Discrimination at it’s finest-Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
Since it’s creation in the early 90′s by President Bill Clinton, the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Law has been the reason that almost 14,000 military personnel has been kick out of the military. For those who do not know what this is, the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Law is the policy restricting the United States military from efforts to discover or reveal closeted gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members or applicants, while barring those that are openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual from military service. The policy prohibits anyone who “demonstrate(s) a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts” from serving in the armed forces of the United States, because “it would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability.” (US Military)
To me, this law is the ultimate act of discrimination. No one should be barred from serving their country. Just because someone is gay does not make them any less capable of serving in the military. I ultimately feel that the military is very insecure and cannot handle the fact that gay people are serving in the military as we speak. As we speak now, their is an investigation going on into the legality of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. However, President Obama has said he was this investigation to go on for an entire year. Really Obama??? an entire year??? You’re starting to disappoint me.
Recently a man named Eric Alva came to my school to speak with us about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell:
Mr. Alva was the very first American injured in Iraq when we invaded in 2003. Instead of honoring the work he had done for this country, serving for us in two wars, when the military found out he was gay, he was discharged under DADT. Now, Mr. Alva is fighting for LGBT rights everyday with the HRC (Human Rights Campaign). He is one small piece to the end of discrimination against the LGBT community on this country.
I ask my readers out there to please look up the HRC, and get involved in anyway they can. Equal rights for some people means equal rights for all people, so its time for President Obama to end Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
