Dadt Pros And Cons

Obama signed a repeal of the 'Don't ask, Don't tell' which allowed gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. A great moment in the gay community was when Barack Obama repealed the 'don't ask, don't tell' after 17 years of that law being in affect. This policy forced gays to hide their sexual orientation or face dismissal because of their sexual preference. Obama says, "No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie, or look over their shoulder in order to serve the country that they love.("Obama signs Repeal")". The signing ceremony was a breakthrough moment for the nations gay community and also it made the gay community involved in the military appreciate Obama("Obama Signs Repeal"). Obama couldn't be prouder to repeal the 'don't ask, don't tell" act."I say to all Americans, gay or straight, who want nothing more than to defend this country in uniform, your country needs you,

Finally, we see political figures that used their power of persuasion to get votes. They were commoners of a higher caliber that use both sides of the spectrum to further their cause. All this came at a time of great turmoil, as the civil war is still going on and many great changes have come to America. Not only is there a mass influx due to the Irish trying to better themselves but also President Lincoln has freed the slaves and black people can no longer be considered property. Not only were they no longer servants but they were also allowed to serve in the military. The link between military service and full citizenship and inclusion is one that has had powerful resonance in our own time. The end of “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell” and the full participation of gays and lesbians in our armed forces represent, as Lincoln described the Emancipation Proclamation itself, a profound “act of justice,” a carrying forward in our time of the ideals that he and his words inspired. (Walsh, 2013)

The issue of gays in the military has been controversial in the United States for many decades. Over these decades there have been many different proposals as to what approach to take in order to handle the situation of homosexuals in the military. However, in 1992 when Bill Clinton was running for President of the United States, he made a promise to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military if he was elected (Washington Post). Bill Clinton followed through with his promise, and in December 1993 he instituted “a defense directive that military applicants should not to be asked about their sexual orientation” (Washington Post). This is now known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was the result

This condemnation eventually led to the introduction of the separation of homosexuals from military service as seen with the neutral blue discharges which were often given to homosexual servicemen starting in 1916 . This neutral discharge was then labeled “general” and “undesirable”, resulting in a less honorable discharge. Discharges concerning men who were found to be guilty in engaging in homosexual acts were severely different than those who were neutrally discharged. If this were the case then you were then dishonorably discharged (“Don't Ask, Don't Tell” - Wikipedia). The current policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Harass, Don't Pursue1, derived from the original 1993 Department of Defense Directive 1332.14 coined Don't Ask, Don't Tell, ensures that any American citizen can participate in the Armed Forces. This policy is a step-up from the usual immediate discharge, however, this is only if the service member does not identify

Karen O. Donovan 's article about military culture explores military tradition, and the impact social changes in society has on the military. These changes included the policy change regarding gays six years ago. At that time gays were acknowledged in the military when the military ended years old

President Obama took office in early 2009, but did not immediately make a move on homosexual military policy as Clinton did. Obama acknowledged that the process to repeal DADT would have to go through the proper legislative channels, most importantly involving Pentagon officials, before it could come to a congressional vote. He and his allies agreed that the best course of action was to “wait on definitive recommendations from the military” (Rogin 1694). Clinton’s early push for action led to a compromise that was not only seen as a defeat for the administration, but also shied away many Democratic

Another problem with the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is that, if discovered, homosexuals will be discharged from the military. The discharge of a homosexual from the military, based on his personal life, is a violation of equal rights. Every human is different, but none should be judged separately based upon who they are. “We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we are all created equal, that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law you should be protected by it; that if you adhere to our common values you should be treated no different than anyone else” (Obama 1). This statement shows that the nation does know about equal rights and is pushing for equal rights; therefore, “don’t ask, don’t tell” needs to be repealed for the integrity of our nation.

As the removal of the DADT policy has made the LGBT community happy, has this decision made America’s military stronger? Studies suggest that the removal of the policy has not made the military stronger. A select number of generals believe that the openness of the recruitment will boost numbers in recruitment and the morale of all soldiers will improve, but the repeal of this act was acted upon during a time of war. Instead of finding ways to aid the troops in combat, Congress was discussing if they should keep or repeal an act involving homosexual rights. Many military leaders believe that the repeal was pointless during the time of war and that the results did not benefit the armed forces. After the repeal, the leaders of the armed forces didn’t know how the troops would react. Some soldiers were against serving with homosexuals because it was against their moral beliefs. Other soldiers didn’t see any problem with serving with homosexuals. Some soldiers didn’t really care about the sexuality of their fellow servicemen and women.

