Don't Ask Don't Tell Don't Call Our Troops Homophobes

Don't Ask Don't Tell Don't Call Our Troops Homophobes

When it comes to the policy of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" many have heard of the law, but few have a complete understanding of it. In 1950 President Harry S. Truman set into place the Uniform Code of Military Justice, this code was put into place to establish standard criminal laws for the military. Title 10; subtitle G, section 654 states that "prohibition against homosexual conduct is necessary in the unique circumstances of military services. Persons who demonstrate intent to engage in homosexual acts create risk to the good order ,displine and unit cohesion that are the essence of military cability. Any member that chooses to engage in, attempts to engage in, or solicites another to engae in a homosexual act or acts will be terminted."

This ban was held in place until the early 1990, in which President Bill Clinton attempted to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military. But Congress overrode Clinton so to compromise Clinton introduced the "Don't Ask Don't Tell policy." The concept of the policy suggested that homosexuals could serve in the military as long as they did not disclose that they were homosexuals.

Over the years many tried to get the ban over turned but had little success. In May of 2010 the House and Senate committee approved an amendment that would end the ban but added a provision that no change would take place until the Pentagon conducted a study to reveal how the repeal would affect military personnel. The house passed the amended legislation but the senate rejected it. Many were torn on whether or not they agreed with the repeal or the fact that military personnel would have to undergo a series of studies to see how it affected them. One person who disagreed with the way the studies were conducted and the repeal was Ann Coulter a legal correspondent for Human Events and a writer for the popular syndicated column for Universal Press Syndicate. She expresses her feelings about the issue in her online blog with an entry titled "don't ask don't tell don't call our troops homophobes"

In her blog entry Ann addresses the issue of who should really get a say so in the repeal of "don't ask don't tell." Should the Pentagon make the finale call? Should the Army, Marines, and other military units get to make their own rules when it comes to the issue? Or should it be solely up to the soldiers who will actually be in hand to hand combat with the homosexuals on a daily basis? She also touches on the subjects of the effects that the repeal could have on the military units, if the soldiers really want their units knowing about their sexuality, and the amount of discharges that actually come from being openly gay.

When it comes to the issue of whose choice it should be for the repeal Ann favors the idea of letting the choice be left up to the soldiers who will actually be fighting side by side with the homosexuals. Ann gives her reader her reasoning behind supporting this idea first by giving

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