Dont ask, Dont tell Essays - , Term Papers

Don't Ask, Don't Tell2 The Policy known as ?don't ask, don't tell? limits the military's ability to ask service members about their sexual orientation and allows homosexuals to serve provided they keep quiet about their sexual orientation and refrain from homosexual acts. It was made law in 1993 amid a debate over the roll of gays in the military. Top officers in the military opposed an attempt, by then current President, Bill Clinton to overturn an existing ban on gay service members. The policy was adopted as a compromise. The argument for the continued restrictions was that the known presence of gay men and women would decrease morale and unit cohesion. President George W. Bush supported the ?don't ask, don't tell? law during his eight years in office. Since 1993, over 12,500 gay men and women have been discharged from the service when their sexual orientation became known (?nytimes.com?, 2010). In September 2010, Virginia A. Phillips, a federal judge in California, ruled that the ?don't ask, don't tell? law violated the equal protection and First Amendment rights of service members. On October 12th, she ordered the military to stop enforcing the law. On October 19th, she denied a request from the government to leave the rules in place during the appeal. On October 20th, a federal appeals court temporarily delayed Judge Phillips' ruling, returning the law to it's original state. On November 1st, the same federal appeals court issued a ruling stating the military could continue enforcing the law until the decision that struck down the law as unconstitutional was being appealed. Don't Ask, Don't Tell3 Total repeal of the law, which requires and act of Congress, had moved slowly it the past but had gained momentum in May of 2010 when the House adopted an annual Pentagon policy bill that included a provision allowing the Defense Department to repeal the ban. But in September 2010, Senate Republicans voted unanimously to block military legislation after the House majority leader said he would attach a number of the Democrats' election year priorities to it while also moving to limit the amendments offered by Republicans. Several times in 2009, President Obama met with top Pentagon officials to discuss repealing the ?don't ask, don't tell? law. He has remained very critical of the policy, but said it was the vote of Congress to change the law. On November 8, 2010 Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that he would like to see the Senate vote to authorize the repeal of ?don't ask, don't tell? before the end of the year and he believes a soon to be released Pentagon survey of active-duty forces and their families will show that a majority will not care if gay men and women serve openly, which the law forbids. Supporters of the law say that repealing the policy would be disruptive and would affect morale and recruitment. Opponents of the law say it has been costly, discriminatory, and damaging to the unit cohesion it has sought to protect. They also add that it places commanders in the difficult position of forcing the discharge of qualified service members. Don't Ask, Don't Tell4 On November 30, 2010 the Pentagon released a study on ?don't ask, don't tell?. It has been determined that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. Armed forces will not undermine military readiness. Seventy percent of the service members who responded to the survey believe that ending the seventeen year old policy will have little or no effect on unit cohesion. Seventy four percent of military spouses said ?don't ask, don't tell? repeal will not affect their husband's or wife's ability to serve. Sixty nine percent of service members said they had served with someone who was gay or lesbian. Of those who had, Ninety two percent said the unit cohesion was either ?very good?, ?good?, or ?neither good or poor?(?defense.gov? 2010). Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, called the report ?one of the most expansive studies ever done on military personnel issues?. He also stated about the report, ?one that examines not only the impact of repeal, but also how to best implement a new policy across the joint force?. The report included survey results from about