Today Lt. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate and Iraq War veteran, will face a military court martial to decide whether he will be given a dishonorable discharge for "moral and professional dereliction" under the US military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
Lt. Choi is an interpreter whose service has been critical to the safety of fellow soldiers as well as of the civilians with whom they interact. I find it amazing that a government which is so short of the skills he has continues to kick men and women out of the military services simply because they live honorable lives which differ from the majority.
Many of my fellow citizens are proud of the opportunities and protection that the US offers to persecuted peoples from around the world, unaware that these are often matched or exceeded elsewhere. However, in many respects there is an openness which cannot always be found in places offering greater legal protection or material support.
Nonetheless, while it is now considered unacceptable to discriminate based on skin color or religion, discrimination based on sexual orientation is still anchored in US statutes, policies and practice. This is no longer acceptable in a modern society. It never should have been accepted, but we live in the present, and now is the time to stop the nonsense.
I should have posted this earlier. Please support Dan Choi by adding your name to this petition now and send a message to the cowards in the US administration that change cannot wait. With more than 75% of US voters in support of gays in the military, what are they waiting for?
Amen.
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Unfortunately the board of colonels played by the book and voted against justice and common sense. But the fight is not over. DADT is a fascist relic that has no place in modern society. With more than 75% of US voters supporting gays in the military, I find it appalling that the so-called leaders in Congress and the White House cannot find the "audacity" to take the action required to ensure that the country will be made more secure through the valuable services of skilled men and women like Lt. Choi.
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