Mullen: DADT Repeal Could Heal Rift Between Colleges, Military
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen told reporters Sunday at Columbia University that ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" could greatly reduce longstanding tension between colleges and the military over campus bans on the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC):
"I think there’s great potential there. Again, I don’t want to lead this in terms of change. It’s a legislative responsibility, it’s not mine, but I think the upside potential in that regard is pretty significant."
This acknowledgement is the latest example of how military attitudes are steadily changing in favor of repeal. Military top brass understands that keeping the best, most qualified service members regardless of sexual orientation is what will keep our military strong.
Mullen also reiterated his belief that DADT should go because it undermines the military’s core values:
"I’ve spoken very specifically about that in my testimony,” he said. “Fundamentally, I believe that we are asking young men and women to come in and essentially lie. It’s counter to our values as a military. It’s counter to what I’ve valued my whole life in the military, and from that perspective, that’s why I personally believe, it is a belief, that it’s time to change. I said in that testimony, I repeat here, I served with those that I thought were gay my whole life. My first ship in 1968 up until right now, and they were, quite frankly, thought to be gay or lesbian by a lot of people. Never saw any debilitating impact that I could put my finger on from that standpoint."
04-19-10 By Paul DeMiglio, Senior Communications Manager |
1 Comments
Comments for this entry are closed.Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com on April 19, 2010 at 02.33 pm
“My first ship in 1968 up until right now, and they were, quite frankly, thought to be gay or lesbian by a lot of people. NEVER SAW ANY DEBILITATING IMPACT that I could put my finger on from that standpoint.”
So when is someone going to ask him to explain the blatant contradiction in statements about his 42 years of experience in the military like these and his repeated cheerleading for Gates’ “study”?
“Secretary Gates’ point about the study is to really understand objectively the impact on our – on our troops and on their forces, and that is their biggest concern.” - ADM. Mullen, February 2nd.
Are we to believe he imagines it possible that troops are more homophobic in 2010 than they were in 1968?
Call me a cynic but just because he’s thrown some more verbal roses at repeal doesn’t sever the poisonous thorns of slow walking repeal to death beneath them.