IF YOU ARE GOING TO TALK THE TALK....

History was made on October 12, 2010.

No… not the Texas Rangers winning their first playoff series in the team’s tortured long history

Earlier in the day, Judge Virginia Phillips ruled that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was unconstitutional and issued an injunction halting all discharges and/or investigations regarding this policy.

People… we won!

WE WON!!

WE… wait…?

There’s a FLAG on the play?!

“Holding, #71, offense… because the penalty occurred on the final play, the game is over.”

WHAT?!

I use this analogy from the Dallas-Washington 2010 Week 1 game because this is how I felt when I heard the good news. All the hard work that other people put into to end this policy finally paid off. The countless number of LGBT service members who no longer have to lie about who they are and can serve with dignity.

Then…

THIS story broke.

The justice department is going to fight the decision.

I am going to allow Dr. Maddow to comment on this:

In short if you are going to talk the talk, be ready to walk the walk.

Mr. President, you said that you will end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on your watch. I recall hearing that during the State of the Union back in January.

Now, I have heard complaints from SOME people that the judicial branch has no say in matters of the military.

Really?

Let’s review the branches of government…

I see Executive… Legislative… Judicial… Nope, not a military branch there.

It is clear that the legislative branch has stalled in the process to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Prior to the election recess, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2011 which would have included language to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) and enacted the DREAM Act was unable to overcome a filibuster by the Obstructionist Republican Party. All Republicans voted against cloture of a defense bill which led to the first time in 48 years a defense bill failed to seek cloture.

I, and some of my fellow veterans, feel like the Republicans have given the military a middle finger. They say they are the party that screams “Supports the Troops” and then calls out people on their lack of patriotism.

Really?!

Only FIVE Republican Representatives voted in favor of ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the House. Your party unanimously voted against the military in the Senate! Again… how are you for the troops?

You voted against provisions that would have given better bonuses to those in mission essential fields, improve health care towards our female veterans, and collaboration between the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense in exploring alternative energy sources.

Instead, you just gave those that are serving and/or have served a giant middle finger!

The Republicans claimed that the Democrats were adding amendments that had absolutely nothing to do with defense matters.

Huh…?

Here is a brief list of amendments that were added to previous defense bills:

Ban on Internet Gambling

Open Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to Oil Drilling

Concealed Weapons Amendment

Indecency Standards Amendment

Campaign Reform Amendment

Immunity for Vaccine Companies

And guess who attached those amendments to previous NDAA bills…?

And while I am talking about the DREAM Act, it was Sen. Orin Hatch (R-UT) who was co-sponsor with the DREAM Act voted against it.

DADT and DREAM have more to do with defense on their own than all of those amendments COMBINED!

If the legislative branch is stalling and the executive branch is not doing anything, then why not let it end through the courts? This seems to be the best option. I have more faith in the judicial branch achieving LGBT Rights than I do the other branches of government right now. Instead the justice department is fighting it.

Oh… and anyone who claims “judicial activism”, that is NOT a valid argument. Nice try though.

Do I need to go through the list of Supreme Court cases that were decided by “activist judges” again (scroll down to read it)?

The way things are looking, this might get stalled if not tossed aside if the Republicans seize control of the House in the upcoming Mid-Term elections… and we know some of the things THEY are running on (abolish the minimum wage, no to the Department of Education, Privatize Social Security…).

If I was Attorney General Eric Holder, you know what I would do?

Absolutely nothing.

It would be the right thing to do.

As stated before, if you are going to talk the talk, then you better be ready to walk the walk.

I started this piece with an analogy, and I’d like to conclude with one.

We are close to ending DADT and enacting DREAM as well.

I know this is a setback. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Change does not come easy.

We make one big play, but then right when we are first-and-goal from the opponent’s 10 yard line with six seconds to go in the game… we come up ONE YARD SHORT.

Don’t give up yet. Pick yourselves up and try again.

It is going to be great when we make the game winning play.