Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Know–UPDATED

January 15, 2009 / 11:04 am • By Dr. Melissa Clouthier

How big of a deal is it that there are gay people serving in the military? From Repurblican:

There are Americans of many stars and stripes that are in our Armed Forces, and among the many things President-elect Obama could do to really attack our Services — such as characterizing military operations in Afghanistan as “air-raiding villages”, promising to cut tens of billions from defense spending potentially totaling up to 25% of its current budget, etc. — the extinguishment of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”, in my book, ranks low on the list of possible slights.

Anything that interferes with military effectiveness shouldn’t be encouraged, in my opinion. For example, I don’t find it problematic that women are in the service. However, if they can’t carry a load or slow down their brothers-in-arms, that’s a problem. Political correctness should NOT have any place in the military. Lives are at stake and lives depend on trust, reliability and ability to do the job.

I have a feeling that there are going to be many things to fight with Barack Obama about when it comes to the military. I’m just not sure if Republicans should make removing the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy one of them.

Cross-posted at RightWingNews

UPDATE:

Former military man and Austin blogger Robbie Cooper has some thoughts:

Rescinding the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy will adversely affect recruiting — at a time when our nation is fighting to wars, and is engaged with a global Islamic threat that is not going away any time soon.

up to 10% of our current troops won’t re-enlist. Countless other Conservative and Christian men and women (again — the core demographic of our military) might not choose to enlist because of this policy.

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  • http://hl98.blogspot.com/ TheBigHenry

    “Political correctness should NOT have any place in the military.”

    PC has metastasized into universal adoption of the lowest common denominator in all aspects of American life. It is the destroyer of excellence and entrepreneurship. It must be excised as expeditiously as possible if America is to survive in the competitive global village. I suggest we look for a vaccine against Liberal Fascism. You’re a doctor, Melissa; do something before we are completely swamped by Holysh*twood.

  • J David

    The military exists to “kill people and break things” on the most vast scale possible in the shortest time necessary to accomplish complete havoc. The sooner the enemy is no longer capable of carrying on the war(at any level, on the front or in the rear, in materials production) the sooner the killing stops altogether.

    It is not a social organization to bring “equality” to political agitators, or to do charity for failed countries. It is not the place for guys who lust after other guys to go to get lots of communal shower-time with “new meat”.

    Rush lately, as I have for some time, been predicting a renewal of the DRAFT with Hussein, and this is one of the main reasons why it will absolutely happen. Once people who are entirely professional realize they are just lab rats for liberal social engineers who don’t give a rat’s ass about their lives,(which means “unit morale”)they will leave the military EN-MASS!

  • http://www.urbangrounds.com Robbie

    If DADT is rescinded, that’s fine with me…one one condition: gays are not allowed to serve at all.

    Openly serving gays in the military is a bad idea.

  • Josiah

    First off, the military does not merely exist to ‘kill people and break things.’ The military is an organization that is used to protect a country from threats (both on our own soil and off). It is best to have facts straight about involvement in a war before attacking it.

    Second, the idea to allow homosexuals/bisexuals into the military is not so that some guys can get off in the showers, the idea is to promote equality in all forms of the government.

    And if the draft is to be re-instituted, it’s going to happen regardless of whether there are gays in the military or not. Seeing the type of President Obama is, I don’t foresee the draft as an issue yet.

    As far as gays in the military, there are plenty…they just aren’t entirely open to everyone. The “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell” policy merely made it so gays could serve in the military, the only stipulation was for them not to come out or be asked about their orientation…it didn’t prevent them from entering the military.

    In a time where many are too wimpy to join the military, why shouldn’t we allow those who wish to be in the military be in it? If someone is gay openly, nothing really changes. The current change of the policy where they aren’t to “pursue or arrest” means that this is currently happening…just without calling it what it is.

    I really don’t think it should matter, one way or the other, what a person’s sexual orientation is. Why should that stop someone from being able to join the military (being open about it, at least)? You don’t see people quitting jobs “EN-MASS” because their co-worker, or boss, is gay, do you? I think that those who are in the military are serving their country because of a pride and love of this country. If they have any integrity, serving along-side someone who is openly homosexual won’t change that.