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End of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"?
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I had no idea either. If so then the current "don't ask don't tell" policy is working fine.
"the current don't ask don't tell policy is working fine."... I'm pretty sure those 65,000 people would have something to say about your definition of "working fine," Arminius. Working fine for whom, exactly?
It's working... it's just ignorant and intolerant.
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Where in the world is such a faulty reasoning born? Who creates these weird ideas? It took me about 23 minutes to type and retype this short paragraph. That probably shows that I have no business in this conversation, and will shortly get ripped a new one by someone demonstrating all the flaws in my logic. I'm out of my depth on these political threads, and it shows.
Sallers, you belong here as much as anyone.
"Don't ask, don't tell" doesn't work. It forces the removal of servicepeople with needed skills, such as interpreters and translators, for no other reason than their sexual orientation. And the military takes a financial hit, too.But the GAO also noted that nearly 800 dismissed gay or lesbian service members had critical abilities, including 300 with important language skills. Fifty-five were proficient in Arabic, including Copas, a graduate of the Defense Language Institute in California.
Discharging and replacing them has cost the Pentagon nearly $369 million, according to the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Army dismisses gay Arabic linguist
Sally, I'm not sure I understand your family member. Wasn't "Don't ask, don't tell" Clinton's policy? Not Bush's?
It was a compromise (in the Clinton admin) between the Dems who wanted to lift the ban and the Reps who wanted to have a ban on gays in the military firmly in place.
Right, but Sally's post makes it look like Clinton lifted the ban completely and then Bush came in and changed it to don't ask/don't tell. Not the case.
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I don't entirely understand my family member either.
Yeah, I know people who come up with those ideas too... usually based on ignorance of actual facts and unfounded fear.They're in my family too, Sally... (not to mention a few friends and co-workers).
OH. Gotcha. Yeah, your source has their info wrong.
Sarah, write this down. I agree with you. ;)
Heh...that's a good one, Natalie...(I'm stealing it)
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27774058/...
Progress, right? Am I missing anything?
I had no idea there were 65,000 gays and lesbians in the military. That must a tough life...if they're in the military out of a genuine desire to serve their country, despite the persecution against them in the service, more credit to them.
Also, this will be an interesting issue (among many, I suppose) for Obama...