifices being made by all of America's military men and women and the future contributions that will be made if we end the discriminatory 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. Repealing 'don't ask, don't tell' is the right thing to do and I will fight to see this outdated policy overturned." Senator Carl Levin suggested that the 2011 defense authorization bill might be a way to implement a moratorium of the law until it is repealed. He offered concern that the Pentagon wouldn't make the change fast enough. To Mullen's statement, it seems like the opposite of how things should work when you have organization that is built on duty and honor, yet force the soldiers to violate that honor and conceal their true identity, so that people can feel more comfortable about things. At a time when we need the best and the brightest, we're limiting the field of candidates in order to accommodate and perpetuate a continued fear. It's also insulting to the soldiers themselves to have enough faith in them that they can defend our freedoms, but can't handle knowing their fellow soldier is gay. |
| Jason Springer :: Lautenberg wants prompt action to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell |
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