More Backpedaling on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

President Obama is reported to be having "active conversations" on changing or repealing the military policy, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which forces gay service members to stay in the closet, or risk being discharged from the armed forces. So far, on the "Do List" (as opposed to the "Talk About It List") the President has done nothing and called it doing something, i.e., not challenging a Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that allowed a lesbian Air Force officer to stay in the service. Do I need to point out the obvious here? That doing nothing is still doing nothing? That not doing something George Bush wanted done really doesn't count, since he's not president any more?

The Star Tribune also points out that President Obama could intervene in discrimination-based discharges of gay service members by issuing stop-loss orders. And of course the Defense Department wants more time before DADT is repealed, because the process will be so "polarizing." Um... news flash: these people already serve in the armed forces, you probably know who they are, albeit unofficially -- believe me, gay people are experts at letting their sexuality be known without ever saying it; we've been practicing since the first time we got beat up or laughed at on the playground. Repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell isn't the precursor to a wave of homosexuals rushing to the recruitment office. And probably no more gay sex than was already happening will happen -- because, again, as we know, it's not so much gay people as gay sex that has the homophobes all in a tizzy.

Meanwhile, in spite of President Obama's (so far false) rhetoric in favor of repealing DADT, people are still being discharged from the military at alarming rates. Apparently dozens of gay graduates at West Point military academy came out recently in protest, trying to force the President's hand. I've got a recommendation for the President: It's called an Executive Order, Mr. President. White House sources say the president is resistant to an executive order because he wants Congress to deal with it, to ensure "fundamental change." Sounds more to me like the president is running scared from a hot button issue.