27 July 2009

Obama: Don't look at my record, only my words...

Gay Community: That's why we have a problem...

I can't say that I have too much sympathy for members of the GLB"t" community who supported Obamessiah, knowing his stance on gay issues. I wait for the day when the GLB"t" community and blacks come to the realization that at the heart of outright discrimination, lies a Democrat. They've been doing it since the founding of the nation and don't plan on stopping any time soon. That's not to say the GOP hasn't had its moments of racial and homophobic faux pas, as Democrats and liberals make everyone aware of them. The gay community has yet to learn that they are political tools used by Democrats to achieve their ends. It was evident in the Election of 2004, when liberals were outraged that states began banning "gay" marriage, without focusing on the reasoning behind it, Democrats who felt that the courts were a better avenue for making it possible, rather than the legislature. It was evident in 2008, when Democratic-leaning groups decided to bypass the voters and used the courts to trump them. It was even evident before then, when in 1993, President Clinton and a Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee reached a compromise called "don't ask, don't tell." Oh, and let us not forget Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO)...

Undeterred, gays overwhelmingly continue to support Democrats. Since President Obama took office, over 260 members of the GLB"t" community have been drummed out of the military, one of which appealed to the president, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief, to put a halt to the policy. Obama, in a reply to another request, said that he has to consult with Congress on the matter, thereby punting the issue. The President has the authority to suspend charges of homosexuality without congressional action. The president should concern himself with readiness, not his political capital. According to research from the Palm Center, 24 foreign militaries allow gay members to serve openly, and they have not indicated that the inclusion of gay members adversely affects military readiness, unit cohesion, and morale. In my experience in the military, the average member doesn't give two shits about whether their friends are gay or straight, let alone members in their units.

I don't mean to rope all Democrats as being anti-gay, as New York Senator, Kristen Gillibrand (D), has tried to convince members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to hold hearings concerning the repeal of DADT, despite Obama's rhetoric. Steve Benen has more. I am one of those who came around on DADT, although the policy is selectively enforced, I felt that straight men (and women to some extent) would feel threatened by having a known gay servicemember standing beside them. The fact that the policy is used as a bludgeon against gays, used by some members as retaliation, is yet another reason, and a chief one at that, for the policy to be rescinded. Right now, the military is in dire need of Arab linguists, and other hard-to-fill jobs, and DADT has been one of the reasons why the military continues to face difficulty in finding qualified people to fit those billets. Military readiness is the key in achieving victory in any mission.

I am deadset against discrimination based on sexual orientation. I believe, and will continue to believe, that more protection needs to be extended to members of the GLB"t" community, because some people will use their wrong-headed perception of gays in their efforts to harm them. I understand that some oppose gays for what they believe are moral reasons. Those reasons should not be used to deny a qualified gay person a service or position they deserve as a US citizen.

Have a great day...

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