Rabbi Denise L. Eger is the founding Rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami,
West Hollywood’s Reform Synagogue. She is the first female president of
the Southern California Board of Rabbis and is also president of the
Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis. This post originally appeared on her blog and is republished with permission.
Even the Washington Post is
calling for the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy. In last week’s op-ed section, the Post articulately urges Congress to do
away with this heinous policy of expulsion of openly gay and lesbian
soldiers. Put into place during the Clinton years, DADT has done
tremendous harm to the armed forces, to our country’s military
readiness and to the almost 14,000 soldiers and sailors that have been
expelled from the military.
Here our country is fighting two wars-Iraq and Afghanistan now for
more than eight years! Plus there are numerous places around the globe and
here at home where our service men and women are serving are country
and in the interests of peace-making. (Yes, it is weirdly ironic that
soldiers, trained as deadly fighters, are peace-makers). But in an all-volunteer military,14,000 highly trained soldiers and officers matter. Especially in a time of war. They were expelled because of a draconian
policy that continues the uptight sexually repressed Victorian thinking
of the hyper macho military-industrial complex. For 16 years this
policy has destroyed lives, destroyed careers and weakened our military
readiness.
Today’s Army (Air Force, Marines, Navy and Coast Guard) is a
professional force. They are highly skilled, trained professionals.
We invest a lot of time, money and educational opportunities to train
them. This isn’t the draft of WWII or Korea or Vietnam. Obama in his
state of the union addressed called for repealing DADT. But actions
speak louder than words. Let’s see Congress move. Today Secretary of
Defense Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee in part
about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates spoke of the need to change the
policy. Sen. Carl Levin spoke of the need to change the policy. Sen
John McCain, the former presidential candidate supported DADT. Well at
least his wife, Cindy McCain seems to be in our court.
One of the surprises of the testimony today was the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of staff, Adm. Mike Mullen of the United States Navy.
Admiral Mullen spoke eloquently about his belief about DADT: “that we
have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about
who they are in order to defend our their fellow citizens. For me
personally, it is a matter of integrity theirs as individuals and ours
as an institution. I also believe the great young men and women of our
military would embrace such a change.” Wow! How refreshing that he
spoke personally and so forcefully. But then he hedged about how to
make the change in a time of war. To listen to the hearing see the webcast of the Armed Services Committee.
There will be a similar hearing on March 3 in the House Armed Services Personnel Sub-Committee.
Let’s keep the pressure on. Contact your Senator, Your
Representative and President Obama. Let’s make Don’t Ask Don’t Tell an
unpleasant memory. For more ways to help contact the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.