Harry Truman's grandson writes President Obama about DADT: "Lead as my grandfather did."

[Bluebear]

May 7, 2010

President Barack H. Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

Tomorrow, my family and I will mark the 126th anniversary of my grandfather President Harry Truman’s birthday. There are many reasons we celebrate his life and contributions to our nation, but in particular we are proud of his decision to desegregate the U.S. Armed Forces in July 1948, which paved the way for future civil rights advancements.

It was not easy. He faced fierce opposition from inside and outside the military. Many, including Army Chief of Staff Gen. Omar Bradley, argued that mixing black and white soldiers would destroy the Army.

My grandfather, however, was appalled that African-American service members had been beaten and lynched upon their return home from fighting in World War II. They had risked their lives to defend our nation, but were denied the full rights and responsibilities of American citizenship. Implementation of his order to desegregate wasn’t easy, but it made our military stronger and our nation a brighter beacon of democracy.

There are strong parallels between the desegregation of the military and the debate over “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the law that mandates the firing of a service member based solely on his or her sexual orientation. Opponents argue that allowing openly gay and lesbian service members to serve alongside their heterosexual comrades will endanger discipline and morale.

While I have no idea where my grandfather would stand on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” I do know that he admired service and sacrifice. An estimated 66,000 gay and lesbian Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Coastguardsmen are willingly risking their lives to defend our nation, despite being treated as second class citizens.

I would hope that my grandfather would want his openly gay great-granddaughter and others like her to have the opportunity to serve the country they love with dignity and integrity.

Mr. President, as you have said many times, including in your State of the Union Address earlier this year, ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is the right thing to do. This year is the right time to do it.

I commend you for your commitment and hope the example of my grandfather, Harry Truman, will help you lead with the same courage and conviction to ensure the "equality of treatment and opportunity for all who serve our nation’s defense.”

Respectfully,
Clifton Truman Daniel

http://www.sldn.org/blog/archives/stories-from-the-frontlines-clifton-truman-daniel/

[laconicsax]

1. Another person who wants a dictator instead of a president.

:sarcasm:

[saracat]

21. Gee, some had no trouble with the executive order strengthening Hyde.

I guess being a dictator is acceptable if it discriminates against women.

[chill_wind]

2. K & R. n/t

[Captain Hilts]

3. Again, FDR had already started integrating the military. They just didn't announce it. But agree

with this letter.

[freddie mertz]

4. K & R. I hope the president is listening.

The time to stop this injustice is now.

[FiveGoodMen]

7. That would be a first.

[whistler162]

34. You of course mean CONGRESS!!!!!

[Captain Hilts]

5. Saturday the 8th of May - VE Day - is HST's birthday. nt

[CTyankee]

6. What an incredible letter!

This dear man, out of such love for his own daughter, and with the utmost respect for the office of the president and the president himself, presents his case with dignity and compassion. With all of the garbage that passes for politics by Republicans and Tea Baggers, this letter shows humanity and beauty.

I cannot believe that Obama isn't deeply touched by Clifton Daniel's letter...

[DevonRex]

12. It really IS a perfect letter, isn't it? He spoke from his heart

with respect, both for our GLBT service members and the president. We should all attempt this exact tone when we write our own letters to Obama.

[CTyankee]

15. Alas, I think the era of respect for the office of President and for all humans has

disintegrated into garbage. Here is a guy with a distinguished grandfather and a gay daughter who is dedicated to serving her country but is discriminated against because she is gay, doing the right thing, the honorable and decent thing, by bringing this to the attention of our President.

I really hope President Obama makes public his letter in response. I am sure he will be equally dignified and respectful...

[midnight]

8. I love this young man's letter.

[dflprincess]

18. Clifton Truman Daniel will be 53 this year. n/t

[tbyg52]

26. Yep, young man....! ;-> nt

[BlueIris]

9. That makes me want to name my first born child Clifton.

For serious.

DADT must die.

[Vidar]

10. If Obama had a tenth the political courage of Harry Truman, we'd be in great shape.

[bobbolink]

13. .

:applause:

:cry: for so much opportunity lost....opportunity that will never come back around. :cry:

[impik]

32. Same old bullshit.

[DevonRex]

11. K&R. We all need to show that we are for the repeal and that we

will fiercely support our Dems (both in the WH and Congress) when they do it. I hope it IS done this year.

