(HOST) Former governor and commentator Madeleine Kunin has been thinking about what it costs to keep a secret.
(KUNIN) The Senate vote against the repeal of "don’t ask, don’t tell,"
was more than a repudiation of equal rights for our gay and lesbian
citizens; it was downright unpatriotic.
I know we in Vermont have high expectations on this subject, having been
the first state to create civil unions ten years ago and more recently,
we were the first state to give legislative approval to legalize gay
marriage, even over-riding a Governor’s veto. Since then, the majority
of Americans have come a long way. Vermont is no longer alone. Polls
indicate that 57% of Americans believe that gays and lesbians should be
allowed to serve openly in the military.
Still, why not let people serve their country when they are eager and
qualified to do so? The argument that allowing these men and women to be
open about their sexual identity might weaken our military strength
does not stand up under scrutiny. Rather, the opposite argument is more
credible – we are losing thousands of talented people with special
skills, like translators, which undercut our military capability.
Besides, when have lying and secrecy been highly regarded values in this
country? That is exactly what we force these gay men and women to do in
order to retain their right to serve under "don’t ask don’t tell."
It’s hard to take seriously the claim that military preparedness would
suffer if "don’t ask, don’t tell" were repealed when both Secretary of
Defense Gates and Chairman of the Join Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen,
have supported repeal.
Susan Collins, who voted for the repeal in the Armed Services Committee,
voted against the bill when it came to the Senate floor with an
impassioned speech about procedure. But it’s difficult to accept that
excuse when no Republican voted for the bill – once again falling into
the lock step of Republican opposition to any Democratic or Obama
initiative – regardless of the merits of the legislation. We’ve seen
this video before.
Republicans and anti-gay groups can claim a short term victory by
defeating this measure. But it’s a pyrrhic victory which will haunt
Republicans when the light of history shines upon them. on them. This is
a defeat, not for Democrats, who will rally to this cause once again,
but it is a defeat for what this country should stand for – to permit
every citizen the equal right to serve his or her country without having
to wear a virtual burka to cover their own identity.
That, to me, is un-American.