Ending Don't Ask Don't Tell really isn't the controversial issue that politicians who are afraid of taking action would have you believe, particularly in the institution that would be most affected, the military itself. That's not just a liberal blogger's interpretation. Here's Admiral Mullen:
AMMAN, Jordan — Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was nearing the end of a 25-minute question and answer session with troops serving here when he raised a topic of his own: "No one's asked me about 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'" he said.
As it turned out, none of the two dozen or so men or women who met with Mullen at Marine House in the Jordanian capital Tuesday had any questions on the 17-year-old policy that bars gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military — or Mullen's public advocacy of its repeal.
Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Darryl E. Robinson, who's the operations coordinator for defense attache's office at the U.S. Embassy here, explained why after the session. "The U.S. military was always at the forefront of social change," he said. "We didn't wait for laws to change."
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After Tuesday's question-and-answer session, Mullen told McClatchy that although he's held three town hall sessions with troops since his testimony, not a single service member has asked him about the issue.
At Tuesday's session, which included not only Marines, but members of the Army and the Air Force, both male and female service members explained why they were nonplussed by the issue: They'd already served with gays and lesbians, they accepted that some kind of change was imminent, and, they said, the nation was too engulfed in two wars for a prolonged debate about it.
That there's been so little reaction raises questions about how much study the issue needs and whether the Pentagon study is meant to pacify its concerns — or Congress'.
There's little question at this point the issue is far more political than practical. As Staff Sgt. Peppur Alexander, a 14-year veteran of the Army told McClatchy, "We have lost good soldiers because of that because they wanted to be who they are. It's sad." It's sad, and it's no longer necessary. The solution is as simple as the White House including the repeal language in the defense budget they send to Congress, because Congress isn't going to prevent a defense budget--of all things--from passing.