Gay Marriage Foe Bob Barr Calls For Repeal Of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/13/barr-dont-ask/

Gay Marriage Foe Bob Barr Calls For Repeal Of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

Former Congressman Bob Barr (R-GA), a well-known and outspoken conservative, is, as he puts it, “hardly a card-carrying member of the gay-rights lobby.” He authored the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which declared that states did not need to recognize legal same-sex marriages from other states. In 1996, he argued that homosexual relations were “bizarre”:

“The homosexual agenda calls for taking these so-called marriage licenses to the mainland and the other 50 states, the other 49 states, and trying to force these other states, the citizens of these other states, to accept their bizarre view of marriage.”

Yet even Barr recognizes the damage the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy has had on our overstretched military. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed today, Barr declares his opposition to the policy and encourages other conservatives to call for its repeal:

As a conservative Republican member of Congress from 1995 to 2003, I was hardly a card-carrying member of the gay-rights lobby. I opposed then, and continue to oppose, same-sex marriage, or the designation of gays as a constitutionally protected minority class. Service in the armed forces is another matter. The bottom line here is that, with nearly a decade and a half of the hybrid “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy to guide us, I have become deeply impressed with the growing weight of credible military opinion which concludes that allowing gays to serve openly in the military does not pose insurmountable problems for the good order and discipline of the services. (…)

Because the military can’t fill its slots, it has lowered its standards, extended tours of duty and increased rotations, further hurting morale and readiness. Conservatives are supposed to favor meritocracy — rewarding ability — especially in the armed forces. Instead, the military is firing badly needed, capable troops simply because they’re gay, and replacing them with a hodge podge that includes ex-cons, drug abusers and high-school dropouts.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is weakening our national security. Since the policy was instituted, at least 11,000 servicemembers, hundreds of whom had with key speciality skills such as training in Arabic, have left the military. Currently in the midst of a readiness crisis, the military could attract as many as 41,000 new recruits if gays could serve openly.

[ck4829]

1. So, let me get this straight...

Gay people don't deserve the same rights as everyone else, but they should have the right to die in war?

[WillParkinson]

2. Um...

Duh.

They get killed in the battlefield there'll be less of them. It's a win-win for the right wing.

[jobycom]

3. Yep. Gay people may fight and die for the rights of others, just not their own. nt

[ComerPerro]

5. pretty much, cause God knows conservative Republicans won't do it

[racaulk]

8. Spot on.

You have the right to die in wartime, but...uh...that's about it. That's called "supporting the troops," don't ya know. :eyes:

[EFerrari]

9. But DADT is DANGEROUS for gays serving in the military.

Chr!st! I'm agreeing with this bigot! Ack!

[ComerPerro]

4. I don't think gays should serve in the military right now, honestly

I don't think anyone should.

[w13rd0]

6. Bob Barr is an ass...

...and that hasn't changed. But being out of Congress, he has been drifting ever so slowly to at least being somewhat more consistent with his leanings. So given his present positions I have to wonder, who is Bob Barr supporting for President? Hasn't anyone asked him? And if not, why not? Hell, not only asked Newt, the MSM tried to get that mouthbreather to run.

[racaulk]

7. Fuck you, Bob Barr!

A man who has been married three times and that commited adultery on his first two wives with the subsequent wife has no fucking place to tell me that I have a "bizarre view of marriage" just because I'm gay. The only reason this sorry assed hypocrite is coming out against DADT is because our military is stretched to the breaking point because of King George's wild crusade in Iraq. Otherwise, he would continue to disregard the benefit that gay men and women could provide to the military just as he always has.

Oh, and by the way, there is no such thing as a "homosexual agenda." Asshat. (If there is, could someone tell me how to get involved? I would love to attend the next meeting.)

:rant:

[NMMNG]

10. "Homosexual Agenda"

Feminist Agenda. Atheist Agenda. Liberal Agenda. Funny how anybody who opposes the RW or is in any way asking for things the RW doesn't like (such as equal rights) has an "Agenda". :eyes:

[Dogmudgeon]

12. The Fairness Agenda.

(Not so) Deep down inside, Conservatives despise fairness and justice in all its forms.

But it's good to see Barr taking a few tentative baby steps toward civil sanity. Who knows, someday he may even endorse the concept of equal justice under the law.

--p!
In theory! In theory!

[NMMNG]

13. Conservatives like fairness just fine

As long as it's fair to them and everyone else at the top of the heap. The rest of us can go to hell as we're complete dog crap.


And I'm not so sure Barr has the best interest of gay people in mind with this call to end DADT. He may just be more interested in having gay people be cannon fodder , much as black people were used as such so many years ago.

[Orsino]

11. Yep. Barr keeps demonstrating the occasional bit of weird integrity...

...to go with his corrupt, gay-hatin' other personality. He's consulted for the ACLU, for cryin' out loud.

[Zenlitened]

14. Gosh, how generous of him. "You gay folks, yer invited to take a bullet now..."

... we'll even let you step ahead in line of 'ex-cons, drug abusers, and high-school dropouts'!"

Excuse me if I opt not to applaud his new-found "enlightenment."

:eyes:

[alkaline9]

15. well, at least he's admitting that gays are better than...

...ex-cons, drug abusers, and high school dropouts!!! Progress?!?

"the military is firing badly needed, capable troops simply because they’re gay, and replacing them with a hodge podge that includes ex-cons, drug abusers and high-school dropouts"

...and, by this statement, would this mean that if gays can prove they make happy, healthy little families, that one day they MAY be allowed to marry?!?

"Conservatives are supposed to favor meritocracy — rewarding ability"

...on second thought, he's just a typical repuke, justifying his pro-global-destruction agenda any way he can...