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One Hundred Seventy-Two

172: That is the number of cosponsors that have now signed onto the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (MREA). One hundred seventy-two. It's fantastic.
 
Yesterday, Representatives Jerry McNerny (D-CA), Steve Kagen (D-WI) and Richard Neal (D-MA) added their names to the growing list of strong allies in Congress who have said they will stand up and strengthen our military. By signing back onto the MREA, Rep. Neal has brought the entire Massachusetts delegation on board, another state at 100 percent (the sixth) for our map of the 218 initiative.

The MREA now has 23 more cosponsors than it did at the end of last Congress. It took almost two years to gather 149 cosponsors in the 110th Congress, and in just six months time we have bested that number and added significantly to it. Is this so surprising? It shouldn't be. Supporting the MREA should be quite logical. Look at what the bill does: it strengthens our military, gets rid of a tired, discriminatory law, and creates the opportunity for thousands in our ranks and thousands of civilians to serve and defend our great nation. Look at the polling on the issue: 58 percent of conservative Republicans and 60 percent of weekly churchgoers support open service. I'm pretty sure Congress would be overjoyed if they could get those kind of numbers on the health care debate.
 
This fight however is not about numbers and statistics. It's about all those service members who have been fired for being gay or lesbian. These folks fight for your freedom and mine every day, yet face the always lingering threat, and too-often cold, dark reality, of a needless discharge. This fight is about making a difference, making our military better, making our country greater. Make a difference: Call your member of Congress today and urge him or her to support the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Ask them to add their number, their voice and their vote to the list of allies.

09-18-09 By Jeremy Wilson-Simerman |