'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' hearing in November
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/10/23/art.carllevin.gi.jpg caption=" Carl Levin's spokeswoman confirmed the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing next month on the controversial 'don't ask, don't tell' policy."]
WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing next month on the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy banning gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, committee chairman Carl Levin's spokeswoman confirmed Friday.
The precise date for the November hearing hasn't been set yet, said Levin spokeswoman Tara Andringa.
The Michigan senator, who supports ending that policy, made the announcement after a Friday event marking the passage of a bill that extends hate crimes protection to victims assaulted because of their sexual orientation. "My hope is that we are going to find a way to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell," Levin said, according to AFP. The Armed Services Committee had previously announced it would debate the policy sometime this fall.
President Obama has faced criticism from the gay community for not moving forward quickly to repeal the policy. Earlier this month, at a fundraiser for a gay rights organization, he pledged to end the practice of discharging members of the military because of their sexual orientation, but did not give a timeline for when that might happen.
"We should not be punishing patriotic Americans who have stepped forward to serve this country," Obama told the Human Rights Campaign on October 11. "I'm working with the Pentagon, its leadership and the members of the House and Senate on ending this policy, legislation that has been introduced in the House to make this happen
Recinding "Don't ask, don't tell" will happen and rightfully so, but considering the monumental mess the former piece of work created and our current president inherited ... it's rather naive for anyone to think it should be Obama's or the nation's top priority.
Once again, it took Saturday Night Live to kick them in the butt to get them to start doing something...
role of military is to fight AND win. its not a social experiment; to tinker with. when i was in, i saw one article in navy times that said 5% of service will "get out" of DADT is repealed. 5% of 2million = 100,000, in a time that we face growing threats, two wars, and a resource hungry china.
It's about time!
AMERICA is made up of all types of people and it's foundation is respect for all. Draft dodgers now can't use that excuse in days to come and that is "equal rights".
The burden of being AMERICAN rest on everyone's shoulders not just the priviledge few or the bigist. The most highest honor is for one to defend AMERICA's ideas (1 country under GOD for ALL).
hmmmmm
"Don't ASk don'T Tell" is obviously the Rule for all POLITICIANS!!!!!!!
Too bad the servicemen can't all be INDUCTED into THEIR programs!!!!
I was wanting my kids to follow granparents and parents to serve our country, but who wants them to serve with a bunch who you cannot ttrust.
First, the CDC reported that gay men have the highest rate of getting AIDS. Having said that, allowing gays will increate AIDS in the military.
What precautions have we taken to not make it an epidemic in the military? I want to know.
And go ahead and legalize it. 2012 is around the corner.