Hat tip to Mr. Schwartz!
Let Rick Warren say whatever he wants in the Inaugural invocation on Tuesday: President Obama will end the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Hear it straight from Obama's spokesman Robert Gibbs on Change.gov (go to time 4:15):
Now don't start hyperventilating: the change won't happen at 12:01 p.m. on Tuesday. Obama's spokesmen clarified yesterday that fixing the economy is job #1. Obama also can't snap his fingers on this change; Congress will need to pass legislation.
I'm less inclined to wait. Allowing gays to serve openly is an issue of ending discrimination and ensuring justice. It is also a question of military readiness: "don't ask don't tell" has forced the military to discharge hundreds of soldiers with critical skills, like speaking Arabic.
Still, I suspect the same thinking that motivates me to tell Tom Brunner to put his guns away motivates the next President of the United States to focus on getting an economic recovery package (and maybe health care reform) through Congress before turning to other issues.
Change may not come as fast as we'd like (does it ever?), but it's coming. Keep the faith, kids!
are you gonna join the army now, cory?
ReplyDeleteErin (his wife) and his daughter (Can't spell her name, sorry!) might miss him if he joined the Army.
ReplyDeleteBesides, living on Lake Herman, I'd think he'd be more suited for the Navy or the Coast Guard!
Some policies need to change - this is one.
ReplyDeleteGlad to read that you note that it's a presidential policy - not the DOD's policy. It survived four presidential terms, two from each party. The nation matured significantly since the policy was emplaced - now its past time to retire it. Nevertheless the premise of the policy remains sound.
As a soldier I didn't want details about how the colonel "scored" his wife anymore than hearing about Cory & Cal.
Coast Guard -- sign me up for the Kayak Corps! :-D
ReplyDeleteActually, if the military starts taking guys my age (37) as fresh recruits, we're in trouble.
Cory,
ReplyDeleteGood news, new recruits to the Army can be as old as 42! You can enjoy five more years of civilian life and still become a soldier :)
I'm thrilled that ending discrimination in the military is at least somewhere on President-elect Obama's "to-do" list, even if it's not right at the top.
ReplyDeleteI don't think this is going to be much of a fight. 75% of Americans think lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans should be able to serve openly. Glad the president is willing to catch up!