“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Still Alive And Well
Reports of the death of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” are greatly exaggerated.
Despite yesterday’s historic passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of the Murphy Amendment, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal compromise that will now be attached to the Defense Authorization Bill, and passage of a similar amendment in the U.S. Senate’s Armed Services Committee, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is, in fact, alive and well, and will be responsible for hundreds more discharges before its possible demise, thanks, in part, to the efforts of Senator John McCain and the military’s foot-dragging and unquenchable desire for power and control.
The fact of the matter is, (regardless of what you may have read or heard,) that even if and when “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is repealed, and months — or years — later, if and when the military decides how and when, and to what degree, to implement the DADT repeal, repealing the law that is “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” does not remove the policy nor the practice of discrimination or military discharges for homosexuality or homosexual conduct.
There will still be nothing in writing, no non-discrimination clause or policy, that forces the military to not discriminate against a person’s sexual orientation or sexual identity. There is, in essence, no ENDA for the military.
And remember, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was a policy before it was enshrined into law in 1993. Behaviors are hard to change, especially after decades of use.
So, issue one: The military will be able to discriminate against someone’s sexual orientation if and when “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is repealed and implemented.
Issue two: With the signing into law of the Defense Authorization Bill, with the attached “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal compromise amendment, the military will have been given total control to decide when to implement the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, how to implement the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, and to what degree to implement the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal.
The military could, and there have been hints that it will, take its time, and take years to fully implement the policy. Last year, Secretary Gates strongly mentioned the military took five years to implement racial integration.
The military chiefs, such as Gates and Mullen, who spoke intelligently, bravely, and with courage in front of Congress months ago to support ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” may be a plus, but Senator John McCain, in his despicable politicking attempt to defeat Tea Party wing-nut J.D. Hayworth, has managed to get on record the heads of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Marines, saying they are “opposed [to] legislative action at this time.” So, now that they’ve lost ground on this point, they’ll be none-too supportive going into the process if the Defense Authorization bill is signed into law.
(And speaking of “if the Defense Authorization bill is signed into law,” Towleroad, via Politico, today reports yet another snag: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal Threatened By Obama Veto Of Defense Bill Over Engine Funding Item. One more bump on the road.)
Oh yeah, and there is that small item of McCain threatening to filibuster the Defense Authorization bill as well, when it actually comes up for a vote this summer, because of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” amendment.
One has to ask, as Justin Elzie (the first Marine to come out under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,”) mentioned to me, why is the Pentagon putting so much weight on this as-yet unfinished study to determine if — oops — when and how, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will be repealed? And, since this study is being funded by your tax dollars, will the American people be privy to the full, unedited report? Or, will the Pentagon cherry-pick and make public the parts they like best? Or, none at all…
(Pam Spaulding of “Pam’s House Blend” tweeted today, “Asked Gates’ Sp. Asst Michelle Jones about #DADT Pentagon Study. She said, smiling, “you’ll see some surprising things in it.” The mind reels…)
One also must ask, how on God’s green earth can an LGBTQ group, such as GOProud state, “Congress should not be involved in micro-managing military personnel decisions. Those decisions should be made by our military leaders – not by opportunistic politicians.”
Granted, GOProud supports the repeal compromise, but only because it does what we all fear: it grants total control to the military, the very organization that has, for centuries, discriminated against its own gay and lesbian servicemembers.
So, equality in military service is being threatened by John McCain in the Senate, along with the entire lock-step GOP, a potential filibuster on an as-yet un-scheduled Senate Defense Authorization Bill vote, the service chiefs’ “insubordination,” an un-finished “study,” the Pentagon’s lust for power and control, a threatened presidential veto of the entire bill over funding of two fighter engines, a president unwilling to twist arms for LGBTQ rights, a media giving false hope via misleading headlines, and, ultimately, the granting to the Pentagon free-range to determine when, how, and, essentially, if, to implement the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal.
Yes, make no mistake: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is alive and well. The fight is far from over. In fact, the fight has just begun.
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U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, Republican of Georgia, is under fire after praising University of Mississippi students, some wearing American flag outfits, mocking a Black woman protester by making monkey sounds and shouting, “lock her up.”
“Counter-protestors at the University of Mississippi made racist remarks — including monkey noises and comparisons to Lizzo — towards a Black woman who was part of a planned protest against the war in Gaza,” Los Angeles Magazine reported Friday.
Collins, who tried to defund Vice President Kamala Harris’ Office in November, declared his support for the counter-protesters at “Ole Miss,” as the University is called.
“Ole Miss taking care of business,” he wrote on social media, atop the video (below).
The counter-protesters, as evidenced in the video, appear to be mostly white.
A large number of users on the social media platform X responded, accusing the Congressman and the counter-protesters of racism.
“When is the inevitable ‘I don’t have a racist bone in my body’ tweet coming,” wondered Rewire News Group editor-at-large Imani Gandy.
“Which part is your favorite, Mike?” asked Fred Wellman, the former executive director of The Lincoln Project. “Is it the white kid acting like a monkey at the black woman or the white security guy acting like she’s a threat? I’m trying to figure out which flavor of racism has you all excited the most?”
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Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic clinical instructor Alejandra Caraballo responded to the Georgia GOP congressman, “Thanks for confirming you’re a massive racist piece of sh*t.”
Mississippi Free Press news editor Ashton Pittman wrote: “Rep. Mike Collins, R-Georgia, praises a video showing a University of Mississippi frat boy dancing like a monkey and making monkey noises near a Black woman student who was protesting for Palestine while other frat boys chant ‘lock her up.'”
