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Manhattan Diary by Cahir O'Doherty

Don't Ask, Don't Tell ruled unconstitutional

Posted on Friday, September 10, 2010 at 06:59 PM

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That popping sound you hear is wingnut heads exploding. To other ears, though, it may sound like champagne corks.

Because if you haven't already heard, yesterday a federal judge affirmed what the majority of the American people have already known for a decade – that it’s time for ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ to meet the dustbin of history.

U.S. District Court Judge Virginia A. Phillips said the policy banning gays in the military was blatantly unconstitutional on the grounds that it violates gay military members' rights to free speech, due process and open association.

So, between the Prop 8 ruling and yesterday's DADT one, it's been a good few weeks for civil rights. But of course reaction from the anti-gay forces was fast and furious.

'Outrageous. Unbelievable. Our armed forces are fighting the enemy overseas while this lunatic judge behind our own lines decides to throw a hand grenade right into our own barracks,' wrote Ridge Ministries' Robert Knight, as quoted on World Net Daily.

A hand grenade? Really? I mean to say, for a robustly heterosexual fundamentalist minister, Knight can certainly qualify as a bit of a drama queen can't he?

This might be the moment to remind right winger's of his ilk that here in America, the country you profess to love, we have three coequal branches of government. And a staunch defender of the constitution does not instantly become an activist judge when they make a ruling you disagree with.

'Judge Phillips has decided she is smarter than God, more than 1,163 retired generals and admirals who support the military's policy, the hundreds of congressmen and senators who voted for the law in 1993 and generations of military leaders who believed that morality affects discipline and that homosexual conduct undermines military preparedness,' fumed Knight.

So let me get this straight. Conservatives are asking for a judge who, when considering the constitutionality of a law, should look beyond the constitution and consider the opinions and personal feelings of military personel and the political views of the right.

Well what's that if not judicial activism?

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maloney | Oct 02, 2010, 06:21 PM EDT

hollowbutt & cahir, flame on.

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IrishAndProud | Sep 22, 2010, 05:12 AM EDT

...particularly of blacks, since it was their votes that put Prop 8 over the top in California. Don't pretend to be all 'pro-black' when you SPIT on their votes. Modern-day 'liberalism': the new plantation (not to be confused with classic liberalism, or classic liberals, like RFK -- who was murdered for his support of Israel).

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IrishAndProud | Sep 22, 2010, 03:45 AM EDT

BTW Hollabackgurl, YOU and most other regressives on this post are bigots, yourselves...and liars if you deny it. You're not tolerant -- not one, tiny iota.

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IrishAndProud | Sep 22, 2010, 03:43 AM EDT

Hollabackgurl, speaking of the tired old past, a genuine, dope-smoking, syphilis-carrying Woodstock hippie would call you 'sister' but they'd call me 'kid' (quite literally). Liberalism is the most stagnant, smelly, tried-and-failed (not to mention discredited) horse puckey out there. Ancient Greece was 'liberal' (a wee bit before 1900) -- and last I checked it came centuries before Washington and Jefferson. Liberalism is so unglamorous, it lights up a room just by leaving it. Even the word itself stirs up the dust. Oh btw the Senate has just failed to overturn DADT, because not enough Democrats voted to end the filibuster. Hmmm...maybe they're afraid of public reaction to such a thing, this election year??? (which would only correlate with the fact that of 31 states thus far which have put homosexual 'marriage' directly to the voters, guess how many have rejected it, usually quite strongly? Yep, 31).

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hollabackgurl | Sep 21, 2010, 05:53 PM EDT

Feeneycj and every other knuckle dragging bigot just do us all a favor and get back in their time machine and reurn to 1900?

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feeneycj | Sep 20, 2010, 03:37 PM EDT

TMI - TOO MUCH INFORMATION don't ask, don't tell is safer. start flaunting preferences and anger will fly!

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Monsoonman | Sep 15, 2010, 08:17 PM EDT

They'll have their sword fighter divisions.

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jimgordo1 | Sep 13, 2010, 09:23 PM EDT

It's about damn time! I worked with a gay airman when I was on active duty. He has promoted several times since I first met him. He was always an outstanding airmen and was always thought well of by his supervisors and fellow airmen (who knew he was gay). So, right-wing ostriches, get your heads out of the sand

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snuffey | Sep 13, 2010, 02:51 PM EDT

I am retired military, Believe me most of the Regulars are against changing don't ask don't tell! Is the military now going to have, Straight Male, Homosexual male ,Straight Female,and Lesbian barracks now?

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maloney | Sep 12, 2010, 10:29 PM EDT

free speech? civil rights? there won't be gays in the military long. It will be open season on them as soon as they open thier mouthes.

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Monsoonman | Sep 12, 2010, 08:26 PM EDT

This is a perfect example of how world liberals are parasites living on the fat of American society. If it wasn't for American judeo/christian values, American might and military forces, everything liberals seem to detest, there would be no liberals. The same tyrants and intolerant religions they seem to defend and champion would snuff them out in a heartbeat.

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2BorNot2B | Sep 12, 2010, 10:50 AM EDT

Mmmm.. how did I guess that an article on DODT would be taken up by O'Doh? Pure coincidence, I guess.

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CitizenWhy | Sep 10, 2010, 06:26 PM EDT

Citizens are citizens, not by right subject to the rules and whims of any articular religion or bias.

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