Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Wow, I see that I haven't blogged in a while!  But now that I'm back from my vacation in Arizona, I might as well blog on something that happened during my trip.  Last Saturday, Obama made a speech at the Human Rights Campaign saying that he'll end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."  Aside from the fact that people have their reservations about his commitment, that, and I hate the fact he has to micromanage every little thing, I still honestly believe that the policy is another example of Big Government being ineffective.

1) Alleged harm.  Guess what?  Contrary to what the "Religious Right" would like to think, gays in the military doesn't harm national security.  Not only do departments such as the CIA, FBI, Secret Service, and Homeland Security admit gays without any effect on cohesion, every country in NATO, with exception of the US and Turkey, has admitted gays without any decrease in morale.

2) Financial costs.  Although it's not so easy to put a price tag on the cost of such a policy, one think tank puts the cost at over $35 million a year.  The things one could have done with over half a billion dollars instead of spending it on a policy that has no positive effects.  I was thinking of maybe more fighter planes or better tanks so we can better take down Islamic extremists.



3) Equality.  This is not a discussion about "marriage equality."  All men are created equal....I know some people would rather just forget the Declaration of Independence just to push forward some sort of agenda.  But let's give everybody the chance to serve our country just because at this point, we need every willing, able man to help America, especially considering that 79% of Americans don't mind gays serving.


4) Undermining our own military.  Not only has DADT managed to kick out over 10,000 in the military since its inception, but the GAO reports that 757 gays were in "critical operations," not to mention 322 translators who were fluent in Arabic, Farsi, and Korean, which, last time I checked, are languages that not many in the USA know, not to mention the fact that these translators are a necessary line of defense for obtaining counter-terrorism intelligence.  This kind of witch hunt, which makes the Salem Witch trials look like an innocuous dance around the May Day pole, breeds distrust and deteriorates morale.

Just making sure I have this right--DADT is costing the taxpayers a sizable amount to enact a bigoted policy that ultimately undermines national security.  Got it!