In a separate post describing a separate video taken of the same group Pittman wrote: “Frat bros at @OleMiss chant, ‘Lizzo! Lizzo!’ and shout, ‘F**k you fatass, f**k you b*tch’ at a Black woman who was protesting for Palestine. Do people really think these counterprotestors are doing it to support Jews?”
Journalist John Harwood did not mince words, writing, “Congressman proud of the racism.”
“Okay, Mike. We get it,” wrote podcast host, documentary director, and author W. Kamau Bell. “You want to be famous for being a racist. Fine. I’ll help you become a famous racist. You’re welcome.”
The original video is here.
See Rep. Collins’ post and the video below or at this link.
Caution: the video is disturbing.
Ole Miss taking care of business. pic.twitter.com/JiL9hs2pHz
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) May 3, 2024
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Amid more damning revelations from her soon-to-be released book, embattled South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem will head to Mar-a-Lago this weekend as ex-president Donald Trump auditions potential vice presidential picks in front of high-dollar donors. Noem was also slated to attend a Republican fundraiser in Colorado this weekend but it was canceled over alleged safety concerns after news broke she had bragged about shooting her 14-month old dog.
While Noem’s shooting to death of her wirehaired pointer, Cricket, which she detailed in the book, is still making headlines overnight a new revelation made news: Noem falsely claims in her book she met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
A spokesperson for Noem “seemed to concede that the Kim story was false Thursday night,” and notified her publisher, Politico’s Ryan Lizza reported in his exclusive.
But less noticed appears to be the actual text of Noem’s false story, in which she brands children she ministered in church “little tyrants,” and compared them to the murderous North Korean dictator.
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“Through my tenure on the House Armed Services Committee,” Noem wrote, according to Politico, “I had the chance to travel to many countries to meet with world leaders. I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. I’m sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I’d been a children’s pastor, after all).”
CNBC reported this week Trump “will mingle with potential vice presidential running mates and wealthy Republican donors at the Republican National Committee’s spring donor retreat. The meetings are likely to act as informal tryouts for a short list of politicos in the running to join the Trump ticket.”
The list of Republican “special guests” includes U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Tim Scott, and J.D. Vance, Rep. Elise Stefanik, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.
Also expected to attend are House Speaker Mike Johnson, U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida and Wesley Hunt of Texas, former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and other elected Republicans along with RNC co-chair Lara Trump.
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NBC News, which says Rep. Donalds is also under consideration, on Friday added there will be “a fundraising retreat that could serve as a screening session” for potential vice presidential running mates.
Meanwhile, the Jefferson County, Colorado Republican Party chair announced a fundraising dinner Noem was slated to attend was canceled after threats were made, The Denver Post reports.
“We understood there was a planned organized protest outside of the hotel, led by Progress Now,” Nancy Pallozzi said. “I felt that our event would be negatively impacted, and we could not take the risk that those who made threats would cause physical harm.”
Over the weekend independent 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. spoke at a fundraiser for a far-right anti-government group in Erie County, New York – a slice of the country that had a large proportion of residents arrested and charged for crimes related to the January 6 insurrection. Kennedy, a conspiracy theorist and vaccine denialist, increasingly is embracing the far-right.
“That group, Constitutional Coalition of New York State, has founders who not only have ties to Donald Trump but are also connected to the stop-the-steal movement through their activist network, which includes groups that had a presence at the Capitol on Jan. 6,” The Daily Beast reported Friday. “It’s yet another instance of Kennedy—who is mounting one of the most well-funded third-party presidential threats in decades—serving as a peculiar bridge between his own anti-establishment movement and Trump’s.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center includes the Constitutional Coalition of New York State (CCNYS) on its page of anti-government groups. Political Research Associates, which detailed the high proportion of January 6 residents arrested and charged, included the Constitutional Coalition of New York State in its February report on “The Rise of the Far Right in Western New York.”
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“If you don’t think the government is lying to you, you’re not paying attention,” Kennedy told attendees at the CCNYS fundraiser, The Buffalo News reports.
“CCNYS founders Nick and Nancie Orticelli are also affiliated with the Watchmen, a nearby militia who Nick has encouraged his social media followers to join. The Watchmen had several members at the Capitol on Jan. 6, and one member, Pete Harding, is still facing charges for violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds,” The Daily Beast noted. “Nancie Orticelli has also hosted the Watchmen’s founder, Charles Pellien, on her weekly radio show on several occasions.”
One of Kennedy’s goals in traveling to New York was to get on the ballot for the November presidential election. Various polls show him taking votes from both President Joe Biden and ex-president Donald Trump, but Kennedy currently has only qualified to be on the ballot in three states, Utah, Michigan and Hawaii, the newspaper reported.
But The Washington Post on Thursday reported The American Independent Party of California, which has a history of “far-right ties,” and “backed segregationist and former Alabama governor George Wallace in 1968, nominated Kennedy for president.”
Kennedy “said this week that he has qualified to be on the ballot in California and will accept the nomination of the American Independent Party, which has a history of associating itself with far-right figures and individuals who have expressed racist views.”
Some news reports and RFK Jr. himself say the Trump campaign was actively courting Kennedy, attempting to convince him to consider being the ex-president’s 2024 vice presidential running mate.
“That MAGA dalliance with Kennedy could be coming back to bite the Trump campaign, some Republicans close to the former president worry,” The Daily Beast also reported.
“’They can only blame themselves,’ a Trump-aligned strategist told The Daily Beast, requesting anonymity to speak candidly about private conversations about the risk Kennedy poses, ‘because they cozied up to him and thought it was funny.’”
Watch WIVBTV’s report on Kennedy’s trip to New York below or at this link.
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