Jim- As far as DADT repeal is concerned, I also expect there will now be be a repeal backlash, a spike increase in homophobic bullying and hate crimes against gays from homophobic straight soldiers and civililians, but an eventual acceptance and decline of misguided homophobia.
On 12/19/10, Jim <[email protected]> wrote: > This is a great step forward for equality for the Gay, Bisexual & Lesbian > community. Of course not being well informed on military policy I am > assuming that Transgendered people are still out in the cold so to speak > when it comes to openly serving in the U.S. military > > . > > Once the repeal goes into effect I suspect that reported incidents of gay > bashing will rise dramatically, not because there will be more incidents, > but because it will then be safe to for a person to report the incident > without fear of losing their job. This rise in incidents will then of course > be used by those that opposed the repeal of DADT as an” I told you so “; > moment to back up their ideology > > . > > Being permitted to openly serve in the military could be used at a stepping > stone argument to marriage equality, similar to the argument used to lower > the drinking age to 18 back in the 70’s in a lot of states, “I am old enough > to die for my country, so I should be able to drink alcohol too.” Of course > not to long after the draft was ended the drinking age was raised again. I > still believe the idea is valid for same sex marriage and drinking as well, > even if both are considered to be a privilege as opposed to a right; if you > can legally die for your country you should have the right to enjoy all the > privileges it offers if you wish to do so. > > > Jim > > On Sat, Dec 18, 2010 at 8:43 PM, Tommy News <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Victory! Senate Repeals ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’, Despite 31 Republican >> No Votes and John McCain's Fillibuster Attempt. This is a long overdue >> victory for Civil Rights equality. Repeal of DOMA and Passige of ENDA >> and UAFA, and introduction of The American Equality Bill for Civil >> Rights are next. >> >> Senate Repeals ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ >> >> Drew Angerer/The New York Times >> Senator Joseph I. Lieberman gave the thumbs up as Majority Leader >> Harry Reid spoke at a press conference after the “don’t ask, don’t >> tell” vote. >> >> By CARL HULSE >> nk WASHINGTON — The Senate on Saturday voted to strike down the ban on >> gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military, bringing to a >> close a 17-year struggle over a policy that forced thousands of >> Americans from the ranks and caused others to keep secret their sexual >> orientation. >> >> >> Clockwise from left, Senators Mark Udall, Joseph I. Lieberman, Susan >> Collins and Kirsten Gillibrand after a news conference on the repeal >> of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” >> >> By a vote of 65 to 31, with eight Republicans joining Democrats, the >> Senate approved and sent to President Obama a repeal of the >> Clinton-era law, known as “don’t ask, don’t tell,” a policy critics >> said amounted to government-sanctioned discrimination that treated >> gay, lesbian and bisexual troops as second-class citizens. >> >> Mr. Obama hailed the action, which fulfills his pledge to reverse the >> ban, and said it was “time to close this chapter in our history.” >> >> “As commander in chief, I am also absolutely convinced that making >> this change will only underscore the professionalism of our troops as >> the best-led and best-trained fighting force the world has ever >> known,” he said in a statement after the Senate, on a preliminary >> 63-to-33 vote, beat back Republican efforts to block final action on >> the repeal bill. >> >> The vote marked a historic moment that some equated with the end of >> racial segregation in the military. >> >> It followed an exhaustive Pentagon review that determined the policy >> could be changed with only isolated disruptions to unit cohesion and >> retention, though members of combat units and the Marine Corps >> expressed greater reservations about the shift. Congressional action >> was backed by Pentagon officials as a better alternative to a >> court-ordered end. >> >> Supporters of the repeal said it was long past time to abolish what >> they saw as an ill-advised practice that cost valuable personnel and >> forced troops to lie to serve their country. >> >> “We righted a wrong,” said Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, the >> independent from Connecticut and a leader of the effort to end the >> ban. “Today we’ve done justice.” >> >> Before voting on the repeal, the Senate blocked a bill that would have >> created a path to citizenship for certain illegal immigrants who came >> to the United States at a young age, completed two years of college or >> military service and met other requirements including passing a >> criminal background check. >> >> The 55-to-41 vote in favor of the citizenship bill was five votes >> short of the number needed to clear the way for final passage of what >> is known as the Dream Act. >> >> The outcome effectively kills it for this year, and its fate beyond >> that is uncertain since Republicans who will assume control of the >> House in January oppose the measure and are unlikely to bring it to a >> vote. >> >> The Senate then moved on to the military legislation, engaging in an >> emotional back and forth over the merits of the measure as advocates >> for repeal watched from galleries crowded with people interested in >> the fate of both the military and immigration measures. >> >> “I don’t care who you love,” Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, >> said as the debate opened. “If you love this country enough to risk >> your life for it, you shouldn’t have to hide who you are.” >> >> Mr. Wyden showed up for the Senate vote despite saying earlier that he >> would be unable to do so because he would be undergoing final tests >> before his scheduled surgery for prostate cancer on Monday. >> >> The vote came in the final days of the 111th Congress as Democrats >> sought to force through a final few priorities before they turn over >> control of the House of Representatives to the Republicans in January >> and see their clout in the Senate diminished. >> >> It represented a significant victory for the White House, >> Congressional advocates of lifting the ban and activists who have >> pushed for years to end the Pentagon policy created in 1993 under the >> Clinton administration as a compromise effort to end the practice of >> barring gay men and lesbians entirely from military service. >> >> Saying it represented an emotional moment for members of the gay >> community nationwide, advocates who