Remembering our nation’s veterans is perhaps the most important act an American can do to help his or her country. Our brave men and women who are overseas putting themselves in harm’s way deserve our full support.
With the passing of Memorial Day, we can show we appreciate their service by strengthening our military. This is why the timing for the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” could not have been better.
On May 28, two historic votes occurred that would reverse this outdated policy.
The Senate Armed Forces Committee passed an amendment to a defense bill that would repeal the 17-year-old policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” a law that bans gays, lesbians and bisexuals from openly serving in the military. The repeal passed in the full House of Representatives on the same day. It, too, was an amendment attached to a defense bill.
Naturally, this progress has met some resistance from top military officials, soldiers and conservative Republicans, including Arizona Sen. John McCain.
While it has met resistance from prominent figures, some distinguished officials support the reversal of this abhorred policy as well, such as Defense Secretary Robert Gates and former Secretary of State and veteran Colin Powell.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted earlier this year shows 75 percent of Americans are in favor of getting rid of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Some veterans support the repeal also, such as Bryan Geraci, who has served in the Air Force as a staff sergeant and in the Navy as a petty officer second class.
Geraci, who is also a political science student at ASU, said not much would change if the ban on gays, lesbians and bisexuals in the military were to be lifted.
In Geraci’s eyes, the opposing side’s arguments do not hold water. The talking points are recycled and overused.
“They used the same arguments to stop the integrating of African-American troops in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The military just said they weren’t ready,” Geraci said.
A compromise has been reached between the Department of Defense and President Barack Obama’s administration to ensure this repeal is done in a responsible manner. Repeal of the policy is contingent upon the analysis of this move, which is conducted by the Department of Defense. The Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gates and Obama would have to reach a consensus that reversal of this statute would not negatively affect the military.
This responsible approach to dismantling this discriminative law will make our military stronger.
“There have been thousands of people kicked out from top jobs, such as translators, who do their job exceedingly well. Why would we kick people out when we are fighting two wars and the reasons for kicking them out do not deal with combat readiness?” Geraci said.
It is time we support our troops by letting those who want to serve our country to do so openly. It is the right thing to do for the gay, lesbian and bisexual communities, and also for the men and women who represent the red, white and blue abroad.
Reach Andrew at andrew.h.hedlund@asu.edu
