Its been kind of fun seeing conservatives who, just a couple of years ago felt free to slam gays and lesbians for political gain, doing the deer in the headlights thing over Dont Ask Dont Tell. As Frank Rich pointed out in the New York Times Sunday, John McCain was pretty much the only senator who was able to work up some disapproval when Admiral Mike Mullen, Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the militarys ridiculous DADT policy should be abolished. Attitudes toward homosexuality have changed so much in the past decade in America, its now become political poison in most of the country to want to deny rights for gays and lesbians.
Locally, that growing acceptance of the GLBT community played itself out again yesterday, as County Commissioner Bill James, aka Generalissimo Homophobe, registered to run for yet another term as the rep from Mint Hill. Usually, commissioners whove been successful at getting re-elected over and over in their district eventually run for an at-large position. James will never do that, because he knows his antiquated, sanctimonious brand of politics wont fly countywide. Which is fine. Let him represent the countys knuckledragging faction as long as he wants.
There are, of course, still some die-hard bigots who are putting up a fuss about Mullens opinion of, and Obamas decision on, DADT. My favorite argument against repealing DADT is that openly accepting gays into the military would reduce our nations military effectiveness. Which, as has been pointed out a lot lately, was the same argument given in 1948 to oppose Pres. Trumans order to desegregate the armed forces. The bigots were wrong then, and theyre wrong now. If you need any evidence, consider that Israels military has no restrictions against gays and lesbians; whatever you may or may not think about Israeli foreign policies, theres no denying that Israel's military is generally considered the butt-kickingest on earth.
So this, I guess, is an overdue note of pleasure from an American progressive, happy that its the bigots who are squirming this time around.
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