Don't Ask, Don't Tell

8 Random Items for 12/9/2008 #4

While we are on the subject of gay rights, does anyone believe that a bigoted policy like "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is a good idea? It would seem to be a gross civil rights betrayal is a President Obama doesn't seek to overturn this disastrous policy fairly early in his administration.

Now, some of you may not see this policy as bigoted at all. This would make you a bigot. Of course, you may support the policy, not because you see yourself as bigoted, but because you know that some other soldiers are bigoted and it might affect the morale of the troops. Well, turns out, the opinions of bigoted soldiers doesn't mean any more to me that that of any other bigot.

Why has this policy been disastrous? Considering that there is a "dire shortage" or Arabic translators in the military, how can the Army justify dismissing 58 Arab linguists for their homosexuality? In fact, that was the total as of May 23, 2007, so it has surely gone up by now. Can we all acknowledge now that homophobia has made us less safe?