I'm Done Asking. It's Time to Tell. No, make that "Demand."

[FreeState]

http://www.bilerico.com/2009/06/im_done_asking_its_time_to_tell_no_-_mak.php

I'm sick and tired of "asking" for our civil rights. I am appalled at LGBTQ kids getting murdered or committing suicide because they are "queer" to their classmates. I am more than disgusted at having the "voters" decide who I can and cannot love, all the while taking our tax dollars to pay for our nation's schools, infrastructure and ever-expanding needs.

And I am livid many American politicians are comfortable with gay and lesbian servicemembers serving, and dying, for our country in silence - simply so either the Democratic or Republican incumbent gets re-elected.

Rachel Maddow, keeping the political establishment's feet to the fire, had Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) on her show recently, speaking of President Obama's ability to issue an executive order to ensure no more gay and lesbian servicemembers are kicked out of the military simply because they are gay.

I'm tired of LGBTQ issues being "kicked down the political road" while we suffer and die for "the greater good."

The world is changing, and American's attitudes are changing also. The Republicans are losing grip of more than just power, they are losing grip of public opinion and - importantly, elections. And if the Democratic leadership doesn't understand the political ground is shifting under their feet, they may also be out of a job.

It's time for the president and congressional leaders to give our servicemembers the respect they deserve, and get off the fence - as our soldiers, airmen, seamen and Marines are serving in silence - and not sitting on the frikkin' fence.

It's time for the Democratically-controlled Congress to Repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell, and for President "fierce advocate to repeal DADT" Obama to issue an executive stop-loss order NOW.

Otherwise our political leaders - from the president on down the political ladder - are looking, and acting, like cowards. And that is beneath contempt.

----

Best editorial I've read in a while. Its not time to stand quietly by and wait. Its time to demand our place at the table. Its time we demand out leaders treat us as citizens and stop ignoring and patronizing our community.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. Amen ..........

Rachel is doing a GREAT job of not letting this one slip away and be forgotten. That interview with Rush Holt was extraordinary.

KO does the same sort of thing with Jonathan Turley.

Do you know how much unadulterated shit I catch here at DU when I post that Obama can sign an Executive Order and make the banning of gays from the military illegal? I mean, it turns into a total shitstorm. Suddenly, all the self-styled Constitutional scholars - who probably never even read the document - are pounding on me, telling me why Obama can't do that.

Holt's answer last night was lovely. And correct. I smiled.

So much for "liberals" at DU who refuse to allow themselves to understand how the system works.

Do you think those shitstorms are gonna shut me up about Executive Orders?

Oh, baby, not in this lifetime. No way. Tangerine is straight, but she knows right from wrong, and she doesn't like "wrong"...........

[FreeState]

3. Its mob mentality

I rarely post outside of the GLBT forum for this reason - if we post any thing that could be considered negative we are attacked until the threads are locked or deleted all together. Its extremely frustrating and not helpful to the Civil Rights movement or the party IMO.

I'll get attacked for saying this but as a gay DU member I have not felt welcome outside of this forum in a long while. I refuse to give up though because something has to be done to move the direction of the party in regards to Civil Rights and if we stop taking our place at the table Im afraid of who will sit at the seats left.

[HillbillyBob]

4. He could stop the investigations with an executive order but he cannot repeal the law

I am one of those service men who was thrown away for being gay. It was prior to dont ask dont tell. It was during runnyrayguns exec order to get rid of all the fags in the service in 81.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

5. That's all he has to do ............

Suspend the current law, which is what an Executive Order does. That's all he has to do. That's what Lincoln did with the Emancipation Proclamation, which was Executive Order Number 1.

Even the Pentagon is now fed up with DADT.

I'm so sorry that happened to you. I just had a ride with a cab driver from Afghanistan, a poet, no less, and we got to talking about Reagan. We both agreed that he was the worst President ever, a total rightwingnut, corporate tool, and that he should rot in Hell for all eternity.

I know that doesn't do a thing to ease your sorrow, but at least you know there are a whole lot of people on your side.

[TheWraith]

13. But that's NOT all that has to be done.

Ignoring the dangerous precedent of the President telling the military what laws they do and do not have to obey...

Removing the pressure from the issue would remove all incentive Congress has to act, and guarantee that DADT gets indefinitely ignored. Then the minute another Republican gets into office, the EO is rescinded, and we're back to square one. The law itself HAS to be repealed. Period. A temporary fix won't do enough.

I know people get pissed when they hear about DADT discharges continuing, but one needs to remember perspective: every major issue is important, and affects people's lives. 50 people in the US died today because they didn't have access to healthcare. And 50 yesterday, and 50 more the day before that. Pollution kills 190 people a day in the US. The fact that we haven't fixed those problems yet doesn't mean nobody cares, it just means we haven't fixed those problems yet.

[donco6]

14. Yeah, we already know - everything's more important than this.

In fact, it's so unimportant, it's really beneath your notice. We'll all muddle along somehow.

[TheWraith]

15. Careful you don't get hayfever from that strawman.

:eyes:

[shadowknows69]

6. I've mentioned the executive order too and been jumped for it

"That will make him look above the law"

Compared to the last guy? Are you fucking kidding me? It's in his powers as CIC. It should have been done on day one.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

8. Even here, in this very thread,

a DUer said that Obama signing an EO "can't repeal the law."

Well, gee, that's not the point. The point is to stop the practice of DADT. I don't care if it's done by impaling Clarabelle the Clown on the White House fence - if that's what it takes to STOP IT, then he should DO IT.

You get jumped, too? That's - weirdly -good to know.

There are a whole lot more different variations of bigotry out there than even I suspected. The idea that, somehow, Obama would be like GWB because he did the right thing eludes me. Yet, they throw that up every time.

You do realize - and feel free to use this next time the gripers land on you like that - that they're thinking of "signing statements," not Executive Orders, but then, brilliant Constitutional scholars such as they don't need to trouble themselves with minutiae like simple facts, right?

Hang in there, my friend, and I'll do the same ......

[LostinVA]

2. What you said! (and, just writing a PM to you -- check it)

[mrbarber]

7. The fact that DADT still even exists.....

LITERALLY makes me speechless.

[bluedawg12]

9. K&R

[RetiredTrotskyite]

10. I Stay Here Generally...

because I am tired of LGBTQ people getting dissed on other forums every time they say almost anything having to do with LGBTQ issues.

[donco6]

12. Like it's safe HERE?

I haven't seen anything worse on GD than what happened here earlier today.

[Name removed]

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