Repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing on March 18 to discuss the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy in the US military. During the meeting, retired U.S. Marine Corps General John Sheehan claimed that Dutch military leaders had called their gay soldiers “part of the problem” in the Srebrenica massacre of July 1995, in which Serb forces killed around 8,000 Muslim men in Srebrenica, a town in Bosnia. Sheehan used that claim as part of his opposition to gays serving openly in the U.S. military. (The massacre, by the way, is considered to be one of the largest genocide in Europe since World War II.)

This kind of ridiculous nonsense is exactly what is wrong with President Obama’s approach to Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Dinosaurs like Sheehan — although this particular one is retired — are far too prevalent in the U.S. military command structure. Obama is the Commander-in-Chief. It is by his authority that military policy is changed. So make the damn change already. Write up a new policy that prohibits harassment or discrimination for U.S. service personnel on the basis of sexual preference. Sign it as an Executive Order, and then use military tribunals to enforce it.

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, which is federal law, does require an act of Congress to officially change. However, as Commander-in-Chief, the president has the authority to make policy changes within the military. As he can in other areas of government, he can, by executive order, prohibit discrimination within the armed services. While there are a number of Congresspeople who have openly expressed a desire to repeal DADT, it is painfully obvious that none are willing to expend the political capital to make this happen. It is time for President Obama to stand up as a leader and deliver on his campaign promises. Create a new policy, set it as an executive order, and use that as a catalyst to make the official policy change.

Many will argue that the military is an institution rife with tradition, and that making changes of this caliber require time and delicacy. The bottom line, however, is this: You can talk about it all you want and study it even further, but at the end of the day change will come from an order being issued and then enforced. Will there be a morale issue in the military as a result? More than likely, yes. Will there be some ignorant bigots who might be forced to retire or be discharged from the service? More than likely, yes. Is this last thing in the best interests of the United States? Absolutely yes.

We are, ostensibly, a nation that respects the rights and liberties of people. Our nation was founded upon principles of freedom and self-determination, of the rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” How is it that we can legally and morally justify taking those same rights away from such a large segment of our population?

There is absolutely no doubt that gays have served, and served honorably, in the various branches of the U.S. military throughout history. Why must they do so while hiding their identities? There is no requirement that heterosexuals hide their orientation while serving. In fact, a quick look at the history of military sex scandals reveals a much higher prevalence of problems involving hetero behavior than gay behavior (Tailhook comes to mind).

Perhaps this is one of those social issues upon which the military can actually take the lead. President Obama has expressed his commitment to providing equality within the military, now it’s time for him to put up or shut up. He has the authority to make this change, and to do it now. Regardless of when this change occurs, there will be backlash, so we may as well face it head on, and face it now.

In the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “a right delayed is a right denied.”