The Latest On “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”
Posted by Michelle Moquin on November 24th, 2010
Good morning!
For those of you interested here’s an update on DADT:
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’s Final Act: Stage Is Set For Hearing
WASHINGTON — The stage has been formally set for the final, theatrical hearing over whether or not Congress will repeal the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy this year or even next year.
On Wednesday, Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced that he will hold two days of hearings on the policy that restricts gays from serving openly in the armed forces. The hearings will come just days after a year-long report, commissioned by the Pentagon, will be released reportedly showing that DADT repeal would have a minimal impact on the temperament or readiness of fellow soldiers.
On Thursday, December 2, supporters of DADT repeal will be granted the first shot to make their case. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates; Admiral Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Jeh C. Johnson, the Department of Defense’s General Counsel and co-chair of the Pentagon’s DADT Comprehensive Review Working Group; and General Carter F. Ham, commander of the United States Army in Europe and the second co-chair of the Comprehensive Review Working Group will all deliver testimony.
They will be followed on Friday by a day of testimony from those generally skeptical of appeal, including General James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; General George W. Casey, Jr., chief of staff of the Army; Admiral Gary Roughead, chief of Naval Operations; General James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps; and General Norton A. Schwartz, chief of staff of the Air Force.
All told, it should be a dramatic two days of hearings and questioning, with particular attention being paid to those members of the Senate Armed Services Committee whose position on the policy is either vague (Sen. Susan Collins chief among them) or who’ve twisted themselves into pretzels attempting to hold up repeal (Sen. John McCain).
The betting money is that people will remain entrenched or even emboldened in their positions even after the hearings conclude. But what comes out of the Pentagon study and the subsequent testimony could give Democratic leadership the type of breathing room they need to keep DADT repeal inside the Defense Authorization Bill and, in turn, structure the debate so that Republicans no longer feel they can vote against it on procedural grounds.
Readers: I also want to give you an update on Maj. Margaret Witt, who is a decorated reservist flight nurse, that had been suspended from the Air Force in 2004, after 17 years of service. She was eventually discharged in October 2007 after the Air Force learned she had been in a long-term relationship with a civilian woman. Now thanks to the Obama administration, they have appealed a court decision ordering it to reinstate Maj. Witt who was discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Just another reason why I’m happy Obama is president. We women, gay or straight, need to have a president such as Obama on our side.
Comments? Give it up – blog me.
Hey Zen Lill: Ha! Noted but did you notice all of the comments in regards to that? :) Okay, so I didn’t mean to negate you being the change you want to see. I’ve seen the change. All I’m saying is, don’t limit yourself. You can be the the change you want to see and give someone a piece of your mind too. Ya know what I mean? So…next time I’ll use the word “and” instead of “but” to be clear. That being said, what I really want to say is, I just like my blog to benefit from the fire in your heart that I know you have. :)
Joyce: Laughed at your comment to censor stupidity. Would love to but stupidity is welcome here too. :)
Brittany: Doug is not perfect but neither am I. :) In regards to your man, nicely said. I am happy you are having happy sex.
Hi Ruth: Funny. I always say the same thing about my dog and protecting her. She needs to fear my voice commanding her to stay so that she doesn’t get tempted to run out into the street and get killed. I’m sure you get my drift on this one. :) How are you otherwise?
Jodi: Deciding to turn a blind eye eh? Ignorance is blissful. Perhaps for you it is better that way.
Barry: You can thank Wizz for that one. Wish I could’ve been there.
Peace out peeps….I’m out of here.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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November 24th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
‘But’ I was just having fun with words : )
HI Misch, I hear ya, sistah, I do have a fire in my heart, belly and…so when I’m feeling inclined I will rail, how’s that?
I do have some commnets to commenters to make now and then I’m out of town for a few : )
Larry, nice usage of the but word I prefer it’s double t usage more often than not…I’ll address you again a little later ; )
Clarence, there is an element of truth to your comment, what you say about being fair minded, I am definitely that always…now let me give my huge disclaimer: IF all Muslim males over the age of ten (yes, all bc they perpetuate cruelty to women and it’s indoctrinated young and relentlessly) along with all men who harbor sexist BS and racist BS in their heads suddenly disappeared, I for one, wouldn’t ask after them, bad men can go to bad man hell for all I care. Now about being fair minded, and it’s probably the reason why I may at times sound less vehement about men in general, it is in my world, let’s say Western world of US living to be responsible and accountable for your own actions, so male or female, when you decide to treat another badly, either using your racist remarks, your religious doctrine to further either the male/female agenda and/or ‘cheat’ on a spouse (as opossed to disclosing and having an ‘agreement’)
you are lacking in one of those character traits and I find it just as shitty in either sex, so maybe men do cheat more, maybe women cheat more statistically lately bc they are revenge fucks, who knows? I’m just wondering if we can’t just hold ourselves to a higher standard no matter what someone else chooses to do.
