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TOM DEIGNAN

Congress’ first Iraq war vet says time to end ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

By
Tom Deignan

Published Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 2:35 PM
Updated Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 2:35 PM


Congressman Patrick Murphy
Congressman Patrick Murphy

By the time Veteran’s Day rolls around on Wednesday, November 11, north Philadelphia congressman Patrick Murphy may have a very crowded parade schedule.

After all, the Philadelphia Phillies are currently battling the New York Yankees in the World Series. Should the Phils pull off an unlikely upset, it is a good bet the city will show the team some of its famous brotherly love in the form of a parade.

But more importantly, Veteran’s Day is still marked by parades in cities all across the country. And Congressman Murphy is, himself, a veteran of the Iraq War.

Murphy, who earned a Bronze Star while serving as a Captain in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, is the first Iraq war veteran to serve in Congress.

Since returning from Baghdad, Murphy, a Democrat and an Irish Catholic, has become the political face of one of the most controversial issues facing the military -- ending the ban on gays.

Just two weeks ago, Murphy announced that he has brought on a total of 180 supporters in Congress who also support ending the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which effectively bans openly gay service members from serving.

Murphy vowed to continue “working to repeal this wrongful policy and enhance our military readiness.” He added, “Momentum keeps building, and we know it is only a matter of time before brave, talented men and women can serve our country openly, regardless of their orientation.”

Even in this day and age where a man named Barack Obama can be celebrated as an Irishman, it is bit surprising to see a cherub-cheeked Philadelphia war veteran named Patrick Murphy -- a husband, father and the son of a police officer -- as the point man for ending discrimination against gays in the military.

Sure, you might expect an openly gay member of congress, such as Massachusetts’ Barney Frank, to be out front on this issue.

But for Murphy, the issue is not morality or religion but military readiness. 

The Afghan War is entering its eighth year. The Iraq War, meanwhile, has now dragged on longer than World War II. 

In the minds of many people who support ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the simple question is this -- at this point, is the U.S. military in any position to be turning away men and women who can capably serve their country?

According to Murphy, over 13,000 men and women in uniform have been discharged from the military under the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, which essentially forbids official investigations into a service person’s sexual orientation but also forbids them from discussing it in any way.

Murphy’s outspoken stance on this issue reminds us that not only is Irish America changing, but also that Veteran’s Day is radically changing as well. 

When the soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq begin coming home in large numbers, it’s not going to take long to see that those men and women are going to need a stimulus package of their own.

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Congress’ first Iraq war vet says time to end ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ | Irish News | IrishCentral


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