The United States federal government should reverse the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law.

Things To Remember_____________________________________________________________ (1) "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is a discriminatory policy that treats gays differently for being gay. This is unconstitutional. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution states, "no state shall… deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. " (2) This plan is very costly and has taken over half a billion dollars since the beginning of this dscriminatory plan. (3) We have very few Arabic linguists and they are in very high demand. Many Arabic linguists have been discharged for being gay. (4) It is estimated that 65,000 soldiers are gay. We cannot afford to loose all these soldiers. 65,000 soldiers are at risk of being fired from the military for a silly reason that is driven by discrimination. Rebuttals______________________________________________________________________ Opponent>>> " I would be very interested to know where you get the stats that soldiers are discharged from the military due to their sexual orientation. That is, by definition, what "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" does, it protects gays and lesbians serving in our armed forces. " - Soldiers are often discharged from the military because of their sexual orientation. The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law allows gays to join the military, but it says that if their sexual orientation is expressed, then they will be discharged. *** . http://www.nytimes.com... *** . http://en.wikipedia.org...'t_ask,_don't_tell #Criticism_from_ military_personnel Opponent>>> "Repealing that law would not solve anything, in fact, if anything, it poses the risk of opening up gays and lesbians to ridicule within ranks, not from superiors, but from fellow privates, sergeants, and the like. " (1) The UK, Canada, Israel and over 40 nations that fight alongside us in Iraq are currently allowing gays to express their sexual orientation in the military. These plans work very well for their country. *** . http://www.cbc.ca... *** . http://query.nytimes.com... (2) Many gays are already expressing their sexual orientation in the millitary because their fellow soldiers are accepting and they are only at risk of being discharged but not of extreme ridicule. (3) The government should not protect gays from expressing their sexual orientation to protect them from extreme ridicule. Gays will decide whether to "come out" with their sexual orientation or not. The government should not decide when a gay person is ready to come out. (4) A gay person "coming out" with their sexual orientation is necessary for their mental health and self esteem. To forbid someone from expressing their sexual orientation is immoral and unhealthy for the individual according to the American Psychological Association and most psychologists. *** . http://www.apa.org... Opponent>>> "Other nations doing something should never be our sole reason for doing something. This is just common sense. Following other nations around will do nothing but cause what happens to one nation to happen to all nations, and then there is no one left to rescue anybody. " (1) "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is a follish policy. It takes on average $40 million a year. That's on average $565 million in all since the beginning of the policy. (2) It is a discriminatory policy, which is unconstitutional. The Constitution has the sediment that "All men are created equal. " It also clearly says in the 14th Amendment, "no state shall… deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. " Opponent>>> "Again, I would like to know where you get your stats on soldiers and citizens approval of open homosexuality in the military, and about the Arab linguists. Am I to believe, then, that the majority of Arab-American linguists and translators are, in fact, homosexual? Surely we do not want to create another stereotype for people to throw at our Middle Eastern brothers. " (1) Citizens approve of allowing gays in the military. *** . http://people-press.org... *** . http://en.wikipedia.org...'t_ask,_don't_tell #cite_note-5 (2) The majority of Arabic linguists are not gay, but a significant portion are. Arabic linguists are in high demand. But even one Arabic linguist discharged for being gay is too many. And many are being discharged. *** . http://www.diversityinc.com... *** . http://www.equalitygiving.org... Opponent>>> "As for your last point, which I addressed above, this law actually reduces the possibility of discrimination. You cannot force people to accept something. You can help them to get to know the person first, instead of immediately labeling them as "gay. " (1) The government has no right to tell a person when they can come out to their coworkers. If an indivudal wishes to face critism so they can be honest with others and themselves, they should be allowed to and the government should not step in the way. (2) A gay person "coming out" with their sexual orientation is necessary for their mental health and self esteem. To forbid someone from expressing their sexual orientation is immoral and unhealthy for the individual according to the American Psychological Association and most psychologists. *** . http://www.apa.org...