By: The David
“Don’t ask, Don’t Tell.” Maybe it is time to do both. The time has passed for there to be civil discourse on whether to lift the ban Don’t Ask on non-closeted gay men and lesbian women in the armed forces of the United States. The time has passed for the gay men and women in this country to plead for recognition as first-class citizens equal in every way to their heterosexual counterparts. The time has passed for the homosexual community to be freely demonized by the denizens of the bible-toting and misquoting fanatical world, and the practitioners of the exclusionary fundamentalist brand of religion that has become a plague on all of our houses. The time has come for the law-abiding gay and lesbian community to stop trying to please the Ultra-Right, a segment of the populace that is so narrow, grasping and phony, that they can never be pleased, and the fact is, do not want to be appeased. Appeasement to these gun toting fanatics mired in their eighteenth century thinking where the white, heterosexist, Christian male rules the day…. appeasement would take away their weapons of fear and one of their main tenets for raising the funds they need to perpetuate themselves. If homosexuals are seen as equal, they can no longer be cast as predators.
Even as we hold residual respect for President Obama, he needs to receive the message that he holds the trump cards that will finally and at long last help us move into the twenty-first century as citizens of the United States with full and equal rights under the law. Mr. Obama needs to remember that yes We Can, and yes we should receive his respectful assistance while his Party holds the majority in Congress. The hateful “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law and the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) have to be repealed. Both of these laws need to be revoked simply because it is the fair and equitable thing to do.
We pride ourselves as being the land of the free and the home of the brave, but until all persons are able to walk with pride and to openly be who they are, this land is not the land of the free. Until lawmakers have the intestinal fortitude to recognize the worth of all their constituents and to stand for the acquisition of their full civil rights, we cannot justifiably call ourselves “the home of the brave.”
We stand at a crossroads in our history. The Obama administration has taken on and is attempting to right some of the wrongs that have led to some of the social injustice in the United States. Reforms for unfair and costly health care delivery and for the usury that masks as our financial system are being addressed. This is well and good, and the President deserves thanks and praise for finally hitting them head-on.
But we deserve a place at the table. We deserve and should ask for… no, we should demand that campaign promises made to us by the man from Chicago need to be kept and fulfilled. This has to happen now!
So Mr. Obama, it is all in your lap. There can be no adequate excuse for delaying. You must not preside over another Administration that refuses to live up to the campaign rhetoric directed at the gay and lesbian community. You promised. If you do not keep your promises, then shame on you. Shame on you, and know that the gay constituency that the party of Jefferson and Jackson has always taken for granted may very likely not be yours in the future.
Because of our arsenal of weapons and our wealth, we call ourselves the “leader of the free world.” But we cannot claim the moral high ground when countries such as Canada, Belgium, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and many others have recognized and made same-sex marriages legal, and Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands and many, many others do not demean their gay/lesbian citizens by restricting them from serving in their military.
To the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and their Generals who might oppose the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, it would seem to be time for you to put aside your personal bias and for you to be open to the experiences of the armies of your allies. It is time for you to move forward.
To the members of Congress who oppose lifting these two laws that oppress your constituents…. and make no mistake about it, we are your constituents, and you do represent us…… to you I would simply say that if you cannot be fair, if you cannot work to bring about justice for all of us, then step down and move on. Let someone who is willing to work without arrogance and bias take your place. It is no longer time to debate this issue. It is time, instead, to see that there is repeal. There is a time, and that time has arrived. That time is NOW!
And to you Mr. President? To you I can only reiterate: You know where the moral high-ground will take you on these issues. You know what needs to be done. You recognize when the time has arrived. You know that the time is now. But, can we do it? Yes We Can!
