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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Become a 40% LGBT oriented rag?
You are as fun as a barrel of Nazis.
he will give them just enough lip service to get their hopes up and make them worry about the republican winning.
The republican will be much more likely to support gay rights because he is gay, but in the closet. Or a log cabin.
Obama says one thing and does the opposite and that is how he should be judged.
How prominent are we talking, here? Leathermen and bears with raging erections? Or staid old Navratilova?
This is all based upon a delusion that homosexual's big problem is discrimination. It isn't. It's their confused state of mind, and the diseases that ruin their lives. No amount of legislation, or orderves will change that.
I think there is no excuse for jettisoning gays from the military. Each person thus lost deepens the wrong belief that gays are not acceptable human beings.
It's not for him to counsel patience. Please. That's the same tripe segregationists were pedalling in the 50s and 60s right before they, as the responsible executives, proceeded to do absolutely nothing to ensure equal rights.
You can't cut the baby in half on this one, buddy. You're either for it or against it.
Everyone wants to pretend that gradualism is always the answer, but that's total b.s.
We have the Civil Rights we do today, not because JFK was a gradulist but because Lyndon Johnson forced through a Civil Rights Bill. Period.
The Armed Services are desegregated not because Harry Truman spent his time dithering, placating, and vacillating all while preaching "The Buck Almost Stops Here" but because he had the balls to say, "I'm the president, I'm desegregating the Armed Forces, the military will learn to deal with it. End of story."
You're either for equal rights or you aren't. You're either going to overturn or get Don't Ask, Don't Tell overturned or you're not. In short, Mr. President, you're either going to do something or you are not. Dithering is not doing anything. And you've shown, repeatedly, you intend to pay lip service to this like some second-class used car salesman and do nothing about it.
You've moved yourself WELL out of the line of any reasonably brave progressive or any person even with a backbone. Just go away on this issue already.
"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality."--Dante
Go ahead and quote MLK some more for the American public and do nothing Barack.
Obama could use an exec order for stop/loss to prevent more gay military losses. Why doesn't he?
Did he explain exactly what he is actually doing to 'make progress'? What?
Anyone that wants to see progress, (those few who have the dollars) ought to say something to the effect of: "I have $1,000 to give to the party. When I see that you've fired or publicly reprimanded the DOJ lawyer who compared gay people to pedophiles, I'll donate the next $100. When you sign the passed legislation, I'll donate the rest. If you reach actual miles stones, I'll donate money, but until that time, words don't cut it.. If you don't come across at all, the money goes to the ACLU."
There's a difference between a lack of action, and active hostility. Obama's says pretty words while he fucks over the people that worked to get him elected. Save your donuts for other fools.
Obama's words are empty without *significant* concrete action -signing an order giving *limited* benefits to gay employees is effectively temporary since when he leaves office, the order is of no effect and these "benefits" don't include health care. He's Nero while Rome burns. Servicemen and women are being discharged as he eats his hors d'oeuvres. His actions are insulting. At least we know where we stand with the Repugs and their ilk who consider us sub-human.
It's obvious he is still afraid of the right on this issue. The only way that is going to change is to flood the WH and EVERY member of congress with letters to get them to stop standing in the way of progress. This is how the right does it.
I'm fairly fed up with Obama's lack of action on repealing DOMA and, particularly, DADT. Counseling patience is one thing when you are out of power, but not when you are the President of the United States and leader of the political party that controls both houses of Congress.
Who, exactly, is Obama waiting for?
DADT in particular does not depend on Congress; as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, all Obama needs to do is order an end of the policy and instruct the chain of command to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly without harassment or discrimination, and to expect the world's greatest military to maintain the highest level of discipline and handle the change in policy professionally.
The order could have been drafted and forwarded to the heads of the branches in the time it took to plan or attend this event.
LMoE
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.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Once seen as a lunatic fringe, reactionary anti-women groups are courting respectability
Salon headlines in your mailbox
