Hey you kids get off my lawn! xoxo @SenJohnMcCain
#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @SnogVlog
Poor, poor John McCain apparently still upset he didn't get to go home and play with new toys during the presidential election. McCain a shell of a man who was once respected as a Maverick in the Senate a man who at times reached across party lines to work on bills that helped the American people and actually made sense! I know it's hard to remember that time because lately all we see is this flip flopping, angry, confused, old man who seems to have lost all grasp on reality. John McCain has gone so far to the right that the Tea Party people can't even relate to him and some of us are questioning his sanity, is it dementia, early onset of Alzheimer's or is he completely aware of how ridiculous he truly is.
McCain's latest gaff comes in light of the Pentagon's release of their study to end the DADT (Don't Ask Don't Tell) policy Pub.L. 103-160 (10 U.S.C. § 654) in the military banning Gays and Lesbians from serving openly. It seems Senator McCain likes to keep moving the goal post every time something happens to disprove his theory that the military would suffer if the ban was lifted. DADT was enacted in 1993 Defense Directive 1304.26 as a Federal Law by President Bill Clinton but the Sodomy law had been on the books as reason for discharge in the military since 1778. While this bill was meant to be a compromise on the issue for Gays and Lesbians it ended up being one of the biggest problems for the community and in turn has lead to a total of 13,389 discharges since 1994. Good men and women some in positions that we are in desperate need of in the military such as Afghan interpreters have been discharged under DADT leaving us to wonder does it really make sense anymore? John McCain thinks so in fact he's so adamant that the change would endanger our troops that he's taken to completely ignore the advice of the Defense Department, Pentagon and the President of the United States I mean what do they really know anyway he's a war hero!
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen have both voiced their support of the repeal of DADT after the Pentagon's survey came back showing that the majority of those that took the survey felt that the repeal would have little to no effect on the military readiness. The survey was sent to active military personnel as well as their families and roughly 28% of the surveys were returned and filled out which is a decent number considering this was not a mandatory survey. Polls taken by many polling firms show that about 78% of Americans are in favor of the repeal and even with all of this Senator McCain still feels he knows best. From the beginning of President Barack Obama's presidency he has said he wants to repeal this discriminatory law and McCain has each time set a different reason why he opposes and why he would change his mind. First McCain wanted to hear from the Generals, they were in favor, then McCain wanted to find out what the troops thought, they were surveyed and found to have little to no issue with it, now McCain still feels this isn't good enough once again he is moving the goal post.
On December 3, 2010 the Joint Chiefs of Staff appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on DADT all were in favor and felt that the repeal could occur in an organized, timely fashion without risking the morale or lives of troops serving in the military. During this exchange John McCain made repeated attempts to try and discredit the Pentagon survey and question the validity of the commanders and officers who worked on the committee. Over and over again McCain made a complete fool of himself being rebutted at every turn and his attempts to say that certain officials were not experienced enough to make such decisions were again and again refuted or refudiated if you're Sarah Palin, by those officials and their outstanding service to the country. John McCain feels that many military personnel will have issues with serving next to Gay and Lesbian troops and many examples were given of how our allies who already allow their troops to serve openly already serve beside our troops on the battlefield and have bleed and given their lives with us in combat.
As we go forward we must remember that the military has never been a democratic society they are given commands and they must follow them. The job of our troops are to serve and support their country and have no say in policy or laws that are made by the President, Senate or Congress if we set this president going forward that they will have a say than we must give them an opinion in everything. You cannot make one issue more important than others maybe they should have an opinion on where they serve on when or if they go into combat if we should reinstate the draft, how many pushups they should and should not do. It's ridiculous to think that in 2010 in the United States we still do not have equal rights for all, we still do not have Gay Marriage, and Gays and Lesbians cannot serve openly in the military, it's outrageous! Everyday in the news I am reminded of just how far behind we are socially from other countries and it's an embarrassment as well as a slap in the face to the brave men and women who have served our country in wars and our times of disaster and are gay and lesbian. We cannot continue to tout ourselves as a great superpower when we cannot even given equal rights to all citizens of our country and we still treat people like 2nd class citizens.
