America has been at war since I was a freshman in high school. At the time, I was scared to death that one day I would be drafted and sent to fight. Scared out of my mind, I would have gladly done what was needed for my country. Thankfully, brave men and women of all races, religions, and cultures voluntarily answered the call and reported for duty. With America engaged in two wars, why have thousands of soldiers been kicked-out of the military for the same reason?
In 1993, Congress passed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT), a law mandating the discharge of openly gay service members. According to the Service Members Legal Defense Network, more than 14,000 members have been fired under the law since 1994. DADT allows gays and lesbians to serve without asking their sexual orientation, but discharges them if they are discovered to be gay. Many Americans believed this was a great thing for the gay community at the time, but when considering the punishment for being caught, one can see why this law must be repealed. Not only are we firing soldiers based on prejudice, forcing them to change their lives, but we’re hurting the U.S. Armed Services, depleting the military of willing, capable soldiers.
For many reasons, repealing the law is the only thing that comes to mind when I think of DADT. First of all, the law is based on prejudice. It is unconstitutional to deny anyone a job for their sexual preference, so why can’t a gay man or woman fight and die for their country while being able to live their lives as freely as the heterosexual next to them? And what’s not to say some of the best military leaders aren’t gay? I would want to be lead by the best whether they were gay or straight. Lastly, America needs all the soldiers they can get because we’re fighting two wars.
With the growing support of the American public and Congress, it appears as though America is on the right track to repeal this law. By a 234 to 194 vote, The House of Representatives adopted an amendment that could lead to the repeal of DADT as early as 2011. President Obama is onboard and said he will end Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. In an Associated Press conference last year, Obama summed up what millions of supporters are thinking, saying, “We should not be punishing patriotic Americans who have stepped forward to serve this country. We should be celebrating their willingness to show such courage and selflessness on behalf of their fellow citizens, especially when we’re fighting two wars.”