Dispatch from Missouri
Our great state is known as the "Show Me State". While legends abound as to how this slogan originated, it is widely believed to be coined by US Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver in 1899 before a naval banquet in Philadelphia where he stated, "I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me."
On May 14 I participated in a panel discussion after screening of the film "Ask Not"
In 2006, Missouri's own Fort Leonard Wood led the nation in discharging 60 soldiers under the ban.
No other federal law mandates you must be fired because you're gay or lesbian.
At least one service member is fired per day under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
The ban actually hurts American military readiness by discouraging highly qualified Americans from re-enlisting or joining the armed forces at all.
We cannot tolerate a law that weakens the military. We have much work ahead of us, and PROMO is proud to support SLDN in the struggle to repeal DADT.
05-15-09 By A.J. Bockelman, Executive Director, PROMO |
1 Comments
Comments for this entry are closed.Dino in Washington, D.C. on May 17, 2009 at 08.26 pm
Thank PROMO for taking the lead on this. One of the main obsticles for the repeal of DADT is US Representative Ike Skelton (D) of Missouri. He is the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He has gone on record in past years opposing the repeal of DADT, but I believe he has been quiet about it for the past couple years. We should start a massive lobbying effort with Representative Skelton, and find progressive people in his congressional district, which is predominently rural and encompasses Jefferson City the state capital, and have them start a letterwriting, faxing, emailing and telephoning campaign. Every little bit will help. Once again, thanks PROMO!!!