Congress Repeals ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

The Senate voted to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that prohibits openly gay people from serving in the U.S. military. The policy forced 14,000 men and women to leave military service since 1993. 10,000 of these personnel were language specialists, so it’s no wonder that we have no idea what is going on in Iraq or Afghanistan.

“I don’t care who you love. If you love this country enough to risk your life for it, you should be able to serve as you are. Today the Senate has the opportunity to be on the right side of history. ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ is a wrong that should never have been perpetrated.”
— Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Both houses of Congress have passed the measure, and it will now go to the White House for the President’s signature.

 

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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Closet Veterans

 

The Washington Post is observing Veterans Day with a story previewing the Pentagon report on the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy:

“More than 70 percent of respondents to a survey sent to active-duty and reserve troops over the summer said the effect of repealing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy would be positive, mixed or nonexistent, said two sources familiar with the document. The survey results led the report’s authors to conclude that objections to openly gay colleagues would drop once troops were able to live and serve alongside them.”

— “Sources: Pentagon group finds there is minimal risk to lifting gay ban during war,” Ed O’Keefe and Greg Jaffe, Washington Post.

The chief authors of the study are Pentagon General Counsel Jeh Johnson and the Commander of U.S. Forces in Europe, General Carter Ham.

 

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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Senate Fails to Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

A motion to debate a defense bill which containing a measure repealing the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy failed in the Senate on Tuesday.  Arkansas Democrats Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor joined the Republican filibuster. Several Republicans claim they might eventually vote to end DADT but want to hear the results of a Pentagon review of the policy, due on or about December first, too late to realistically allow for further Senate consideration.

 As Igor Volsky points out, 70 percent of Americans favor repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” while the 42 senators stalling the bill represent only 36 percent of the U.S. population.

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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Weekend Demonstrations in DC

It was a typical 3-day weekend in Washington, DC. Thousands gathered to march, run, and demonstrate for an end to breast cancer, the Knights of Columbus got out the feathered hats and laid a wreath at the foot of a statue no one notices in front of Union Station, Metrorail celebrated Columbus Day by closing stations for track work, local protesters demanded a better NFL team, and thousands of gays and lesbians marched on the Capitol to demand marriage equality and the right to serve in the military.