The Strange History of Don't Ask, Don't Tell Trailer

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[jessemckay]

Part of what we can do in opposition is to learn more about these bills, find out who the sponsors are, take some time, and really give them our two cents' worth, so to speak. I personally think it would be a good idea to primary every single representative and Senator who has either sponsored, recommended, or voted for any of these terrible bills, and if that means losing a few wavering allies, then so be it. They may waver now, but if we do nothing they will be flaming later.

[jessemckay]

The doctrine of separation of church and state (which is a 20th century phrase based on a single letter that President Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association in Danbury, Connecticut, in 1802, some 14 years after the adoption of the US Constitution) does not bind government from forbidding acts. It does not bind the Congress in its duty of regulating the military. Jefferson's words did not even bind Connecticut from the Saybrook Platform.

[choongd]

Let the uncalled for Christian backlash begin!

[jessemckay]

Before proceeding, I should underline the major point in the above paragraph. Freedom of religion is often used by our opponents to pronounce freedom FROM any sort of publicly-endorsed values, ethics, or practices. These folks say since we don't favor Baptists over Presbyterians or Mormons over Jews then we have no values at all in our society and every law with moral overtones should be struck. We can read above that people knew about this little loophole in 1790. We should remember it now.

[dothedeed]

@jessemckay Separation of church and state. America has no God or state religion.

[Fdim]

OH GOD I'm so glad McCain didn't win the presidency. O_o

[jessemckay]

In 1802 and literally from 1708 to 1818, Connecticut continued to fund and regulate the Congregational church, from taxes levied on its citizens, so there is very little doubt in my mind that Jefferson's idea of separation of church and state has very little in common with its 20th and 21st century counterpart. Jefferson said that the Congress doesn't have the authority to fund or regulate a church like Connecticut does.

[jessemckay]

Third, the South Carolina Constitution of 1790 proclaims with far better prose than I:

"Article VIII, Section 1. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever hereafter be allowed within this State to all mankind, PROVIDED, That the liberty of conscience thereby declared shall not be construed as to excuse acts of licentiousness, or justify practices inconsistent with the peace and safety of this State."

[jessemckay]

Some colonies proffered no official religion: for example, in Delaware, New York, North Carolina, and South Carolina, every Christian was guaranteed freedom of religion. Maryland law provided for a tax to support the Christian religion. In Pennsylvania, all lawmakers were required to swear by oath that they are Christians. In some colonies, only a Protestant could serve in the legislature.

These religious laws date back to the 1600s and were mostly repealed by the late 1800s.

[jessemckay]

@wickedboy2001

Excuse me, but did you just opine against anti-gay "bigotry" and at the same time denigrate the aged and overweight...?

[jessemckay]

There is precedent for what we are now seeking. It's the Mexico City policy cutting aid to foreign agencies who promote abortion. Reagan established it in 1984, and since that year, every Democratic President has rescinded it and every Republican President has reinstated it.

Republicans in the House of Representatives have a majority now, and it is mathematically possible to compel a majority to shut down the government unless the gay ban is put back in place.

Dear Reader, will you help?

[jessemckay]

Now, those of us in opposition already know what to do from here.

We already know that we have to seize the time we have remaining to restore balance -- not that wicked "DADT" or "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

We demand that the recruiters do ask.

We demand that the recruits do tell.

We're going to spend upwards of a million dollars each training and equipping these people. It would be super if we knew something about them so we don't get another Lynndie England or Bradley Manning.

[jessemckay]

Parents who very much approve of the opportunities their college-minded teen might have gained by joining the military are sadly turning away, because the last remnants of sexual sanity are being swept away in the reversal of DADT.

At stake, a hundred thousand young men in their late teens and early twenties, many away from their families for the first time, who have less developed ideas about sex roles; these men will be shaped and molded by senior enlisted personnel we can no longer trust.

[jessemckay]

In this generation, the military won't care if a soldier is gay. If there is some complaint of conduct, then maybe. Or maybe not.

Will you change it?

[jessemckay]

And there we have it, folks, the very worst reason for America to finally go totally gay --- so the damned so-and-sos will shut up about it.

Which is a very big part of why the damned so-and-sos *won't* shut up about it.

[jessemckay]

Although I think Sarah Palin is amazing, one term of Obama has awakened all of my friends who have been asleep where politics is concerned. This Obama has been so bad for the country and so good for the Republican Party -- it is hard to believe. I'm very excited about the prospects this November. Finally, we have a party who is willing to fight the perverts.