Senator Lieberman INtroduces Bill to Repeal DADT

[Faeelin]

Huh. I must have heard it at the time from the Martinus News Wire.

To be fair, he first said he was for it before he said he was against it a couple days later. (That's what the article I quoted is about).

The backflips are amusing, at least. "I want to hear from the military." "I meant someone other than Gates and Mullen. And Powell. And Petraeus."

Seems like there is a lot of pressure on these guys to be against gays in the military where they might otherwise not care. Sad.

From who? Most recent polls show that even a majority of Republican voters support letting gays serve openly.

Support for allowing gays in the military is much higher among Democrats than Republicans, but the policy wins support from a majority of Republicans as well. More than eight in ten Democrats say that gays should be allowed to serve; 62 of Republicans and 63 percent of Independents agree with that view.

This isn't an outlier poll; most show this.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/02/22/cnn-poll-69-ok-with-gays-in-the-military/?fbid=cX_o4tX35h3

[garbon]

Allow gays in the military and next people will be clamoring to let children in.

[Barrister]

DADT really can't be supported by any rational analysis.  Either it's harmful to have gays serve in the military, or it is not.  DADT was useful as a safe middle step at a time when it was difficult to push for open gay military members, but that time has long-since passed.

[MadImmortalMan]

From who? Most recent polls show that even a majority of Republican voters support letting gays serve openly.

The vocal minority. The troublemakers that stand outside abortion clinics with signs and are very diligent about writing letters to their congressmen. And donate money to them. Especially the latter.

[Faeelin]

DADT really can't be supported by any rational analysis.  Either it's harmful to have gays serve in the military, or it is not.  DADT was useful as a safe middle step at a time when it was difficult to push for open gay military members, but that time has long-since passed.

I suppose I'm leery of the fact that the argument is very slippery slope, but not in the other direction. If the issue is that it makes some people uncomfortable, was desegregation also wrong? What about serving with Muslims?

Edit: WASHINGTON -- The top commanding general in Iraq says he thinks everyone - gay and straight - should be allowed to serve in the military "as long as we are still able to fight our wars."

The comment by Gen. Raymond Odierno (Oh-dee-AIR-no) is among the first to come from a senior military leader currently leading troops in battle since the Pentagon announced earlier this month that it will study the issue.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/22/AR2010022202452.html

[Admiral Yi]

What happened to the year long Pentagon study?

[Faeelin]

What happened to the year long Pentagon study?

A couple things: One, no legislation has yet to be finalized; two, people don't wanna leave a year and let the GOP decide "actually, we won't pass the bill."

[Admiral Yi]

A couple things: One, no legislation has yet to be finalized; two, people don't wanna leave a year and let the GOP decide "actually, we won't pass the bill."

Just a little while ago they were perfectly willing to leave a year and let the GOP decide that.  What has changed since then?

[Faeelin]

A couple things: One, no legislation has yet to be finalized; two, people don't wanna leave a year and let the GOP decide "actually, we won't pass the bill."

Just a little while ago they were perfectly willing to leave a year and let the GOP decide that.  What has changed since then?

Who is they?

I have no idea what the final plan is. Nobody seems to.  But I wouldn't leave it up to the GOP, whose kneejerk reaction, in whatever the circumstance, is to vote against anything pro-gay.

[Admiral Yi]

Who is they?

They is Bill Gates, his uniformed minions, and his ebony overlord.

[Admiral Yi]

I'm thinking I got the name wrong.  What's Gates' first name?

[MadImmortalMan]

Robert

[Admiral Yi]

So close.

[Barrister]

I'm thinking I got the name wrong.  What's Gates' first name?

Indeed - at first I wondered what filler had been mixed into your illegal drug, until I figured you didn't mean the geeky former head of MS, but rather the geeky current Secretary of Defence.

[Martinus]

While I don't consider this to be high on the priority list for gay rights in the US, I think this is the ultimate litmus test for how shitty and petty the right can be in their anti-gay hatred and bigotry. As BB has said, this policy has no rational justification, and it has caused immense harm, both to the military and to the individuals involved (and not just career destruction, but suicides, false accusations of rape to avoid being discharged under DADT when found out etc.). Many Western countries allow openly gay and transgendered people to serve in the military, without a negative impact on the military readiness.

Every single "argument" against gays in the military I have heard so far is prejudice, pure and simple.

Btw, it's funny how that shithead McCain flip-flopped on the issue - a couple of years ago he was saying that if the military top brass come to him and say that this policy needs to be repealed, he will consider repealing it. Now, that they are doing that, the bastard is saying this is a political issue and the military can't dictate the congress what the law should be. What a piece of shit. I used to have a higher regard for him.