Associated Press
Taking a step back for a moment, it's almost hard to believe how much progress there's been in the U.S. military when it comes to gay rights.
For example, right about now, the Defense Department is hosting a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month event in the Pentagon Auditorium. Defense Department General Counsel Jeh Johnson will deliver a speech, which will be followed by a moderated panel discussion entitled, "The Value of Open Service and Diversity."
This would have been hard to fathom just a few years ago.
There's also this event on the calendar.
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, the organization which fought against the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy for years, is hosting an event celebrating the repeal of the law headlined by former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen.
The event, "Celebrating Our Heroes," will be held on the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City on Sept. 18, days ahead of the anniversary of the Sept. 20 repeal.
"This historic and emotional event presents a unique - indeed, a once in a lifetime - opportunity to reinforce the meaningful part that Admiral Mullen played in the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal process," Army veteran and SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis said in a statement. "No one played a more pivotal role than Admiral Mullen in securing the support of Congress and the military for repeal."
All of this comes just two weeks after Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta celebrated Pride day by thanking LGBT servicemembers -- and their families -- in a video posted online.
This, of course, is how it should be, and years from now, it'll probably seem quite odd that I'm impressed by how much progress there's been. But for now, it's worth appreciating how far we've come (and how wrong Sen. John McCain and other Republicans were to fight this progress every step of the way).
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It's moments like this that remind me I'm NOT actually living in the 18th century - and it's heartwarming..
What month is streight pride month?
@chemdmd - pick one, you can't go wrong.
Until President Romney signs an executive order (probably on his first day, which is scheduled to last about 168 hours) reinstating DADT and the Republican Houses of Congress write a bill retroactively making it the law of the land.
And that vision is why I am so fracking tired of left-wing handwringing that President Obama has been so very disappointing and we should all just stay home in November. It's time for the progressives of the country to grow up.
Could any one tell me where I may send a love letter to Rachel Maddow, and if that's even possible? Yes, I'm completely serious. Haha..
I think she is in a committed relationship already.
Fear is an amazing thing and it CONTROLS many as it is obvious here with ignorant comments.
This makes me think of my experience in the Navy, back in 1965.
A member of our unit, a very popular guy, considered a real "comer" - capable, competent, intelligent, funny, nice to be around - decided he could not continue to pretend to be who he wasn't, and he let the command know he was gay. He told no one he was doing this, and the first thing anyone else knew, he was gone. No word of good-bye, no answers from senior petty officers, nothing.
And then the witch-hunters arrived, since we were an Admiral's staff and everyone had at least a Secret, if not Top-Secret or Top-Secret/Crypto security clearance. One by one, we were taken in for interrogation. What did we know about our friend? How did we all get along? What did we do together? No word of warning or caution, no explanation of what was going on or why it was happening, nothing. The witch hunt (which turned up no other "witches") basically destroyed the unit's cohesion, with everyone now doubting their relationships with everyone else, wondering what people had said about them to the witch hunters. Two months later my sentence was up and I went back to the States to get out (I don't know who was happier - me or the Navy). While at Treasure Island in San Francisco going through separation, I ran across our guy in the breakfast line. He told me what he had done. I am sorry to say that my response was "Why didn't you keep your mouth shut? You only had less than a year left, and now you're getting a Dishonorable Discharge - what are you going to do?" He explained about not being able to do that any more, and over the years since I have certainly had the opportunity to come to understand that (my oldest friend from pre-school "came out" by attending our 40th year HS reunion with his partner - since he admitted who he was 35 years ago, they've been together longer than I have in two hetero marriages and two "major relationships", not to mention the folks I have come to know over the years I've worked in the entertainment industry).
Yeah, we have now had some progress. Rather than one life destroyed and a unit decimated, there's some recognition of common humanity.
But let's remember that 60% of the chaplains in the armed forces are graduates of Liberty University, and they are suing under "religious freedom" to be able to "discriminate" against "un-godly behavior".
This whole thing is far from over. I completely agree with Bernard:
And that vision is why I am so fracking tired of left-wing handwringing that President Obama has been so very disappointing and we should all just stay home in November. It's time for the progressives of the country to grow up.
TCinLA, you are so far out of touch with this subject, I was at the end of my military service when Don't Ask, Don't Tell came into being, many like myself were in favor of that politics because we knew what life was onboard ships out to sea, but that was over 15 year ago and life has changed, every american man/woman after 9/11 wanted to defend this country no matter what sexual choices were, the military had to change to that fact or they could not met the demands to fill the military ranks, my support also changed because anyone who is willing to stand a fight for their country needs our support in doing just that, I support them more then I do some who did have the chance to serve and choice not to, military life is hard enough without that support
Not to be the bearer or doom, but I wouldn't be celebrating so quickly. Not enough time has passed to really evaluate this. I'm reminded of the duck on the water. Calm on top but the legs are paddling like crazy underneath. Though I think the policy was long overdue and I never understood the calls for a very slow implementation, I am not so naive as to think there has been/will be miniscule adverse impact. There were/are very huge emotional barriers still to be removed. Intolerence didn't just disappear because of a new policy. I am reminded of the migration of women into the military (particulary to warzones or in combat occupations). At the time there were no adverse issues publically bandied about and yet a just released documentary about the increases in sexual assaults in the military. Yes they are being reported more often, but my point is that it is still happening at the same alarming frequency that it was when the policy was instituted. Institutional change is slow, always has been.
Haley defends military husband's Facebook post
COLUMBIA, S.C. --
By: SUSANNE M. SCHAFER | Associated Press
Published: June 26, 2012 Updated:
June 26, 2012 - 4:44 PM
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Gov. Nikki Haley on Tuesday defended her military
husband's Facebook post in which he called South Carolina lawmakers cowards for
not voting on a government restructuring bill she favored.
