[Vision2020] Repeal of 'Don't Ask' Urged

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (November 30, 2007) Daily News Roundup Edition of the Army
Times -

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Repeal of 'Don't Ask' urged

By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
   
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."

Multimedia
A 360-degree view of the flags
http://www.militarytimes.com/multimedia/photo/071130dontask/

Two of the generals - retired Army Maj. Gen. Dennis Laich, of Dublin, Ohio,
and retired Maj. Gen. Alexander Burgin, of Salem, Ore. - attended a Friday
morning news event that followed the planting of the flags, and Laich
addressed reporters. Also speaking was Rhonda Davis, a former Navy mass
communications specialist first class who was discharged in 2006 after
attending a gay-marriage march in New York City and then admitting in two
news interviews that she is gay.

Afterwards, the Human Rights Campaign's Amy Martin, bundled up on a chilly
day, walked through a sun-splashed field across from the Washington
Monument, re-planting flags the wind had blown over. She said one of her
female friends, an Arabic translator, was kicked out of the Army because of
the policy.

"It's sad that these highly trained people [are] getting kicked out," Martin
said. "That's so dumb."

"Don't ask, don't tell" is the popular term for the policy, enacted in
November 1993 and implemented by the Defense Department in February 1994,
that prohibits commanders from asking service members about their sexuality
- unless a command receives "credible information" about possible
homosexuality - but mandates separation from service for those who state
publicly that they are homosexual and affirm that they have engaged in
homosexual behavior.

Those who support the policy argue that homosexuality is incompatible with
military service, saying that allowing gays to openly serve would degrade
unit cohesion and "good order and discipline," particularly in adverse field
conditions where little or no privacy is possible. But it is opposed by many
gay activists who say it's a weak compromise that requires gays to keep
their sexual orientation secret and provides no protection for gays who want
to confide in another military member.

Advocates also note that many of the nearly 12,000 service members
discharged under the law since it was enacted had critical military skills,
including more than 300 linguists.

Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said the military "will follow
congressional direction on homosexual conduct." She also said the Defense
Department "expects all service members to be treated with dignity and
respect ... all the time," and conducts "extensive, recurring training to
eliminate harassment of all types."

Smith also noted that troops kicked out of the military for homosexuality
"have the opportunity to continue to serve their nation . by putting their
abilities to use by way of civilian employment with other federal agencies,
the Department of Defense or in the private sector, such as with a
government contractor."

In March, Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs,
told the Chicago Tribune at the tail end of a wide-ranging editorial board
meeting that homosexuality is "immoral." He added, "That is why I'm
comfortable with the current [policy] because it does not make a judgment
about the morality of individual acts." Pace also likened homosexual
activity to adultery.

Current top Pentagon officials have not taken a stance on the issue, saying
their responsibility is to do what Congress has directed. "It is the law and
it's what we carry out," Adm. Mike Mullen, the current Joint Chiefs
chairman, told Military Times editors and reporters Nov. 27. "If the
American people want to change this policy and change this law, bringing it
up through that body and changing that policy and changing the law is the
right answer."

The spokesman for the leading proponent of gay rights for service members
agrees.

"The Department of Defense is correct - that this is a ... law, and it's up
to Congress to get rid of it," said Steve Ralls, director of communications
for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. "The American people, however,
have long been far ahead of Congress on this issue. Every poll shows that a
majority of Americans favor repealing 'don't ask, don't tell.' "

Ralls said Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates "can both play an
important role in making sure that the will of the public is carried out,
and the Department of Defense sends a clear message to Congress that getting
rid of this ban is in the best interests of our military readiness. That
will significantly advance efforts to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell.' "

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Amy Martin, a 23-year-old intern with the Human Rights Campaign, attends to
the flags posted on the National Mall to signify the service members that
have been discharged from the armed forces since the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
law was signed 14 years ago today. The event coincided with the announcement
that 28 retired U.S. military flag officers and leaders have signed onto a
letter calling for the repeal of the policy.
http://tinyurl.com/2cv55u

Brad Howard places flags in Amy Martin's backpack as the pair attend to the
flags posted on the National Mall to signify the service members that have
been discharged from the armed forces since the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law
was signed 14 years ago today. Both are interns with the Human Rights
Campaign.
http://tinyurl.com/2yx8ax

Rhonda Davis, formerly with the Navy, speaks to reporters about being
discharged.
http://tinyurl.com/yo5l8q


Brad Howard places more flags in Amy Martin's backpack on the National Mall
as part of an event marking the anniversary of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
policy.
http://tinyurl.com/24eaf8

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime." 

--Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.