Meet Former Petty officer Jason Knight, discharged under Don't/Ask Don't Tell, recalled to active...

[WillParkinson]

..duty because the military needed him, only to be discarded under the failed policy when they didn't.

Dear Mr. President,

It was five months before the September 11th attacks when I found myself outside a military recruiters office signing up for the U.S. Navy. I could no longer afford college. And things in my personal life weren’t going according to plan. I wanted to experience life outside of southeastern Pennsylvania. I enlisted on a random Friday in April of 2001 and left for boot camp the following Monday. I was a recruiter's dream candidate.

My first tour of duty was the prestigious Ceremonial Guard in Washington, D.C., where I represented our country at official White House ceremonies and during state and military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

In my two-year period, I was present at more than 1500 military funerals as part of the Firing Party rendering the 21-gun salute. It was here that I learned what truly serving our great nation really meant, and the ultimate price we all swore to pay, if fate was so. Standing on the berm, across the river from a burning Pentagon on September 11th only solidified my desire to serve.

http://www.sldn.org/blog/archives/stories-from-the-frontlines-former-navy-petty-officer-2nd-class-jason-/

[ejpoeta]

1. how can they kick a person out and then recall them to fight in a war

and then kick them out again!! if he was discharged under dadt and required to return a sign on bonus, then wtf with recalling him to active duty!! and if they recalled him they did so knowing he was gay, therefore wtf with kicking him out again! what horseshit to not let gays serve openly. they can fight and risk their lives for freedoms they themselves cannot have! bullshit!

[WillParkinson]

2. Sir, we're the government...

We can do what we please.

[QC]

8. Please, let's not forget what is truly important here:

if the president were to try to do something about DADT, the Republicans might not like it!

[WillParkinson]

9. You are correct!

And we certainly can't have them in a tizzy.

[QC]

10. And what if he were to lose a point or two off his approval rating?

That would be a very bad thing indeed.

It's all about what is good for his electoral prospects, you know, and we must ferret out all heresy and apostasy.

(I just had someone in another forum--you can probably guess which person and which forum, call me a teabagger for criticizing corporate bailouts. We have truly passed through the looking class.)

[Scuba]

3. Sarcasm alert: If he wanted to serve, he shouldn't have chosen to be gay.

The RW take on this issue.

[QC]

4. He should really try to be more pragmatic. n/t

[jonnyblitz]

5. he should have stayed in the closet and hoped nobody "asked."

eom

[QC]

6. Nobody would know he was gay if he didn't go around flaunting his sexual preferences.

Amazing how cretinous that sounds, isn't it, yet it gets posted around here pretty regularly.

[Raster]

7. Why don't you try living your life in a closet?

[shedevil69taz]

11. Except its against the law for anyone to ask

and sexual harrasment charges could be brought against anyone who does, even jokingly.

[Divine Discontent]

12. they have no shame... how pathetic is THIS!? This is the proof it's a BULLSHIT rule that they

really don't believe in, but just to keep out the Gays in regular situations, and make them feel like 2nd class citizens, they do it - but man oh man, if the shit hits the fan, and positions need filled, it becomes - "come help us you sissies, I mean, honorable MEN & WOMEN, we NEED YOU for your COUNTRY!!!"


they are evil for doing this!