As we move toward a greater purpose in our world and we see the need for more environmental regulation and find that the real crooks are on wall street, we are sliding when it comes to math and science we are defunding our NASA programs and more and more people are concerned with who marries who then whether or not we will have a planet in 50 years our superpower status is a joke. As seen in poll after poll people are moving towards equal rights with an overwhelming amount of American voters 57% favor gays serving openly compared to 36% opposed and 66% say the current policy is discrimination, opposed to 31% who see no discrimination. (Feb 2010, Quinnipiac University National Polls) If that’s not enough 58% of Americans favor gays serving openly, compared to 28% opposed. (CBS News/New York Times National Poll) The GOP and the Democrats have been open about listening to the American people that the American people have spoken on spending and tax increases and various other initiatives and yet they magically disregard how the American people have spoken both on Gay Marriage and Repeal of DADT.
Service Member Lt. Dan Choi has been an outspoken advocate of repealing this discriminatory policy after he was discharged after serving honorably for his country serving multiple duties in Iraq. He is a role model and an inspiration to many people in the country to show that Gays and Lesbians not only deserve but have the right to be serve their country openly without fear of discharge or discrimination they are willing to lay down their lives to protect the rights we all so willingly exercise everyday. Lt. Choi continues to protest in front of the White House with many other military personnel who have been discharged some are still serving and are risking their careers by speaking out.
The Human Rights Campaign while outspoken at some times have not been all that effective in strong arming the Senators and Congressman to repeal the discriminatory law. They've been pretty tame when it comes to calling out McCain on his bigoted stance and really hasn't been a strong voice in the fight for Gay Marriage. I understand some people will disagree with me on this and that's ok we can agree to disagree after all it's our right, defended by our brave men and women in the military to have our opinions. I keep looking for the Harvey Milk of my generation I want the Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton of the LGBT community and what I keep finding is a timid play by the rules type of crowd that seems to care more about compromise than about getting things done. I don't pretend to be an expert in fact I don't think I'm qualified to be that person there are plenty of people out there with more knowledge and experience than I that I'd be happy to give the reigns over to. I'd like to see at least before I die that strong commanding voice that person who is going to stand up and fight every time there is injustice not just send out a press release. Rev. Al Sharpton has it right no matter what you may think of him and his tactics they are effective he gets his point across and many times has changed the outcome of decisions.
John McCain may have been a maverick in his time but now he's become the butt of so many jokes and made himself look so bad in the eyes of the American people that I feel he has tarnished his record forever. While he continues to move the goal post on issues such as DADT he is only showing his growing disregard for the truth a trait that used to be reserved for only the far Right wing of the GOP. Facts and figures just get in the way when you're trying to score political points and what's a little white lie if it gets you another year in office.
So while we all sit and ponder what's going to happen with the Bush Tax Cuts for the rich and if the START Treaty will pass and the Dream Act lets remember who has gained the House let's put into perspective that those who go around touting their position is for the people what the people really want. Their vote will change a discriminatory policy and it is our job as the people to hold them accountable for each and every vote they cast. I am actually so tired of being depressed when I watch the news that I took some time away from it and have been trying to just read online news or newspapers but I'm avoiding it when I get home. It's sad to think that in this day and age we are still fighting the same fights that started in the 60s and 70s you would think at this point we would have moved forward a bit.
So next time you have that picture of John McCain in your head you know the one of a proud guy with an impressive military background think of the old miserable neighbor you used to have that would yell at all the kids on the block, "Hey you kids get off my lawn!" That once proud hero has become nothing more than a bitter cynical old man who is still angry he lost his presidential run and would rather block progress than stand up for his brothers and sisters in arms. If I was Keith Olbermann I'd give McCain WORST PERSON OF THE YEAR or maybe CENTURY I mean it is his fault we now have Sarah Palin.