Ron Paul: The Only White Male Republican to Vote For Repeal of 'Don't Ask Don't Tell'

[RonPaulFanInGA]

http://twitter.com/daveweigel/status/14876591650

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

lol. I kind of like Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I mean, wouldn't having overtly homosexual individuals cause disruption? Keep it to yourself.

 

[FrankRep]

Does the Military have a right to choose what type of soldiers they want?

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Does the Military have to right to choose what type of soldiers they want?

When you join you voluntarily agree to it.

 

[TonySutton]

lol. I kind of like Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I mean, wouldn't having overtly homosexual individuals cause disruption? Keep it to yourself.

Initially maybe, but things would settle down in short order. Any persistent issues would be a leadership issue. Good leaders do not let little problems become big problems.

I remember when we first started getting females in our forward units. There were minor issues here and there but the leaders made sure everyone knew anything short of professional behavior would not be tolerated. Minor problems were addressed immediately and everyone quickly understood the UCMJ would be enforced.

 

[FreeTraveler]

Good for Ron, standing up for civil rights once again.

 

[BuddyRey]

Though I am slightly surprised that there was only one white, male Republican to vote for the repeal of DADT, I'm certainly not surprised that it was Dr. Paul. I wish the rest of the party could really "get it" in terms of individual liberty, both personal and economic, the way he does. I don't think the gulf between the party establishment and Ron Paul Republicanism has ever been wider, and yet simultaneously traversable in the near future.

 

[brandon]

Very surprising.He was asked about DODT in one of the 2008 debates, and said he thought it was a good policy.

 

[Kludge]

(Christian, too - allegedly)

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Very surprising.He was asked about DODT in one of the 2008 debates, and said he thought it was a good policy.

Yep, I remember that!

 

[erowe1]

Why did RP do that?

Every time it came up in the 2008 presidential campaign it sounded like he supported DADT.

 

[erowe1]

I wish the rest of the party could really "get it" in terms of individual liberty, both personal and economic, the way he does.

I fail to see how this has anything at all to do with individual liberty.

If anything, then I suppose that, when it comes to the military, any policy that results in fewer people in our standing army is more pro-liberty than any policy that results in more people in it. Going back to excluding women from the military would also be a step in the right direction in terms of individual liberty.

 

[Cowlesy]

I'm still confused over this whole debate.

Couldn't you be homosexual and still be in the military as long as you didn't tell anyone you were, effectively meaning they were not banned from the military?

I don't mean to gin up stereotypes, but is it conducive to an effective combat team to have them out in the open wearing their sexual preferences on their sleeves in a group of straight guys trained to be killers where they need to rely on each other?

I don't know. I just feel like this is one of their situations where we are trying to institute "fairness."

 

[seeker4sho]

The fact is gays in the military tend to associate with their own kind. During my 22 year military career I never had a problem with gays. They serve their country just like the rest of us heterosexuals. IMO, the controversy over gays serving in the military is merely a political ploy to garner votes.

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

Couldn't you be homosexual and still be in the military as long as you didn't tell anyone you were, effectively meaning they were not banned from the military?

What do you think "Don't Tell" means?

I don't mean to gin up stereotypes, but is it conducive to an effective combat team to have them out in the open wearing their sexual preferences on their sleeves in a group of straight guys trained to be killers where they need to rely on each other?

Of course, but what happens when this occurs amongst straight soldiers? I'm sure it happens!

I don't know. I just feel like this is one of their situations where we are trying to institute "fairness."

Obama is tossing his base a bone. Personally, I don't care. But..hey

 

[Kludge]

Personally, I think it would be best if they were simply segregated.

... ... ...

... The Muslims would be terrified into submission.

 

[erowe1]

During my 22 year military career I never had a problem with gays. They serve their country government just like the rest of us heterosexuals.

Fixed it.

 

[emazur]

Couldn't you be homosexual and still be in the military as long as you didn't tell anyone you were, effectively meaning they were not banned from the military?

Couldn't you be Jewish and still be in the military as long as you didn't tell anyone you were, effectively meaning they were not banned from the military?

I don't mean to gin up stereotypes, but is it conducive to an effective combat team to have them out in the open wearing their sexual preferences on their sleeves in a group of straight guys trained to be killers where they need to rely on each other?

Not hiding that they are gay doesn't mean they'll go around wearing a sandwich board saying "kiss me, I'm gay". As a straight guy w/ some some somewhat old fashioned ideas about mean and women, I get a little offended when I hear another straight guy talk about his sexual exploitations with women. Does that mean we should ban anyone in the military from showing any sign of any sexual preference?

 

[specsaregood]

Why did RP do that?

Every time it came up in the 2008 presidential campaign it sounded like he supported DADT.

No, initially he said it was a "fair" policy. And then later he talked to people affected by it and discovered it was not being enforced as a "fair" policy. My interpretation was that he thought it was being enforced as a type of "no fraternization" policy and when he found out it was being used as a discrimination policy he changed his position and said he would change such a policy.

 

[angelatc]

Very surprising.He was asked about DODT in one of the 2008 debates, and said he thought it was a good policy.

I agree with erowe. I seem to recall that he said it shouldn't matter, and having the impression that he would vote to overturn it. I thought he said if a member of the armed services was misbehaving sexually then the behavior should be punished.