Comments on: Service chiefs: ‘Don’t Ask’ repeal proceeding smoothly http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/04/08/service-chiefs-dont-ask-repeal-proceeding-smoothly/ the gay community's news source Mon, 20 May 2013 05:19:22 +0000 hourly 1 By: Peter the saint http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/04/08/service-chiefs-dont-ask-repeal-proceeding-smoothly/#comment-20233 Peter the saint Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:59:16 +0000 http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=20580#comment-20233 (Ned) “Arabic linguists, intelligence officers, and pilots — experts who might have prevented 9/11 if they hadn’t been fired” Wow, I never thought of it that way, but yes! What has been the cost of DADT? Quite possibly it may have been 9/11… what a horrific cost… We’ll never know, but it’s entirely in the realm of possibility. Thanks, President Clinton! It couldn’t have happened w/o your signature! :(

]]> By: Ned Flaherty http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/04/08/service-chiefs-dont-ask-repeal-proceeding-smoothly/#comment-20042 Ned Flaherty Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:07:13 +0000 http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=20580#comment-20042 Over 17 years, the U.S. military wasted $756 million and needlessly lost 67,011 qualified people (14,316 discharges + 52,695 resignations). More than a third of the discharges were people with critical skills, such as Arabic linguists, intelligence officers, and pilots — experts who might have prevented 9/11 if they hadn’t been fired (“Cost of DoD Homosexual Conduct Policy,” Government Accountability Office, 20 January 2011).

Homophobic TeaPublicans keep calling the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” a “dangerous social experiment.” They’re wrong. Fairness, respect, dignity, and professionalism are not experiments. 35 other militaries did this long ago — with no problem. Business, industry, government, non-profits, and universities also began this decades ago, and have benefitted from it for years.

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