And I will write my own letter to add to that of Mr. Daniel. I do think Obama wants to repeal it. I also think that we can't just let our GLBT friends here be the only ones who seem to care about the issue. And it's dangerous to let any of our elected officials think for even a minute that it's only GLBTs who want DADT repealed.

I'm sure everyone here wants DADT repealed so isn't it time for us to get into action?

On edit: Damn typo.

[KonaKane]

14. Amen.

I sure caused a howl in here when I recounted how Truman issued an order demanding the integration of American troops. But I'll say it again - he did it right. He signed an order, and when one of the generals came to him with complaints about it, Truman looked up at him and said that either he will have his cooperation or his resignation in the morning.

Guess which one showed up next AM.

[Bluebear]

16. .

[tomm2thumbs]

17. great letter, I hope history's call is heard all the way up at the top of the hill

all this 'slow-wading into the pool' vs jumping in.... Only one gets you in the pool swimming, the other eats up all your time until it is time to get back out again, shuddering & shaking

can we please start swimming forward and stop all this weak tip-toes-touching-the-bottom-of-the-shallow-end-of-the-pool shit?

[Solly Mack]

19. K&R

[saracat]

20. What a beautiful letter. I hope he gets a response.

[Warren DeMontague]

22. If I recall, there were VERY similar noises made by the Military about desegregating the AF.

we can't do it, we don't know what will happen, it will be a logistical nightmare, yadda yadda yadda...

That was, really, my thought- Truman did it, with a stroke of a pen. I agree with his grandson.

[gleaner]

23. This is a very beautiful letter ..

He is eloquent and empathetic to gay Americans, and he clearly wants to put an end to this wasteful and stupid practice. He also loves and respects his daughter and wants her to have the life that she chooses for herself and for her to be able to live it openly and with pride.

He is also very brave. If he had wanted to keep his daughter a secret he could have used the political currency his family still has to make an approach behind the scenes, in secret, but he chose his daughter and her well being first. He wants people to see his love for her and his admiration for her wish for a life of service.

I don't know if this will touch Obama's heart or not. Very little seems to, but it should and it should encourage us to speak up even more than we have in the past to end DADT and other prejudicial practices and laws which affect gays and trans gendered people. That is the key word. People. People who deserve all of their rights and privileges as full citizens to live as they choose and to enjoy freedom from fear and the hatred that ignorance and malice brings to them every day of their lives.

Thank you very much for sharing this. My parents admired President Truman's bluntness and his willingness to dig in his heels for what he thought was right even when they disagreed with him. I believe that he tried his best to execute his duties with integrity and compassion for his fellow Americans. I don't agree with everything he did either, but I do think his courage was admirable. I think he would have loved his granddaughter and that he would have been proud of her too.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

24. An excellent letter. K&R

:patriot:

[emad]

25. Respect!

Harry's legacy lives on strongly among Democrats wherever they may be.

And on this, Harry's 126th, the USA is a far better place for all his efforts in tackling the racists and segregationists in his own party.

Removing the last vestiges of discrimination in the military is the right thing to do.

[ooglymoogly]

27. Harry Truman was a leader....

He was not a go along to get along guy, where the good ol' boys had the best seats at the table. He realized that the past was the foundation to the future and the law was the law and to forget the law for a few meant, in the end, a lawless country. His carrying out of FDR's policies as far as blacks were concerned was obvious to him, which proved to history he was not in anybodies pocket and so not was FDR. Both these men were true patriots and good to the greatest presidents.

[impik]

33. Man. the hypocrisy. Suddenly the A-Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki wasn't so bad

Right?

[ooglymoogly]

35. Read your history in a little greater depth. nt

[SnakeEyes]

28. Great letter and additional parallels are interesting too...

Considering it would be Obama repealing fellow Democrat Clinton's policy. Just as Truman repealed fellow Democrat Woodrow Wilson's resegregation of the military.

[Bluenorthwest]

30. Sorry, but it was not Clinton that put discrimination into the militrary

It was even worse before him, and he tried and failed and wound up with the horrid DADT, but the discrimination was not 'Clinton's policy'.

[KonaKane]

36. But he could have ended it.

That's the point.

[DesertDiamond]

29. What is taking him so long?

[Politicub]

31. This is a wonderful letter

I'm so glad that you posted it to DU, Bluebear. :)

:kick: