Rhetoric of Fear The Death of the California Dream Health Care in Perspective The Discipline Leave No Child Behind No Daddy, No! Unconditional Equal Justice under the Law Thank God I Am Not A Woman Infallible "Don't ask, don't tell" Thou Shalt Not Kill Irreconcilable Differences My Will Positive Reinforcement Changing My Name After Sixty Years Copyright © 2000-2009 Thomas E. Rosenberg. All right reserved. Essays may be reproduced with written permission. tomr@inaword.org

The elimination of negative words brings clarity to speech "Don't ask, don't tell" In the 1992 presidential campaign, Bill Clinton's pledge to lift the ban on homosexuals serving in the military promoted reasonable expectations among gay people for equal treatment. This resulted in Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) legislation passed in 1993. DADT was doomed to fail. The negative words obfuscate a policy that is clearly discriminatory, an invasion of privacy, and based on baseless false assumption. An award winning Department of Defense essay, written this year by Colonel Om Prakish while attending National War College, documents the failure of the DADT policy. Policies expressed in negative words are by their nature confusing. What is credible information upon which a commander's investigation can be based? Does a gay who marches in a gay rights parade or frequents gay bars demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts? The report cites some commanders fearing being accused of discrimination, only process discharges when the service member "tells." Even so, some 12,500 service members, some with needed skills such as translators, have been discharged. This is a low number since it fails to include the service members who failed to reenlist or who chose to separate because of the DADT policy. The essay also points out that the assumptions, upon which DADT was passed - that allowing gay men and women to serve openly lessens bonds of trust, unit cohesion and could have a negative effect on morale, discipline, combat effectiveness - were baseless. Indeed, several North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies have lifted the ban. While stating that sexual orientation is a private matter, disclosing the intent or engaging in a homosexual act makes the member subject to discharge. This demands celibacy from gay people, without requiring the same of heterosexuals. Every consenting adult has the right to engage in sexual acts in private. Think of the humiliation endured by a gay service member who must listen to anti-gay jokes or remarks in silence. In the workplace, all employees have the right to be judged strictly on the performance of their duty. By forcing homosexuals to conceal their identity, DADT stigmatizes gay people who wish to serve their country. Before the policy was adopted, many closeted gay people served with distinction in peace and war. That the ability to shoot straight or lead is related to one's sexual orientation has yet to be demonstrated. Instead of teaching and insisting on tolerance, the policy's ambiguity plays into homophobic fears. The adoption of DADT validated these fears. Revised October 2009