This is a disgrace
Todd Akin, of legitimate rape fame, a man whose views were judged so repugnant by a conservative electorate that they sent back to the Senate a woman they pretty much couldn't stand, got to set back the repeal of DADT today. There is now a conscious clause allowing that people who hate gays can't be punished for their beliefs presumedly no matter how or to whom those beliefs are expressed. This is mother fucking disgraceful and each and every Democrat who caved on this deserves to be ridden out of town on a rail.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/12/18/defense-budget-bill-includes-conscience-provision/
The final version of major Pentagon budget legislation includes watered-down “conscience” language similar to the anti-gay provision found in the House version of the bill, according to a top House Democrat on defense issues.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, affirmed during a Capitol Hill news conference Tuesday language along the lines of Section 536 of the House bill made its way into the conference report for the fiscal year 2013 defense authorization bill, although the scope of the language is more limited.
Other language found under Section 537 of the House bill prohibiting same-sex marriages from taking place on military bases, Smith said, was removed from the final version of the bill. Smith made the remarks in response to a question from the Washington Blade.
“We struck the second provision,” Smith said. “There is modified conscience clause language still in the bill … Basically, you can believe what you believe and not be punished for it, but if your actions based on those beliefs are counter to the Uniform Code of Military Justice or counter to what’s necessary, that can be held against you. But you can’t be punished solely for your beliefs. We modified that first language, struck the second language.”
Asked whether the language applies to only chaplains or all service members, Smith replied, “Anybody.”
end quote
This bill needs vetoed and the people who accepted the language removed from their respective committees.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Unit cohesion is everything... The Sgt would definitely find himself a corporal if he destroys the cohesion of his unit. I'd be willing to bet that this will raise some eyebrows and roll some eyes for those responsible for the rules and that the generals will make it known that the type of behavior which concerns you will not be acceptable. Remember, the military integrated years before and with much less friction than society in general. While that is not to say there were no racial slurs thrown around in the early days, the superior officers eventually got it to work pretty well. And you can be sure that buried somewhere in the congressional records is a bill that did for racists in the military what this one proposes for the homophobes.