Enacted by President Bill Clinton on July nineteenth, 1993 (Klapper) and placed into effect on October 1st of that year (“Don’t Ask, Don’t…”), it ended the absolute prohibition of homosexuals in the armed forces, and instead required that any gays who were serving would not be allowed to tell anyone of their orientation. Additionally, no service man or woman was allowed to inquire about the orientation of another service member. The DADT Repeal Act was brought before the 111th Congress on June nineteenth of 2009, sponsored by Jason Altmire, the Representative from Pennsylvania’s fourth Congressional district (“H.R. 2965 (111th)”). The DADT Repeal Act then passed the house on July eighth of 2009 (“H.R. 2965 (111th)”). It was slated to be repealed by the Senate and the House of Representatives in December of 2010, and the repeal was signed by President Barack Obama on December 22nd (“Don’t Ask, Don’t...”). Upon its enacting, it effectively ended the restriction on open homosexuals serving in the US

The Don’t Ask Don’t tell act which prevented openly gay and lesbians from serving in the United States Armed forces was placed into law on December 21st, 1993. It states that the military cannot discriminate against any gay, lesbian or bisexual person as long as they are discreet about their sexuality. They believed that any persons showing or acting in homosexual behavior would go against strict military moral codes and policy. However on September 20th, 2011 the Don’t ask Don’t Tell was repealed because the government felt it was discriminatory against homosexuals. I agree that openly gay and lesbians should able to serve in the military because nobody should have to hide who they are in order to serve and

Sparking a worldwide controversy, President Donald Trump reinstates the military ban on transgender individuals. On September 20, 2011, President Barack Obama repealed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. The policy which allowed gay, lesbian, and bisexual

Then, in 1991 Colin Powell was appointed to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush. In this position he excelled to a national figure during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, because of the speed of the operations forcing Saddam Hussein’s forces out of Kuwait (Biography.com, 2010). Once again, it shows the courage, competence, and commitment needed to fulfill the plan of the operations. He also was reappointed to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs under President Clinton. He remained in this position until he disagreed with President Clinton’s policy about homosexuals in the military. Powell later compromised with President Clinton with the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy (Biography.com, 2010). After this incident Powell

In 1999, more than 1,000 men and women were discharged from military service due to their sexuality. That number has actually decreased compared to recent years. (Suro NP) Homosexuals were purged from federal employment in 1950, with Bill Clinton updating that policy in 1993 by adding the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue” policy. (Deicher 176) This policy doesn’t work and needs to either be updated again or the ban against homosexuals lifted. Gays should be allowed to fight for the military for employment reasons, the right to fight for one’s country, and because they are no different from anyone else. The fact of the matter is that not even experts can argue in favor of keeping the

For nearly 50 years, it has been the U.S. military's official policy to exclude homosexuals from service. In November 1992, President - elect Clinton told Americans that he planned to lift the military's long - standing ban on gays and lesbians. Homosexual men and women, he said, should not be prevented from serving their country based on their sexual orientation. Soon after taking office in 1993, Clinton faced powerful military and congressional opposition to lifting the ban. General Colin Powell, then - chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Senator Sam Nunn, who was chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee between 1987 an 1994 and left Congress in 1996, announced that they would seek to block his attempts to lift the ban.

Many individuals were highly gracious at this idea, no matter the negativity that surrounds this topic. When referencing to the article by the New York Times on Ashton Carter’s announcement, he states “Americans who want to serve and can meet our standards should be afforded the opportunity to compete to do so. After all, our all-volunteer force is built upon having the most qualified Americans” (Rosenberg, 2016). The article’s point of view perceives an appreciative tone towards the U.S. military members and how much they sacrifice. For their sacrifices, the government is willing to help formulate policies that can open doors to a new tolerance and acceptance towards sexual identity. Through my discovery of this change in policy, I realized how much this will help not only the individuals who are suffering from this condition but it will help the companionship of the military. I struggle with being completely open with my fellow service members because of the tension there was on the topic of sexual identity. After hearing the statements made by both the Secretary of Defense and the Defense Secretary, I felt like I am part of a whole different world now that there is an understanding of the struggles and tolls taken to maintain personal happiness in such a demanding career. Having higher authorities who are able to implement policies amongst the U.S. government who have vital points of views on this controversial