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'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Will Get Senate Hearing

Senate committee to examine consequences of military's gay policy

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 27, 2009 3:00 PM CDT

(Newser) – The Senate Armed Services Committee will convene a fall hearing to examine the US military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy governing gay service members, the Albany Times Union reports. Chairman Carl Levin agreed to hold the hearings at the encouragement of New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who has been pushing to tack an 18-month stay in homosexual dismissals onto an upcoming defense spending bill.

Gillibrand pushed for the hearing after failing to find adequate support for the stay. “This policy is wrong for our national security and wrong for the moral foundation upon which our country was founded,” she says. “Numerous military leaders are telling us that the times have changed. ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ is an unfair, outdated measure that violates the civil rights of some of our bravest, most heroic men and women.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, listens to testimony on Capitol Hill in Washington during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, listens to testimony on Capitol Hill in Washington during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.   (AP Photo)
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, left, speaks to gathered faculty at Santo Domingo Autonomous University, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, July 3, 2009.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, left, speaks to gathered faculty at Santo Domingo Autonomous University, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, July 3, 2009.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 32 comments
BlahBlahBlah
Jul 28, 2009 12:06 PM CDT
I am in the service and I could care less which way you swing. If you can do your job and do it in a honorable manner I have no issues.
kokuaguy
Jul 28, 2009 8:19 AM CDT
I'm glad President Truman didn't agree with you, dawg, in 1947 when he issued his Executive Order ending racial segregation in the armed services.
Snarfeh
Jul 28, 2009 6:44 AM CDT
@godawgs - I am completely against banning *any*one for any reason. I'd rather have the option to ignore. I haven't seen Mr. Evans around lately, so I figure the bullies got him banned for signing off with his web site address. I saw a new poster (or, new to me) who also signed off with his website, so I expect he won't last long, either. It is absolutely stupid & juvenile to ban someone who signs off with their website address in this electronic/internet day and age. So many people have blogs, websites, etc. it is only natural that one would include it in their signature. There is spam and there is self-promotion as an addendum and I do not want *other* people deciding whose comments *I* should be able to read. Well, damn....I think I actually found an example of liberal fascism for CK.....that sucks, but it's out there, unfortunately.

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