What's an alternative to "Don't ask, Don't tell?"?

Mr. Smartypants

I think if Obama simply issued an executive order that from now on gays will be accepted and welcomed into the military, that would be a good alternative.

President Truman did this when he integrated the military. Before that, blacks and whites had to belong to separate units, all of one color. Truman simply announced that the policy would be changed, that all units would be integrated. As Commander in Chief he had the power to do this. There were the same painful cries of outrage then as there there would be today about allowing gays to serve, but in the end it proved to be a good move. The military is STILL more racially integrated than most of civilian society.

I voted for Obama, but one problem I have with him is the same as I had with Clinton. I think he tries too hard to achieve bipartisan cooperation. He wants the parties to work together. But the Republicans never want to cooperate with a Democratic president, even on shared goals, because that only hands the president a victory and validates his presidency. So neither Clinton nor Obama would simply decide, unilaterally, to allow gays in the military. Both try to compromise, and the Republicans only seize on this as an opportunity to embarrass them. President Bush was 'The Decider'; he didn't care what the other party thought. Democratic presidents shouldn't either.

I tend to think that if Obama simply issued an executive order, there would be a brief firestorm of conservative outrage, and then two or three years later it would simply cease to be an issue. Just as racial integration was.

Chris A

Don't Know, Don't Care, Do Your Job

That's my alternative.

Allow whomever wants to serve to serve.

isurvived

Keep your religion out of my military. Those folks get paid to kill.

William K

Keep the military on the straight and narrow.

AFFA

Don't join

Hale

Very simple.
Treat them as equals with the equal rights that they deserve as American Citizens

southernbelle

I don't know what the right answer is. I don't believe they should be in our military, but if they are going to be in, there should be separate housing for them. I do not believe that someone who is gay and someone who isn't should be made to be roommates. It could leave to some very uncomfortable situations for both people. And I also believe it will lead to more issues than what the military is dealing with now.

tehBIGbadNERD

I don't believe that the government (or military) should mess with gay rights, they're american citizens and deserve the same respect as everyone else. It would be much better if it was: "Don't ask, tell us whatever the heck you want because we don't give a rip"

MAN your man could smell like

Well, if you're going to let gays in then you have to let diabetics, midgets, cripples, HIV positive individuals, etc. Since "if they want to serve then they should be allowed to, it doesn't affect THEIR performance as a soldier" right?
It's more unethical to force a straight man to shower with, sleep with, fight beside a gay than to not let that gay open his freakin mouth about it OR to not let that gay in in the first place.

GHOST

''ASK,TELL''

Stefon Urkel

who has the guff to ask someone if they are gay. weird military aint it

Debbie

Yes, put these funny people in a uniform and stick them on the front lines of Afghanistan.

GoGo Girls

Yeah, we can ban them all together from the start.

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