Does anyone not agree that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is an incredibly stupid, destructive, counter-productive policy? (Thanks for nothing, Bill Clinton.) An indication of its hypocrisy: Discharges under the policy have steadily decreased as America's need for cannon fodder has increased.
But that doesn't mean such discharges have stopped. Today brought a fresh reminder that the Army is still throwing out career soldiers for the crime of being honest about their lives.
From the Huffington Post:
WASHINGTON — The Army fired 11 soldiers in January for violating the military's policy that gay service members must keep their sexuality hidden, according to a Virginia congressman.
Democratic Rep. Jim Moran said he has requested monthly updates from the Pentagon on the impact of the policy until it is repealed. In a statement released on Thursday, Moran said the discharged soldiers included an intelligence collector, a military police officer, four infantry personnel, a health care specialist, a motor-transport operator and a water-treatment specialist.
"How many more good soldiers are we willing to lose due to a bad policy that makes us less safe and secure?" asked Moran, a member of the House panel that oversees military spending.
Likewise, Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill support repealing the ban but have not promised to press the issue immediately.
After the jump, the history of "don't ask, don't tell" and the prospects for change under the Obama administration:
This article appears in Mar 11-17, 2009.