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• Monday, June 29, 2009 08:11 PM

  To clear up a few things

  1) DADT is a legislative policy. While Obama could legally do something as a stop-gap measure, I can also see why (in light of the last presidency) he might want to restore executive power to a more historical level. LGBT activists could focus on lobbying the legislators who will, one way or another, have to appeal DADT.

  2) He did *not* recommend patience. He specifically said that he understood the angry, hurt responses. The article's *author* says that may have won him some patience.

  3) He has been in office 6 months, and has clearly prioritized some things (massive unemployment, cuts in public spending for critical social services, the Iran debacle, North Korea, public health care, to name a few) over LGBT issues. Whether those are good priorities is up for debate, but let's not pretend he's been sitting around twiddling his thumbs.

  4) It is very aggravating to hear criticisms of Obama without any constructive suggestions for what he should be doing. It's annoying from Republicans on Iran, and it's annoying from Democrats about LGBT issues.

  In conclusion: before condemning Obama, please remember the legal issues surrounding some of these policies, and contrast what he's doing with what he ought to (in your opinion) be doing.

  Personally, I'm willing to let him have another year or so before saying he's failed and backed out of his campaign promises.

  —jalmondale Read jalmondale's other letters
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