Frontlines: The Latest from OutServe-SLDN

Your Calls Are Being Heard: Keep Up the Pressure

I love road trips. We live in a big beautiful country. As I drive down one of our interstate highways, I look up at the mountains surrounding me and get a better sense of my place in the world.

I made a road trip this week from Salem, Ohio, to Washington, DC. I crossed the Allegheny mountains through Pennsylvania and Maryland. I grew up in northern West Virginia, so I was at home traveling up and down these ancient peaks.

For the past three weeks I've been meeting and talking to veterans in Ohio. I've reached out to community and student organizations as well. I have been humbled many times and grateful for it.

These Ohio veterans and allies have responded strongly. I was waiting in the office of Senator George Voinovich when I overheard a receptionist fielding a constituent call. The one side of the conversation went something like this:

"Senator Voinovich's office."

"Yessir. You support the repeal of Don't ask, Don't tell."

"Yessir. Thank you, sir. May I have your name and address? I will let the Senator know. He appreciates your call."

I don't know who called. Was it a fellow veteran? An ally? Was it someone I talked to? Or someone who talked to someone who talked to me?

I'll never know who made that call at that moment, but I want to thank him and all of the others who are calling. Their voices are being heard in Columbus and in Washington.

We live in a big beautiful country. I get a better sense of my place in the world when I look up, but sometimes it's not mountains I'm looking at - it's people.

The time is now to urge both your senators to vote for DADT repeal the week of September 20.

Call your senators today!

www.sldn.org/Gaga

09-17-10 By Sergeant Pepe N. Johnson, SLDN Military Advisory Council |