Don't Ask, Don't Tell

     Don't ask, don't tell is commonly used for a policy in the military. This policy makes so that the military cannot ask people if they are gay because if they are then they will not be allowed to join the military, this is the same for openly gay people. The military cannot accept gay people into it because of a mandate that was established.
     The don't ask part means that a superior cannot investigate a serviceman's orientation in the absence of disallowed behavior, but creditable evidence of homosexual behavior can cause an investigation. The superiors violated this rule, so the don't tell part was created. Superiors would perform unauthorized investigations and harass any servicemen they thought were homesexual. This made "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue, don't harass.
     A bill to repeal don't ask, don't tell was just passed in 2010. It has not gone in affect and it won't until the President, Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs make certain that the repeal will not harm military readiness.
     In September Judge Virginia Phillips ruled that the don't ask, don't tell ban was unconstitutional, that it violated the 1st and 5th amendments. In October she granted a worldwide immediate injunction prohibiting the Department of Defense from enforcing or complying with the don't ask, don't tell policy. The Ninth Circut granted a appeal to take place later that month. On October 19, military recruiters could accept openly gay people into the military.
     In December the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs, Chief of Naval Operations, and Commmandant of the Coast Guard siad that the repeal would cause little diruption. The heads of Army, Airforce, and Marines said that the repeal would cause additional stress on combat focused forces during combat.
     I do not personal believe in same sex relationships, but I do believe that don't ask, don't tell should be repealed. The amendments in the constitution provide rights that are given to every person in the U.S., the don't ask, don't tell policy violates the rights of gay people. Gays who are in the military cannot express the way they feel or talk openly about the way they feel without being forced to leave the military, and openly gay people can't even join. I don't think thats right.
     In class we discussed what this policy means and how it works. We also discussed how republiocans are against it and democrats support it.
     Links:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don't_ask,_don't_tell