October 15, 2010 6:45 AM

It's time to stop procrastinating and do the right thing, Mr. President


The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.

  • Martin Luther King, Jr

I defy anyone to watch these two videos and then defend “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as a reasonable, rational, humane policy. These two men, like thousands of others in our armed services, are capable, committed, and competent. They’re willing, ready, and able to risk their lives defending our country- and yet they’re forced to deny the core of who they are in order to do their job. DADT is one of the most inhuman and insensitive policies that this country has ever subjected a class of individuals to- and it’s been the law of the land for 17 years.

If you don’t agree, try considering this alternative: you love someone, but you can never acknowledge them, never discuss them, never show any affection in public. Essentially, you’re forced to live a lie in order to protect a country that treats and regards you as a second class citizen. Not something you’d want to be subjected to, is it? Yet that’s what DADT does to thousands of American servicemembers every day.

What makes this particularly inhuman is that DADT is based on fear, hatred, and the idea that homosexuals deserve to be regarded and treated as second class citizens. Well, these “second class citizens” are putting their lives on the line because the love their country. THAT’S commitment. Listening to both these disguised officers, I found myself wondering if I would be able to handle myself with such grace and dignity if I was forced to live as they are. I’m not sure that I could find it within myself to live like that, which only increases my admiration for them. These two men, and thousands of others forced to live in the shadows by DADT, are remarkable human beings. They deserve our thanks, our admiration, and the right to live their lives openly and truthfully.

It’s time to demand that President Obama stop dawdling and throw his weight and moral authority fully and completely behind the effort to repeal DADT. It’s the right thing to do…and it’s the right time to do it.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on October 15, 2010 6:45 AM.

And this is why I'm not running for mayor of Winnipeg was the previous entry in this blog.

Everything's bigger in Texas...even the screw-ups is the next entry in this blog.

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