Yes, like a good political junkie / nerd, i excitedly and hurried my way home from work at 5:30 so i could arrive at my apartment in time to watch the State of the Union address from start to finish. Yes, i made it as well as made dinner in time to watch Obama speak.
I’m not here to write a article going over the entirety of the speech. Mostly what i can tell you is that it was a great speech of one liners and bumper stickers. It was brilliantly prepared to put the face of the blame game squarely (and rightfully) on the side of the Republicans. But the one thing i took from it was the one thing i knew was coming… Obama called for the repeal of military’s Don’t Ask Don”t Tell policy (the DODT section is short and the vid below covers other stuff as well):
I admit that i actually went in to wathing the address hoping that Obama would say something beyond “I will work with…” or mereley suggesting or calling for the repeal of Dont Ask Dont Tell. I have to say i am one of those gay political activists (and donors) who believes Obama could solve this problem with, literally, the flick of a pen on an executive order that simply tells the military to stop trying. Oh well. I will say that even that call for, suggesting or even promise to work with is a first step. But the repeal of this law is the final step that Obama should shoot for.
I still remain skeptical of Obama’s promises. His promise to work with both Congress and the military is familiar from campaign rhetoric (Disclosure: I worked for and voted for Hillary). But in the face of a troubled economy and suffering health care system, i can sit back and say, “Fine. Work on the other stuff.” But how long can you use the excuse of more pressing national matters before the matter of honorable and patriatic Americans being forced out of the military, who desperately needs many of their skills, is tackled and repealed?
It’s not all Obama, i agree. Repealing DODT is a political hot potatoe. Conservatives and the down Right (typo intentional) anti-gay groups will come out and try to keep things as they are. Take John McCain’s statement immediately following the State of the Union:
“At a time when our armed forces are fighting and sacrificing on the battlefield, now is not the time to abandon the policy,” said McCain, R-Ariz.
Read full MSNBC article here
I have to say i’m actually really offended by John McCain’s statement. To me, it feels as if he’s implying that the sacrifices by gay servicemen and women are somehow less than those by their straight brothers and sisters in arms. As if allowing patriotic men and women who have voluntarily given up their civilian lives to fight and die in two wars; for people who don’t even want to acknowledge their rights as individuals; that to allow them to serve openly will somehow be harmful to everyone else. Screw you John McCain. Would you have turned away a gay servicemember had one come to rescue you from your Viatnamese prison because it would somehow discredit the sacrifices you made in war?
The point here is that there will probably never be a “good time” to tackle Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. It will be a political hot button issue until it is finally repealed. Gay activists are not wrong, nor selfish, nor impatient in their pursuit of equality and it should never be said that we do not act. We should continue to press Obama and other politicians to face the fact that tackling DODT is going to be tough. But in the recent words of President Obama: “It is the right thing to do” and ”we don’t quit. I don’t quit. Let’s seize this moment” Let us repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell!
