The Pentagon is about to release the study regarding what the troops feel about allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly. Apparently, the results are highly favorable.
Now, not only do the troops concur with oveturning DADT, but most of the top military brass agree (not the top Marine Corps officer, but that's understandable--they're sometimes a bit Neanderthal), and the American population as a whole also believes that we can serve openly.
So who still stands in the way? John McCain primarily. He's changed his position on this issue so many times in the past few years. First, he said he would accept change if the top Pentagon brass agreed to alter the policy. When that happened, he pinned his bigotry on the troops and this study. Now that the results have been leaked and he doesn't like what he hears, he's saying the results of this study are invalid and he now wants to conduct lengthy hearings--again--to get the results he wants. He wants to keep this from happening. One man; one bigot, trying to stop the future.
The senator is the consumate flip-flopper and always has been. He's been what's wrong with Washington for decades even though he can be found to say that the system in Washington is broken and needs to be fixed. He's been saying this while he's become more and more the reason Washington is perpetually broken. Now he wants to filibuster even when the American people, the top Pentagon brass, and now the troops have spoken otherwise. While the voters were sacking many incumbants this fall, primarily Democrats, the people of Arizona should have sacked John McCain. And the rest of the nation should have sacked several other Republicans who have contributed to the mess the country is currently in yet got away with retaining their political offices this fall.
So, we are on the cusp of an historic moment, if the Senate acts now to right this wrong. If it is not repealed this time, the nation will see that it was primarily the Republicans who are against progress and for bigotry and prejudice, as they have been for decades. Bashing gays and standing firm against our achieving equality and fairness has been their party's mantra in winning just enough votes from the bigots out there, to keep themselves in power.
Their agenda is that of "No". No to equal rights. No to equality and fairness. No to the middle class and the poor. They can only say Yes to the rich and the corporations, who lavish them with millions of dollars every election year so that they themselves may be rewarded, in turn, with more tax cuts they do not need. They say Yes to the bigots out there who blame their failing marriages and cultural blunders on anyone who doesn't fit the norm they have promoted.
We shall see what results now that the troops and the brass and the American people have spoken. We shall see if John McCain and his right-wing minority of cultural zealots will attempt yet again to stop us with all means, legal and illegal. The Republicans said in the fall that they have learned from their mistakes in the recent past. We shall see if that is true or not.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Vote
Vote. And don't vote for Tea Party bigots who variously believe we should not be able to adopt, not be able to teach, not be able to serve openly in the military, and who believe being gay is a choice akin to alcoholism.
