"Don't ask. Don't tell" policy should be changed for the military

The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has just recently increased in terms of controversy as many prominent military men came out in opposition to it. As far as my opponent's argument is concerned, I must admit I often found it difficult to tell which side she was on until the end. Some of her statements clearly point of flaws in the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. As I am arguing for changing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, I feel obligated to offer an alternative rather than simply attacking the status quo. My alternative is simple: that the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy be removed altogether. Sexual preference should not be a criterion for determining who has the right to serve in the Armed Forces. It is a clear cut act of discrimination that offers no benefits which have been proven. There is no clear format to my opponent's argument, so instead I am going to opt to address specific quotes. "I believe that this policy should stay set in the military because of the fact that it's noone's business and it private and confedential to the person who is gay/les. " Response: Abolishing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" would not mandate that people in the military declare their sexual preference. It would mean that they would not be required to keep it a secret if they are not heterosexual. "They have the right to stay who they are looked at to be. Yes the other person may feel uncomfortable if they knew, but it wouldnt matter. They are not allowed to have relationships with another and you already get to know them and become friends with the before they want to tell so what makes the difference nothing changes for you, their personality isn't going to change and they arent going to change as a person it's the person (you) whose hearing and how you react to it (which makes no difference). But again why should they care. " Response: This seems to support my argument that the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy should be removed. It denies people the right to say who they are. It prevents people from having relationships. This is an obvious example of a policy which discriminates unjustly. My opponent seems to think that the only alternative to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is a mandate requiring those who serve in the military to declare their sexual preference. She did not specific that this was the alternative against which her argument was directed; the resolution simply says that it should not be changed. I have proposed a better alternative which my opponent's argument seems to support. "The Don't ask Dont tell should be able to stay because of pivacy, interactions with the same or opposite sex (of being treated fairly), and the fact that they have the right to be in the military no matter their interests in the same sex. " Response: Again, this argument assumes an alternative to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" which I have not proposed. This policy actually denies people their right to be in the military, rather than defending it ask my opponent has suggested. Her own arguments further lead to the conclusion that the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy should be changed, specifically by removing it from practice. "For these reasons i stand Neg in the dont ask dont tell policy should be changed. " Response: An odd stance considering the fact that a reasonable interpretation of those reasons leads to the conclusion that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has a derogatory effect on the military. Conclusion: My opponent seems to have made an incorrect assumption about what the proposed alternative to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" would be without mentioning said alternative in her initial argument. The arguments provided by my opponent do more than enough to demonstrate that it has a negative effect on the military. It is a blantant act of discrimination and a denial of rights which provides no concrete benefits. Hence, it should be removed from practice. In case my opponent's argument has arisen from a misunderstanding of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, here is a link explaining it: . http://en.wikipedia.org...'t_ask,_don't_tell There are numerous examples of harm that have been caused by the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, but I feel no need to even bring those up considering the fact that my opponent's argument has refuted her own resolution.