If your man is an asshole, does cheating help or would disolving the union help more? If your woman is a bitch, does cheating help or would disolving the union help more? Or maybe your partner changed dramatically (or you have) after the vows but don’t cheat, it’s just not possible to stay together anymore, oh you know, there a million scenarios that I could lay out but let’s say that when you make the decision to ‘keep the marraige’ together and forgive/forget/overlook (or honor and obey : ) and all that yudda yudda that there’s a certain accountability and responsibility that goes along with it…males tend to shirk this ‘duty’ more than females, I will say that.
Jodi, spy/don’t spy, just be sure you’re clear about what that means either way, this is exactly the kind of responsibility I am talking about. If you would rather not know, then know that he may be gay and you are choosing not to know, also that means that if he someday (out of the cleae blue sky) wants a divorce and ends up with a male, you really can’t justify a ‘he fucked me over all these years’ rant, on the flip, if you do spy, what is it you’d like to do with the info if you fould out he were gay (or not…) would you ask to watch, join in, turn your head to that biz but just be aware now? What’s the intent?
Scott, oh baby, Dora made me laugh right out loud with that fart thing : ) but yes, you’ve got some of your facts wrong and some of context wrong as well, no matter, I’ve been misquoted, taken out of context and a numebr of other thinsg here : ) #1, my marriage is estranged, and he lives out of state at the moment, no legalities done yet, no need, neitehr one of us want to tie knots with anyone else and when we do, we will (it’ll be him, I ain’t doin’ dat again), estranged as is grew apart, blah blah blah…there was no big blow out of anyone being wronged, just having different needs that weren’t being met, unfortunate bc we did the business of marriage well together, you could ask ‘then what’s the problem’ but that’s just personal stuff and since he’s not here I’m not comfortable disclosing for him, we get along quite well, I am ZL after all : ) and we are spending Thanksgiving together…and there’s nothing weird about it either…for that I am thankful : )
Also Scott, I do not look for every opportunity to defend men, I simply won’t participate in venomous language towards them, period, and add what I read up top about resp/accountability, goes for all (except read my disclaimer also), and yes, if that isn’t tight enough for women here or anywhere then so be it.
Brittany, I never said the ‘doting’ hubbies were anything but that, they could be assholes, or as I see it, they’re just dweebs trying to please (and they have little chances with other women out there) though they could be gay for all I know. Or maybe they have an ‘agreement’ and they carry on with their ‘family unit’ for a variety of other reasons. There are a lot of understandings that can be reached in terms of alliances, some marriages may even incldue more than 2 parties (I think I like that, 2 men and me) hahaha…and right on with the ‘honor and obey’ goes both ways.
Larry, Carl and Morris, I would love to accomodate but I’m leaving shortly for my own celebration and will be reading but probably will not have time to comment or get pics in, soon….
On that note, women I’m going to give you a quick scene and you tell me what’s wrong with the picture. Let’s see how you see it. I was in a restaurant the other night, as I rounded a corner two men who were seated at a table facing me stopped listening to their across the table mate and looked me up and down, a few times, I get this bc in the outfit I was wearing my legs alone look six feet tall, then add the rest of me : ) the man and woman across the table could only see my back as I walked into the ladies room, on the way out I was now facing the couple, he was a large black man, she was a pretty black woman, he stopped his pontificating to look me up and down carefully garnering a small laugh out of the other men and when I passed by the woman muttered (oh and loud enough for me to hear, of course) ‘skinny bitch’ ok, what up with that? Firstly, just my opinion, yes men go ahead and look but when you disrespect the women your with, your asking for it…and yet, she’d rather dis me than tell him then or later that he was behaving disrespectfully towards her. Oh whatever…but seriously, when are women going to stop throwing ther women under the bus? As males say, ‘keep em’ insecure’ and if you’re willing to buy it ladies, then own it, and that’s my last two about responsibility. Would love to hear your perception of that little scenario, is there anything I could’ve/should’ve done?
Happy Thanksgiving to US commenters, all others, have a great week : )
Luv, Zen Lill
November 24th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Jodi I’m feeling like I may have sounded harsh to you but methinks you may have asked your original question bc you were somewhat suspect anyway? Anyway, my apology if it sounded to in-yer-face, that was not intent.
Speaking of that, just observing, when someone says ‘no offense’ hmmm, yeah right, you were fully intending to say your piece offense notwithstanding. My bitch: just cop to that, you offend, you offend, it would be my problem to decide if I want to warrant you enough clout in my life to give a flying one what you say about me, no?
Ok I am outta here…! ZL
November 25th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Wonderful article Michelle. It gave me a whole new take on ThanksGiving.
Happy Thanks Giving to all.
Please check out Limbaugh”s take on Thanksgiving.
He is our disgrace. He makes me ashamed to be white.
Grace