Comments (16) | Add a comment
EDITORIAL
Closing this chapter
Tools
In a landmark vote, the Senate on Saturday ended the ban on gays serving openly in the military.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton modified the previous outright ban on homosexuals, marshalling into effect the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which for 18 years allowed homosexuals to serve so long as they stayed "in the closet," not openly declaring their orientation.
More than 13,500 service members have been dismissed under the 1993 law -- for "telling," presumably.
The vote to allow gays to serve openly was 65-31, drawing support from eight Republicans, including Sen. John Ensign of Nevada.
The bill now goes to the White House for President Obama's signature. He is expected to sign the bill into law next week.
"It is time to close this chapter in our history," Mr. Obama said in a statement after a test vote cleared the way for final action. "It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed."
The push for repeal was strengthened by the release of a major Pentagon study reporting two-thirds of military personnel believe gays could serve openly without affecting combat effectiveness.
In publicizing that study, though, the Pentagon downplayed the fact that in combat units -- which form the minority of military units -- opinion went the other way: The majority of combat troops did foresee some problems.
Critics of the move point out the military is no place for experiments in social engineering or political correctness. And it's true that the men and women on the front -- in crowded barracks and tanks and submarines -- will now be expected to figure out the logistics of this momentous change.
But President Obama is correct that sexual orientation places no limits on the ability of an American to display strength, courage and character. Despite the prohibition, gays have served and fought honorably in many armies -- and have essentially been integrated in the military for decades. Irrational prejudice is a thing to be confronted and overcome.
Comments
Terms & Conditions
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The Review-Journal does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please use the Report Abuse button.
Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 24 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Great Editorial! Of course you could have mentioned that giving credit to Harry Reid for ending DADT is like giving credit to an arsonist for calling the fire department after he burns someone's house to the ground. Reid voted to CREATE DADT and specifically OPPOSED the Boxer Amendment that which would have allowed gays to stop lying in in 1993! Reid passed up multiple opportunities to bring DADT to a vote in the Senate and waited until the very last minute and did nothing until the issue almost cost him reelection. Reid voted for DOMA and refused to bring ENDA to a vote in the Senate. Reid does deserve credit for finally bringing DADT to a vote and for voting to end unjust discrimination against gay soldiers.
Hey Jack.Webb, M. Schaffer, and odj...Good News. You can all now join the military and live happily ever after.
The Dept of Defense will now direct mandatory training programs at all levels. Fitness reports will be revised to include individual's degree of actions and attitude toward gays. Promotion boards will be directed to give extra points to gays. Commanders at all levels who do not aggressively push the acceptance of the policy line will be reassigned to the worst locations. Their records will be flagged to deny future promotions. That's how the two previous politically correct affirmative actions turned out. Bottom line: GI's expressing their preference for being straight may be discharged.
I'm so happy Ensign voted "yes" on this! Thank you!
65 to 31 vote, eh? So 31 senators and 4 absentees are a disgrace to the human race. If our elected "leaders" are a true representation of our us... From illegal aliens (ex-people) to outsourced slavery jobs to gays... What is the NEXT "contrived" diversion to the current collapse of our corrupted systems? I suppose the poli-weenies could blame God. He hasn't been around for a while.
I agree with Greg.Sprang. "Homosexuals slobbering all over each other on the dance floors..." at NCO clubs is highly unlikely.
We are too broke to be this stupid. This is how we prioritize our difficulties? We strain out gnats and swallow camels in the process.
I'm glad I'm not going to be in todays homosexualized military. Can you imagine what its going to be like when you go to NCO Clubs on the bases? Hmmmm...homosexuals slobbering all over each other on the dance floors. Yuck!
Expect significantly increased Command interest on standards of conduct & appearance, public displays of affection, and fraternization. Technically, active duty military are never relieved of adhering to standards and should now expect those standards to be more rigorously applied. I don't think that'll be a big problem for most, but especially for combat units who understand the need for and value of discipline.
Does this mean the military will have to have nail salons at its remote bases? Oh! I broke a nail! I can't possibly join the fire fight until I get this polished up at the salon! Yeah, I'm being sarcastic. A little bit.