"A Brief History of DADT"

[Cha]

Joey Jackson, SDGLN Contributor, May 28th, 2010

The year was 1992, then presidential candidate Bill Clinton had several campaign promises. One such promise was the allowance of homosexuals in the military. After his inauguration in 1993, then President Clinton set out to lift that ban on gays in the military.

A private study conducted in 1993 by the RAND Corporation on ‘Sexual Orientation and U.S. Military Personnel Policy,’ which visited seven foreign countries where open service was allowed, as well as several police and fire departments seeking insight, found that, “The Department of Defense should be able to increase the probability that a policy that ends discrimination based on sexual orientation can be implemented in a practical and realistic manner.”

President Clinton, who wanted open service but not wanting to step on Congress’ toes, encouraged a legislative approach to the matter.

Congress, however, did not want open service. Dismissing the RAND report that found no significant problems being foreseen should the open service be allowed, Congress and the President compromised on what we know today as the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy otherwise known as 10 U.S.C. §654.

http://www.sdgln.com/2010/05/28/brief-history-dadt

This one made me tear up when I got to the end. It should make most anyone tear up.

[Cha]

I guess it made you tear up, eh, JeffR? So poignant..I wish I could have posted more but I hope everyone who sees this will go to the link and read what Joey Jackson had to say about the brief history of DADT.

[There Is No Spoon]

The poll is interesting - 62% thought that DADT would NOT be repealed by years end - yet it most likely will be by tomorrow evening. Fingers crossed...

[CraigGrant]

Good article

[nofurylike]

beautiful, Cha. thank you again, and more!

it did make me tear up, including the affirmation of our President. beautiful. precious.

[Cha]

(12-18-2010 03:08 AM)nofurylike Wrote:  beautiful, Cha. thank you again, and more!

it did make me tear up, including the affirmation of our President. beautiful. precious.

Yes, I like the way you put that, nofurylike.

[nofurylike]

(12-18-2010 03:18 AM)Cha Wrote:  

(12-18-2010 03:08 AM)nofurylike Wrote:  beautiful, Cha. thank you again, and more!

it did make me tear up, including the affirmation of our President. beautiful. precious.

Yes, I like the way you put that, nofurylike.

mmh... thank you, Cha

[spazito]

Very good article, thanks for posting this. I found this point made to be both poignant and infuriating:

"Immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, discharges due to homosexuality plummeted and continued to fall year after year.

It turned out, when the country needed soldiers to die for freedom, all of a sudden, gays were good enough to sacrifice their lives right next to their straight comrades. However, they were still not able to be open about their sexuality."

I SO hope the law that allows this, DADT, will be relegated to the trash bin today!

[Cha]

(12-18-2010 09:37 AM)spazito Wrote:  Very good article, thanks for posting this. I found this point made to be both poignant and infuriating:

"Immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, discharges due to homosexuality plummeted and continued to fall year after year.

It turned out, when the country needed soldiers to die for freedom, all of a sudden, gays were good enough to sacrifice their lives right next to their straight comrades. However, they were still not able to be open about their sexuality."

I SO hope the law that allows this, DADT, will be relegated to the trash bin today!

Very sad but only makes this day more joyful for finally bringing this to a close.

[nofurylike]

spazito wrote:
" ... DADT, will be relegated to the trash bin today!"
and it has been!!

i just love the way you put that, spazito. so appropriate: "to the trash bin"!!