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Written by Washington Post Tuesday, 29 December 2009 19:30
in The Washington Post
Gays, lesbians should be able to serve openly in the military
Monday, December 28, 2009
SLOWLY BUT SURELY, the groundwork continues to be laid for the overdue demise of "don't ask, don't tell." The latest move came on Dec. 22 when Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and 95 House colleagues sent a letter to the Pentagon requesting statistics on troops discharged for violating the wrong-headed ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. They want everyone to see the effects of the policy on the military and the national defense. This has the added benefit of reminding Americans of the law's absurdity.
Since "don't ask, don't tell" was instituted in 1994, more than 13,500 members of the armed forces have been booted. According to the Moran letter, 730 mission-critical soldiers and more than 65 Arabic and Farsi linguists have been kicked out. How can it help U.S. efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan if those with critical skills are removed from service?
Read the article Here in The Washington Post