Lawmakers on "Don't Ask Don't Tell"

The "don't ask don't tell" policy of the United States Military has been a law for almost seventeen years. For this reason, lawmakers are questioning what might happen if they lift the policy and allow gays to openly participate in the military. President Obama believes that if somebody wants to serve their country patriotically, they should not be limited to this right just because of their sexual orientation. The lawmakers do not see the policy as so cut and dry, however. Many Congressman want to talk to the service executives about what it would take to make the transition smoothly. Many of the service chiefs currently say that any plan to allows gays and lesbians to openly participate in the military must be thoughtfully executed. This entire issue falls into the realm of civil rights which we are learning in class. In essence, this issue is an example of a group of people (homosexuals) lobbying for their right to serve in the military of the country that they love. Of course, there are probably many gays and lesbians already serving time in the armed forces without openly admitting it. Withdrawing the "don't ask don't tell" policy would allow these people to openly celebrate what they have been doing for their country in a proper, truthful manner. It seems like a great possibility that this case makes it to the court systems in order to decide whether this civil right behind the decision applies in this situation. The link to the article is here.