Army sec'y reverses course: Gays still can be dismissed if they speak up

[Bluebear]

WASHINGTON – Reversing course, Army Secretary John McHugh warned soldiers Thursday that they still can be discharged for acknowledging they are gay, saying he misspoke earlier this week when he suggested the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy had been temporarily suspended.

The public stumble by a senior service official is an indication of the issue's legal complexity. The Pentagon has said it wants to hear from gay troops as it conducts a broad study on how it could lift the ban, as President Barack Obama wants.

But to do that, gay service members would have to break the law, which prohibits them from discussing their sexual orientation.

Defense Department officials say they plan to hire an outside contractor to survey the troops, and that gay troops won't be punished for sharing their views with that third party.

"Until Congress repeals 'don't ask, don't tell,' it remains the law of the land and the Department of the Army and I will fulfill our obligation to uphold it," McHugh said in a statement Thursday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100402/ap_on_go_ot/us_military_gays

Survey the troops on "how to lift the ban"?? LIFT IT, FFS!

[Hugabear]

1. The meme "It's a trap" applies perfectly here

[pinboy3niner]

3. AKA "Catch-22" nt

[Bluebear]

4. "Honest! The survey is all anonymous!"

[Bluebear]

18. .

[joeybee12]

2. Hope!

Change!

Triangulation!

[RKP5637]

5. This is all getting ridiculous. Other countries make good decisions and move forward. It's

clear the US is not cutout for the 21st century unless we as a nation grow up, and grow up a lot, an awful lot.

[Solly Mack]

6. I wondered if he would have to *clarify* his earlier statement.

[harkadog]

7. It looks like the army played an early April fool joke.

[Starry Messenger]

8. Well I hope no one came out this week before the "clarification"

This is terrible. x(

[Bluebear]

9. Sorry, in that case. These things happen.

They only seem to happen in this 'modern' western nation, but they happen.

[Starry Messenger]

10. I'm tired of being a country of "these things happen"

So much evil is hidden under that phrase

[Solly Mack]

11. From the earlier article, McHugh said they did...to him.

[Starry Messenger]

12. Oh terrific.

Those poor soldiers. What a clusterfuck. This has to be one of the stupidest periods in modern American history. Other first-world-countries must be looking at us like we're the clown car of industrialized nations.

[Solly Mack]

13. Hopefully, it will be overlooked. McHugh *might* be sincere in his not wanting to discharge people

for an admission....but no soldier can count on that. I don't know McHugh's motive...he said something he should have never said out loud...and that is cause for wondering why he did...since he is in a position to know better.


The new guidelines do raise the bar for discharging soldiers under DADT and the hopeful aspect being if the standard is higher for doing so, maybe less effort will be made to discharge. Can't count on that though....the possibility of losing a weapon like DADT can cause some people to be more determined. I see codified bigotry as a weapon.

Still, none of that does what should have been done a long time ago...repeal DADT.

There is no such thing as a "more humane" way of discriminating.

[Starry Messenger]

14. "There is no such thing as a "more humane" way of discriminating."

+100,000

[Bluebear]

16. +

[RKP5637]

15. I think we've become the clown car of industrialized nations on a lot of issues. I find

much of what this nation does sometimes as ridiculous and it's hard to believe other nations don't feel the same. The name CF nation is so appropriate. Especially, for example, teabaggers and all. They look ridiculous. You see people protest in other nations and generally they look purposeful and intelligent.

What this nation has done with gay marriage, for example, is disgraceful, you're married, you're not, well maybe, well maybe in this state. It is sheer nonsense. This is one stressed out nation on ridiculousness. I have no idea where we are ending up as other nations lead the world more and more, but I think we're going to have a lot of catching up to do.

One poster and I were discussing this, and if you look at this country objectively it has entered its own Dark Ages. It is one dumbed down place IMO.

[Bluebear]

17. Agree with every word.