It Is Time to End Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
“It is worth considering the meaning of patriotism because the question of who is, or is not a patriot all too often poisons our political debates, in ways that divide us rather than bringing us together. Throughout our history, men and women of far greater stature and significance than me have had their patriotism questioned in the midst of momentous debates. Thomas Jefferson was accused by the Federalists of selling out to the French. The anti-Federalists were just as convinced that John Adams was in cahoots with the British and intent on restoring monarchal rule. Likewise, even our wisest Presidents have sought to justify questionable policies on the basis of patriotism. Adams’ Alien and Sedition Act, Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus, Roosevelt’s internment of Japanese Americans – all were defended as expressions of patriotism, and those who disagreed with their policies were sometimes labeled as unpatriotic. I also believe that patriotism must, if it is to mean anything, involve the willingness to sacrifice, to give up something we value on behalf of a larger cause. For those who have fought under the flag of this nation. In other words, the use of patriotism as a political sword or a political shield is as old as the Republic.” President Obama
The U.S. Military is seeking to expand its forces by an additional 48,000 troops over the next four years. Americans have constantly heard how difficult it has become for the Armed Forces to recruit qualified men and women in an all volunteer military.
Yet this same military has discharged more than 13,000 qualified, highly skilled military personnel in the past few years and has spent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to do so.
Why, because of a not-so-little policy of DADT. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, implemented by President Bill Clinton in 1994 has lead to this massive discharge of military troops including approximately 800 who possess ‘mission critical’ skills, such as combat engineers, Arabic linguists and military pilots. This makes absolutely no sense.
The Cost – The Government Accountability Office, in 2005, reported the cost of discharging and replacing military personnel fired because of their sexual orientation cost the country in the first 10 years of DADT at least $199.5 million, approximately $20,000 per discharged service member. When factoring in the cost of training those discharged officer, sailors, Marines, airmen and Coast Guardsmen, the cost to taxpayers jumped to $363.8 million, according to a recent study by the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara. This is a complete waste of taxpayer money.
Support for Repeal of DADT – A recent ABC/Washington Post opinion poll found increasing civilian acceptance of gays serving in the military. Seventy-five percent of Americans in the poll said gay people who are open about their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the military, up from 62 percent in early 2001 and 44 percent in 1993.
A December 2006 Zogby International poll found that 73 percent of military personnel said that they were comfortable interacting with gay people. More importantly, of those who responded to the question, “Do you agree or disagree with allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military,” roughly 63 percent of respondents either agreed or were neutral.
In November 17, 2008, more than 100 retired generals and admirals called for repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays so they can serve openly, according to a statement obtained by The Associated Press. “As is the case with Great Britain, Israel, and other nations that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion, and sexuality,” the officers wrote.
The officers’ statement points to data showing there are about 1 million gay and lesbian veterans in the United States, and about 65,000 gays and lesbians currently serving in the military.
The statement signed by Larson and other top brass reads:
“We — the undersigned — respectfully call for the repeal of the ‘don’t ask-don’t tell’ policy. Those of us endorsing this letter have dedicated our lives to defending the rights of our citizens to believe whatever they wish. Scholarly data shows there are approximately 1 million gay and lesbian veterans in the United States today as well as 65,000 gays and lesbians currently serving in our armed forces. They have served our nation honorably. We support the recent comments of former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. John Shalikashvili, who has concluded that repealing the ‘don’t ask-don’t tell’ policy would not harm and would indeed help our armed forces. As is the case with Great Britain, Israel and other nations that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion and sexuality. Such collaboration reflects the strength and the best traditions of our democracy.”
Additionally, The Army Times in 2007 A coalition of gay rights groups has launched a renewed assault on the U.S. military’s controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, marking its 14th anniversary by planting 12,000 U.S. flags on the National Mall to recognize troops discharged over the policy and releasing a letter signed by 28 retired general and flag officers calling on Congress to repeal it.
“We respectfully urge Congress to repeal the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy,” the letter stated. “Those of us signing this letter have dedicated our lives to defending the rights of our citizens to believe whatever they wish. As Gen. Colin Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs said when the … policy was enacted; it is not the place of the military or those in senior leadership to make moral judgments.”
Repealing DADT is not a religious issue, not a Christian issue; it is a government issue and goes directly to the heart of helping to keep America safe. It speaks directly to political discrimination touted by the right wing, religious zealots and Republicans, with fear and untruths to manipulate Americans. It is an American issue, a taxpayer issue, a human rights issue, a fairness issue.
The U.S. Justice Department told congressional leaders in April 2009 that it would not seek Supreme Court review of a May 2008 ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals which cast doubt on the constitutionality of discharging gay and lesbian soldiers from the military for revealing their sexual orientation and required military officials to justify each dismissal.
Congressman Joe Sestak (D-PA) a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral and highest-ranking former military officer to serve in Congress “And I think this is indicative of the kind of quality of man and woman that we have lost (referring to First Lieutenant Dan Choi). Look, I went to war, and we knew by survey that when I went to war that we had a certain percentage in that carrier battle group, and when I was on the ground briefly in Afghanistan, that were gay. And now we come back to America and say they don’t have equal rights. I’ve never understood it. This is something where we have to correct this. It’s just not right.”
Three examples of DADT discharges – The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and the Huffington Post writes about Lieutenant Colonel Victor J. Fehrenbach, an 18-year combat aviator, flying numerous missions against Taliban and al-Qaida targets in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the longest combat mission in his squadron’s history. Handpicked on September 11, 2001, he flew sorties above the nation’s capital. He received at least 30 awards and decorations including nine air medals, one of them for heroism, as well as campaign medals for Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Since 1987, when Fehrenbach entered Notre Dame on a full Air Force ROTC scholarship, the government has invested twenty-five million dollars in training and equipping him to serve his country.
First Lieutenant Dan Choi, a West Point graduate and an Arabic linguist served as an infantry officer in Iraq.
Consider: Stephen Benjamin, former Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class and more than 58 Arabic linguists have been kicked out since “don’t ask, don’t tell” was instituted.
How much valuable intelligence could those men and women be providing today to troops in harm’s way? The lack of qualified translators has been a pressing issue for some time – the Army had filled only half its authorized positions for Arabic translators in 2001. Cables went un-translated on Sept. 10 that might have prevented the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. Today, the American Embassy in Baghdad has nearly 1,000 personnel, but only a handful of fluent Arabic speakers. We allow interrogators to waterboard detainees and then banish a soldier who can tell us what that detainee is saying. Absurd!!!
The Bottom Line – As the U.S. Military strives to attract and recruit sufficient numbers of soldiers to help keep America safe, the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell polices continues to undermine their efforts.
President Obama said during last year’s campaign that gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military. But he has not made the issue a priority, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates told an interviewer in late March that any change was “down the road a little bit.”
It is a sad commentary on political ignorance when decorated and honorable men and women are rejected, discriminated against and ‘kicked out’ of the military.
As we near Memorial Day I will remember the brave American men and women, including my own son, both gay and straight, valiantly fighting to keep America safe. My hope, my prayer is that ignorance will be overcome with logic, facts and common sense and that President Obama will once and for all end the discriminatory policy of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Otherwise, this is sheer madness!
Filed under: Gay Americans
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