Don't Ask. Don't Tell...Let's Get Over It

The recent GOP landslide that took place Tuesday night most likely means bad news for opponents of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy that has reared its ugly head for the past seventeen years.

Just a few months ago Senate Republicans blocked an effort by Obama and Democrats to lift the ban on gays from serving openly in the military. With the recent Republican gains in both the Senate and House, repealing this ban may be incredibly difficult.

This debate has a long history that dates back to 1778, when Lieutenant Gotthold Frederick Enslin was the first soldier discharged from the the Continental Army for sodomy.

I'll give you the short version:

Just before World War II the US added psychiatric screening to its induction process and homosexuals were snuffed out. This was followed by years of ugly debate and 'undesirable discharges' for homosexuals in the military. So in 1982 the Department of Defense enacted a policy stating that "homosexuality was clearly incompatible with military service" and anyone engaging in it would be discharged. So along comes President Bill Clinton in 1993, who issued the "Don't Ask. Don't Tell" policy, which was intended to be a compromise and meant that any male or female entering the military could not be asked about sexual orientation. So if you are homosexual, by all means keep your mouth shut or you may be discharged.

And that pretty much brings us to 2010.

I simply don't get it. Why shouldn't gays be allowed to serve openly in the military? And how is it that an openly gay man may be discharged from the military if his sexual orientation is revealed? It isn't right.

I admire those that are brave enough to sacrifice everything in their life to serve the USA in war. I believe who you love isn't any of my business and it certainly shouldn't prevent you from serving our country. I'm not picky and I don't think any of us should be when it comes to who can or cannot protect our freedoms.

Lots of people argue that homosexuals disrupt military life. Here's a thought: maybe it isn't the homosexuals causing the problem, but those who choose to harass and torment these individuals. I believe a cohesive military unit begins with respect.

I'm not in the military and I probably don't have much room to talk about this. But I simply believe that gays should be allowed to serve openly, just like anyone else. It's amazing to me that these men and women would even want to serve a country that doesn't allow them 100% of the rights given to a straight man. Pretty incredible.

So I wonder if the US will ever join Germany, Australia, France, England, Spain and all the other countries that allow openly gay individuals to serve in the military? Doesn't look to be on the horizon any time soon.

Democratic "shellacking" & The Future

Last night's mid-term elections proved to not only send a clear message to our dear Mr. President, but will also go down in the record books with a big red bang. It has been over seventy years since the House had such a dramatic party turnover. No one can deny the message that follows a night like this: Americans are fed up.

The GOP gained the majority in the House by picking up over 60 seats, therefore snatching the monopoly of power away from the Dems, who narrowly maintained the Senate. We're going to see a balance of power in the Congress over the next two years and I believe it will be a good thing for Obama, who now has his first real opportunity to live up to his bipartisanship promises.

Despite what some critics say, this election was a landslide and symbolizes how the American people feel about Obama, his policies, and how Congress has acted over the past two years. This GOP victory is largely due to the fire and spunk behind tea party activists across the nation, who I think have gotten a bad rap over the past several months. The media loves to showcase the crazies of any party and stations like CNN have made it their mission to report on any and every tea party supporter who acts like a fool. While there are some who are in fact crazy, the vast majority of these tea party members are hard working middle class Americans who believe banks should not be bailed out, government should have a limited role in our lives, and wasteful federal spending should be squashed. I think the whole tea party label should be done away with, simply because too many people associate this with the crazy bearded man holding a pitch fork in one hand and a rifle in the other. Let's replace that image with the small town woman who started a little cupcake business and is fighting to keep her head above water.

The question now is how will this affect you and me? The first thing that comes to mind is healthcare. Many of the Republicans elected last night promised to work towards repealing Obama's healthcare bill. I don't think that's possible, as some Republicans support aspects of the bill, (such as not being dropped for pre-existing illness) but I do believe we will see some serious cuts in spending here and major changes to this newly founded policy.

Secondly, I think Obama will have to adapt his policies to reflect a more conservative base, much like Clinton did after the so-called Republican Revolution of the 1994 election. Ultra conservative Rush Limbaugh predicts that "Obama's not going to slow down. Obama's not going to moderate, he's not gonna go incremental." I have to disagree with him here, because I believe Obama has no choice but to scale back his plans and work with the Republicans. Likewise, Republicans will have to meet Obama in the middle and find some common ground. Their first opportunity will come when Congress decides whether or not to extend the Bush tax cuts that will soon expire.

Needless to say, it should be an interesting two years and hopefully we can squeeze some jobs out of it.

I think it's exactly what the doctor ordered for the good ol US of A.