Yesterday's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" hearings on the Hill were every bit as contentious and heated as expected. Voices from both sides went at it, and the best that can be said is that every little bit of fear, ignorance and control on this issue by the military was exposed to the light of day.
Informed and emotional testimony was given by retired admirals and general's and former members of all branches of the military, including Staff Sgt Eric Alva who we've had on the show. The message was clear and perhaps best summed up by republican Congressman Christopher Shays, the lead Republican cosponsor of legislation to end “Don’t ask, don’t tell”:
“Competence, ability, dedication and commitment to country should dictate one’s eligibility for military service-not sexual orientation. What matters is a person’s conduct in service to their country,”The most laughable yet angering testimony opposing repeal was that of Elaine Donnelly (photo above) president of the Center for Military Readiness, who invoked images of predatory lustful gay troops in submarines, and at the very least labeled gays as unprofessional. Here's a little of Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Penn.), a former Army private, taking on Donnelly:
We'll get into all this during the show today and look forward to your calls as well.
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