Morning Read: Rep.-elect Gibson wants caution on repealing “DADT”
One of the North Country’s new Republican congressman is a former Army colonel. Rep. Chris Gibson has suggested in the past that he himself administered the don’t ask-don’t tell policy.
According to the Albany Times Union, Gibson is urging a “cautious” approach to the Pentagon’s report calling for gays to be allowed to serve openly in the military.
“There has to be a period where we have a dialogue with the leadership of the United States military, the top enlisted members in the Army, the sergeant majors and also the top general officers,” he said. “This isn’t something that you can get a five-second synopsis of and then take a position on.”
In keeping with his position on the campaign trail, Gibson said it could be risky to make big changes to military practices while U.S. armed forces are deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“We’re talking about the readiness of our Armed Forces in a time of war, when our forces are engaged in two major theaters right now (and) trying to bring closure to those operations,” Gibson said. “So, as I’ve said all along through the campaign, we need to proceed deliberately here and make sure that we take in full view the impact on readiness.”
The interview apparently took place before the actual report was released, though the gist of the Pentagon study’s findings were well known. Read the full article here.
Tags: glbt, human rights, military, politics
We are talking about the readiness of our armed forces and currently we are forcing good soldiers and sailors to leave the service when they are vitally needed.
“This isn’t something that you can get a five-second synopsis of and then take a position on.”
What rock has Re.-elect Gibson been under for the last several years that he is unaware that this has been discussed to death already.
A major issue before the country and he can’t take a position? Even Barry Goldwater favored allowing gays to serve their country, so this clearly is not a conservative-liberal argument. It is all about overcoming bigotry.
About 14,000 armed forces service members have been involuntarily forced out of their career due to DADT. I hope someone asks Rep-elect Gibson how that improves ‘the readiness of our armed forces in a time of war’.
I could be wrong (not the first time), but it seems to me most military or ex-military opposed to repealing DADT are officers or upper-level NCOs. Again, I have no proof of this, but it appears they are making a judgement based on a perceived negative effect on the actual soldiers who might be in close contact with gays, while those folks don’t think it’s a big deal.
As JM says, what rock have they been under? Do they really believe enlisted personnel don’t know that some of their comrades-in-arms are gay?
Gibson is just another bigot.
The issue has been discussed and discussed and discussed. Time for the Senate to hold an up or down vote on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Gibson got his memo from the leadership. Delay, stall and overall be ineffective for the next two years. Then blame Obama.
I wish Gibson would just have the cajones to say he opposes repeal. For all his many faults, Gibson’s hero Jerry Solomon would never take the cowardly weasel approach.
Not well thought out. Tons of unintended consequences and major disruption. For instance. This repeal will open the door for “Trans Gendered” soldiers. What barracks will they be assigned? Also, what about the partially trans gendered? Women who have had their breast removed and take hormones to be male but still have female genitial? Or men who take hormones and have breast implants but still have male genitial? Keep in mind that poor hormone maintenance dictates that when the artificial hormones wear off the previous chacracteristics return. Where will these creatures shower? Will female solders stay in the same baracks as “Chaz Bono”? Or would he/she shower with the men? I don’t believe Chaz has the full male toolset. He/she could claim discrimination. This will eventually end up at the supreme court.