supported repeal of “don’t ask, >> don’t tell” exchanged hugs outside the Senate chamber after the vote. >> >> “Today’s vote means gay and lesbian service members posted all around >> the world can stand taller knowing that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ will >> soon be coming to an end,” said Aubrey Sarvis, an Army veteran and >> executive director for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. >> >> Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona and his party’s >> presidential candidate in 2008, led the opposition to the repeal and >> said the vote was a sad day in history. >> >> “I hope that when we pass this legislation that we will understand >> that we are doing great damage,” Mr. McCain said. “And we could >> possibly and probably, as the commandant of the Marine Corps said, and >> as I have been told by literally thousands of members of the military, >> harm the battle effectiveness vital to the survival of our young men >> and women in the military.” >> >> He and others opposed to lifting the ban said the change could harm >> the unit cohesion that is essential to effective military operations, >> particularly in combat, and deter some Americans from enlisting or >> pursuing a career in the military. They noted that despite support for >> repealing the ban from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm. Mike >> Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, other military >> commanders have warned that changing the practice would prove >> disruptive. >> >> “This isn’t broke,” Senator James M. Inhofe, Republican of Oklahoma, >> said about the policy. “It is working very well.” >> >> Other Republicans said that while the policy might need to be changed >> at some point, Congress should not do so when American troops are >> fighting overseas. >> >> Only a week ago, the effort to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” >> policy seemed to be dead and in danger of fading for at least two >> years with Republicans about to take control of the House. The >> provision eliminating the ban was initially included in a broader >> Pentagon policy bill, and Republican backers of repeal had refused to >> join in cutting off a filibuster against the underlying bill because >> of objections over limits on debate of the measure. >> >> In a last-ditch effort, Mr. Lieberman and Senator Susan Collins of >> Maine, a key Republican opponent of the ban, encouraged Democratic >> Congressional leaders to instead pursue a vote on simply repealing it. >> The House passed the measure earlier in the week. >> >> The repeal will not take effect for at least 60 days, and probably >> longer, while some other procedural steps are taken. In addition, the >> bill requires the defense secretary to determine that policies are in >> place to carry out the repeal “consistent with military standards for >> readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and >> retention.” >> >> Multimedia >> Interactive Graphic >> How the Senate Voted >> >> Timeline >> Congressional Action on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" >> >> Blogs >> The Caucus >> The latest on President Obama, the new Congress and other news from >> Washington and around the nation. Join the discussion. >> >> FiveThirtyEight: Nate Silver's Political Calculus >> More Politics News >> “It is going to take some time,” Ms. Collins said. “It is not going to >> happen overnight.” >> >> In a statement, Mr. Gates said that once the measure was signed into >> law, he would “immediately proceed with the planning necessary to >> carry out this change carefully and methodically, but purposefully.” >> In the meantime, he said, “the current law and policy will remain in >> effect.” >> >> Because of the delay in formally overturning the policy, Mr. Sarvis >> appealed to Mr. Gates to suspend any investigations into military >> personnel or discharge proceedings now under way. Legal challenges to >> the existing ban are also expected to continue until the repeal is >> fully carried out. >> >> In addition to Ms. Collins, Republicans backing the repeal were >> Senators Scott P. Brown of Massachusetts, Richard M. Burr of North >> Carolina, John Ensign of Nevada, Mark Kirk of Illinois, Lisa Murkowski >> of Alaska, Olympia J. Snowe of Maine and George V. Voinovich of Ohio. >> >> “It was a difficult vote for many of them,” Ms. Collins said, “but in >> the end they concluded, as I have concluded, that we should welcome >> the service of any qualified individual who is willing to put on the >> uniform of this country.” >> >> Mr. Lieberman said the ban undermined the integrity of the military by >> forcing troops to lie. He said 14,000 people had been forced to leave >> the armed forces under the policy. >> >> “What a waste,” he said. >> >> The fight erupted in the early days of President Bill Clinton’s >> administration and has been a roiling political issue ever since. Mr. >> Obama endorsed repeal in his presidential campaign and advocates saw >> the current Congress as their best opportunity for ending the ban. >> Dozens of advocates of ending the ban — including one severely wounded >> in combat before being forced from the military — watched from the >> Senate gallery as the debate took place. >> >> Senator Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who is chairman of the Armed >> Services Committee, dismissed Republican complaints that Democrats >> were trying to race through the repeal to satisfy their political >> supporters. >> >> “I’m not here for partisan reasons,” Mr. Levin said. “I’m here because >> men and women wearing the uniform of the United States who are gay and >> lesbian have died for this country, because gay and lesbian men and >> women wearing the uniform of this country have their lives on the line >> right now.” >> >> More: >> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/19/us-military-senate-vote >> >> >> -- >> Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. >> Have a great day, >> Tommy >> >> -- >> Thanks for participating in the Google Group, Historical Pictorial, which >> is the premiere men's forum on the web; focusing on historical media, and >> discussions of contemporary issues as well as our chronicled past! >> >> For options and help, please visit the group at: >> http://groups.google.com/group/Historical-Pictoral >> > > -- > Thanks for participating in the Google Group, Historical Pictorial, which is > the premiere men's forum on the web; focusing on historical media, and > discussions of contemporary issues as well as our chronicled past! > > For options and help, please visit the group at: > http://groups.google.com/group/Historical-Pictoral > -- Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. 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