"He is a person. He is a citizen. He has the right to get frustrated," Haley
said, responding to calls that Michael Haley apologize for the posting.
Her comments came after lawmakers said South Carolina's Adjutant General,
Maj. Gen. Robert Livingston, should deal with the matter.
Haley, who is an officer in the South Carolina National Guard, posted the
item Thursday on his Facebook page. The post came after the Senate failed to
vote on a bill backed by his wife that would restructure portions of the state
government.
"It amazes me that in a week that we have heroes who have died fighting for
our freedoms, we have cowards who are afraid to take a vote in the senate,"
Haley wrote.
Earlier that day, the Guard announced that three S.C. soldiers had been
killed in an attack by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan.
Lexington Republican Sen. Jake Knotts, a frequent opponent of the governor,
suggested Tuesday that Michael Haley's action had violated the Hatch Act, which
prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.
"I'm concerned when a person uses his uniform or position in the military for
political purposes," Knotts said. He said the Facebook post was "an insult to
the families and to the Senate as a whole."
He said Haley should offer apologies to both the soldiers' families and to
the Senate.
He asked Livingston to look into the matter and whether Haley's comments
affected the Guard's image.
A spokesman for the South Carolina National Guard said there had been no
action taken against Haley as of midday Tuesday.
On Monday Sumter Sen. Phil Leventis said on the floor of the Senate that
Michael Haley's comment amounted to politics at its worst. He said he didn't
think the three soldiers died for a new South Carolina Department of
Administration.
"I found it difficult that Mr. Haley implied that he knew what those three
wanted. They died as Americans. They didn't die as Republicans or Democrats,"
said Leventis, a Democrat who retired as a brigadier general in the South
Carolina Air National Guard after 30 years in uniform.
After he spoke, Republican colleague Sen. Chip Campsen of Charleston rose to
say Leventis was no coward, and had 21 combat flights in the Iraq war to his
credit.
Leventis said in a telephone interview Tuesday that he believed Haley
"stepped way out of line" by using the soldiers' deaths to make a point about a
local political issue.
The senator said he's pleased Haley is in the military, and pleased he wears
his uniform when he appears with his wife at many state events.
"He's proud of that and he should be proud of that," Leventis said. "But the
difficulty comes because he is a prominent citizen. Mr. Haley let his emotions
get the better of him."
"I was very upset by it," said Leventis, who added that he did not favor
Haley's restructuring bill because it did not achieve the governmental reforms
he thought it should.
In April, a Marine Corps sergeant in San Diego was discharged for criticizing
President Barack Obama on Facebook.
Sgt. Gary Stein received an other-than-honorable discharge and lost most of
his benefits for violating the policies, the Marine Corps said.
Stein, who served nine years in the Corps, said he was disappointed by the
decision and argued that he was exercising his constitutional rights to free
speech.
The military has had a policy since the Civil War limiting the free speech of
service members, including criticism of the commander in chief.
Pentagon directives say military personnel in uniform cannot sponsor a
political club; participate in any TV or radio program or group discussion that
advocates for or against a political party, candidate or cause; or speak at any
event promoting a political movement.
At her Statehouse press conference, Haley said her husband was in the midst
of two weeks of military training in Texas when he learned that her legislation
was not being taken up by the Senate.
"He knew how important that day was to me, my staff, to the state, to the
country that was watching to whether we were going to get restructuring," the
governor said. "So you tell me how a husband who just lost three of his fellow
members in the military, who had just had dinner the night before with a double
amputee who has been in therapy for two years, is supposed to feel when he sees
that kind of action happen at the State House."
Rachel, glad to see you back on your show, I did watch you on Real Time with Bill Maher, on the lead into the show from 1/21/2011 was totally online, during the 1980's the annual inflation rate was 6% a year and the annual pay raise for all federal employee including militay pay were capped at 3 to 3 an half percent a year, with every new pay raise the military started off 2 to 3 percent behind, which meant that we could buy less as everything, it also got so bad that they military had to invent a new housing benefit call the Veritable Housing Allowance (VHA) that help offset the housing or rent for every base area in the United State, the main reason was that you could not get or keep enlisted or officers to stay in or be station at certain base because to the high cost of rent, you have to remember during the late 1970 until now there was a shift in the number of dependances to servicemembers, more families within all branches of the military, there was another major change during the Reagan years, military pay is part of the annual defense budget which has to be passed by Congress before the end of the fiscal September 30th, what was happening that bill would not get passed before then so every year military personnel would wonder if they would get paid in Oct with a new pay raise or not, since it was always a battle to get it passed so they changed when the new pay raise would be paid out, that way Congress and the President could take their time to get it passed, then what happen when the change imposed President Reagan took credit by saying he saved 1.2 million dollars with the delay in three months of military pay raises, to this day military pay raise are alway paid out the first of the new year even when they should be paid out starting at the beginning of the new fiscal year in Oct.
Rachel, whenever I hear about Mitt Romney support of the Vietnam War reminds me of a comment by then Sen Robert Kennedy made while at the University of Oregon, when an anti-war group asked him were in stood for or against the War, he looked at them and said "I am against deferments" that shut the crowd up, because everyone of them had a deferment from the war much like Dick Cheney and Mitt Romney
". . . years from now, it'll probably seem quite odd that I'm impressed by how much progress there's been."
I kind of felt that way when Obama became president, and then the backlash started and never let up. It will be a hard, ugly fight for years to come.