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Romeo+Joe. Romeo+Joe said: Promises to Keep¦: http://bit.ly/c4iPsK via @addthis Don't Ask…Tell Everyone…if you don't come out, get out(ted) […]
The vast and historic agenda of the Obama administration is a wonder to me .. and I suppose one cannot do everything all at once .. but I believe, he will right this wrong .. having second class citizens is part of America dream, we are a nation that has always had scapegoats and victims .. and we are, and really never have been, on any moral ground when it comes to how we have treated those who need protection, we have never been the home of the free, and how much bravery does it take to carry the biggest stick in the world ??? Power and influence are only virtues when applied towards fairness and a compassionate distribution of the bounty of any society .. we have failed miserably .. maybe no society has ever been able to embrace all it’s citizens, maybe no society ever will aspire to such a goal, but unless the full range of benefits and liberties and entitlements and acceptance is offered to all, then those of us who are second class citizens should not have to pay taxes and fees as if we were accorded full membership in this club called America. Why the hell should I pay for someone else kid to get a lousy education ?? Like healthcare, education is a collective responsibility .. I accept that .. but the question still remains that if I am not worthy of participation in all of the areas of my society .. then I should not have to pay a full price for crumbs and leftovers. Service to one’s county should be a right .. a pursuit of happiness and responsibility that allows anyone to feel they have a stake in the future of this nation. Gays are all over the military, any idiot knows that. I lived near the Philadelphia Naval ShipYard and on a Friday or Saturday night, the sailors would line the streets along the base and wait to be picked up for a fun night or weekend. EVERYONE in this city knows that, the Navy surely knew that … gays are everywhere. It is time to put this morality issue away, science and any rational and educated person knows that being gay, is just a part of who some people are .. considering how hard life can be for so many who are gay, why would anyone choose to live this life if it wasn’t part of our makeup. If I had my way I would have been straight, married with three children and I can promise you, I wouldn’t give a thought or a concern what anyone else was doing to find love, companionship and a full life. I would never think to limit anyone in this very personal part of every human life.
Everyone knows and accepts that being in the military requires a discipline and dedication to rules and regulations .. but what someone might choose to do in the privacy of their own lives should never have been an issue. Closeted gay congressman vote against gay issues, why ?? Gay generals have lovers and dismiss soldiers for behavior they accept for themselves .. why ??? The Catholic Church is against homosexuality, how can this be when there is hardly any organization more “gay” in the world. Men who love men have existed since the beginning of time .. lets find another issue to divide us, this one has been beaten to death and it has to stop .. I think and hope that during his one term as President, citizen Obama will make this right .. I honestly believe that history will reward him with praise even if Glenn Beck has a stroke right now .. I am tired of old wives-tales and superstitions and factually incorrect arguments leading a debate that has no place anymore.
As always, a valuable issue so well presented, you are GOOD !!!!
Of all sexual deviancy, voyeurism is by far the most prevalent, and apparently the most acceptable American occupation. It’s nobody’s business what two consenting adults do together; and by adult, i mean anyone old enough to serve in the military. Nor is a person’s sexual identification preference anyone’s business. I would suggest that those who are suffering anxiety complexes over the close proximity of gays in the work place and in the military are sexually frustrated; To be voyeurs into the sexual activities of others is an open admission that their own nookie isn’t satisfying them. Rather than putting down the lollipop they don’t enjoy, they demand that nobody else enjoy their lollipops either. Rather selfish, dishonest and self-defeating,actually. It doesn’t matter if gays are gay by choice; if it’s physical or a genetic factor. All it really amounts to is this was the choice that made them feel comfortable, even happy. Happy people tend to contribute more willingly, more constructively, add more harmony to the general environment. Happiness, however, is not conducive to war, so perhaps the tactical assessment is, keep everyone unhappy.
Ah yes, the “freedom” for homosexuals to die for a corrupted government without hiding their sexual orientation – isn’t that just beautiful?
But seriously, this administration isn’t all that different from the Bush administration – it pays out billions to bankrupt corporations, it wages foreign wars (promising to pull out in 18 months, but leaves provisions to extend that period indefinitely – which is just a round-of-about way of saying “stay the course”), it continues to wage this failed “war on drugs” and deficit spends the nation one step closer to bankruptcy just like his predecessor did. I wouldn’t put too much faith in this this guy to do much to stray from the self-destructive path we are on now.
I think your time would be better spent planning for the day this house of cards collapses than striving for this cancerous society to be more accepting of you…
Gays deserve the respect and rights that are afforded to everyone. Even if you don’t agree with their lifestyle, you shouldn’t pass judgement. Only God can judge.