Misleading Headlines, False Advertisement, False Hopes
Dear Mainstream Media,
I, first of all, want to thank you for all your support, and for your dedication to the goals of the LGBTQ community. However, I have some simple issues with the way you are handling the “repeal” of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Here are some examples of the misleading news that I’ve seen.
From MSNBC: “House votes to end ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’
From Fox News: “House Votes to Repeal Military Gay Ban”
From The Huffington Post: “DADT Repeal Vote: Congress To Vote On Military Gay Ban”
Even our own HRC got it wrong in an email to me this morning. “Thank Sen. Nelson (NE) for voting to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
I think we all need to truly realize that this is not a repeal and to advertise it as such is to give false hopes and dreams to many Americans that do not follow the wording or the issues through multiple media outlets. I feel bad for the average American because they are having just that, false hopes.
I do not blame anyone but the average American for not being truly informed. It’s just that most Americans do not have time or the desire to sort through the news and the way things are really being handled. That’s your job. Americans hear that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was voted to be repealed yesterday and they think that this is the ultimate progress.
However, that is wrong. The vote yesterday was to add the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill. NOT to repeal the law itself.
Secondly, if the average American has heard the news about the funding for two Joint Strike Fighter engines and the fact that our President, who fervently said he wanted “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to be repealed and added into the Defense Authorization Bill, have they also heard that he has threatened to veto the Defense Authorization Bill because of the passing of the amendment for the F-35 Extra Engine Program?
Rep. John Larson (D-Conn) said:
“I fully expect the President to follow through with his threatened veto of the Defense Authorization Act if the F-35 Extra Engine Program is in the final legislation.”
So what indeed are the facts?
Yes, yesterday (May 27, 2010), the Senate Armed Services Committee (16-12) and the full House (234-194) voted on the addition of the amendment to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” into the Defense Authorization Bill. This is just an addition of that amendment into the larger bill. However, with this great news also comes a variety of so-so news that needs to be looked at and analyzed before the American public, who is not as fully informed, makes their opinions that landslides of progress are being made.
Again, I thank you for all the hard work you have done for the community at large, but I think we need to re-evaluate why we write and why we fight. I fight for the truth and for the betterment of the country. If you are with me than let’s get this right and stop portraying Obama, the House, and the Senate Armed Services Committee as the saviors to the LGBTQ community and fight for the full and equal rights we deserve as human beings and as American citizens.
Because it’s not fair, unless it’s fair to all.