[Marxism] 100 ret, generals, admirals: Let gays serve openly in military

Tue Nov 18 06:56:18 MST 2008

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27774058/?GT1=43001

Admirals, generals: Let gays serve openly 
More than 100 call for repeal of military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy
The Associated Press
updated 5:59 p.m. ET, Mon., Nov. 17, 2008
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - More than 100 retired generals and admirals called Monday
for repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays so they
can serve openly, according to a statement obtained by The Associated Press.

The move by the military veterans confronts the incoming administration of
President-elect Barack Obama with a thorny political and cultural issue that
dogged former President Bill Clinton early in his administration.

"As is the case with Great Britain, Israel, and other nations that allow
gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who
are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender,
religion, and sexuality," the officers wrote.

While Obama has expressed support for repeal, he said during the
presidential campaign that he would not do so on his own - an indication
that he would tread carefully to prevent the issue from becoming a drag on
his agenda. Obama said he would instead work with military leaders to build
consensus on removing the ban on openly gay service members.

"Although I have consistently said I would repeal 'don't ask, don't tell,' I
believe that the way to do it is make sure that we are working through a
process, getting the Joint Chiefs of Staff clear in terms of what our
priorities are going to be," Obama said in a September interview with the
Philadelphia Gay News.

Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for Obama's transition team, declined comment.

Flash point for Clinton
The issue of gays in the military became a flash point early in the Clinton
administration as Clinton tried to fulfill a campaign promise to end the
military's ban on gays. His efforts created the current compromise policy -
ending the ban but prohibiting active-duty service members from openly
acknowledging they are gay.

But it came at a political cost. The resulting debate divided service
members and veterans, put Democrats on the defensive and provided cannon
fodder for social conservatives and Republican critics who questioned
Clinton's patriotism and standing with the military.

Retired Adm. Charles Larson, a four-star admiral and two-time superintendent
of the U.S. Naval Academy who signed the statement with 104 other retired
admirals and generals, said in an interview that he believed Clinton's
approach was flawed because he rushed to change military culture.

Larson said he hoped Obama would take more time to work with the Pentagon.
Joining Larson among the signatories was Clifford Alexander, Army secretary
under former President Jimmy Carter.

"There are a lot of issues they'll have to work out, and I think they'll
have to prioritize," Larson said, noting that the new administration will
immediately face combat-readiness issues and budget concerns. "But I hope
this would be one of the priority issues in the personnel area."

The list of 104 former officers who signed the statement appears to signal
growing support for resolving the status of gays in the military. Last year,
28 former generals and admirals signed a similar statement.

Generational shift cited
Larson, who has a gay daughter he says has broadened his thinking on the
subject, believes a generational shift in attitudes toward homosexuality has
created a climate where a repeal is not only workable, but also an important
step for keeping talented personnel in the military.

"I know a lot of young people now - even people in the area of having
commands of ships and squadrons - and they are much more tolerant, and they
believe, as I do, that we have enough regulations on the books to enforce
proper standards of human behavior," Larson said.

The officers' statement points to data showing there are about 1 million gay
and lesbian veterans in the United States, and about 65,000 gays and
lesbians currently serving in the military.

The military discharged about 12,340 people between 1994 and 2007 for
violating the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, according to the
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a military watchdog group. The number
peaked in 2001 at 1,273, but began dropping off sharply after the Sept. 11
attacks.

Last year, 627 military personnel were discharged under the policy.

Political observers say that even though the issue may not be as
controversial as it was when Clinton addressed it, it's impossible to forget
what happened then.

Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, said
Obama is unlikely to tackle the issue early on. Sabato said he expects Obama
to focus on economic recovery and avoid risking the spark of a distracting
"brush fire" controversy at the outset.

"I can't imagine that he will do this right in the beginning, given the
Clinton precedent," Sabato said.

Aaron Belkin, who has studied the "don't ask, don't tell" policy as director
of the Palm Center at the University of California at Santa Barbara and
organized the officers' statement, said how Obama addresses the issue will
be the first test for the new president on gay rights.

"Everyone is going to be interested to see how he responds," Belkin said.