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Don’t Ask Don’t Tell debatedCoffman, Polis take differing views on overturning military policy on gaysGene Davis, DDN Staff WriterWednesday, July 29, 2009 | |
Two Colorado lawmakers squared off yesterday over the military’s controversial Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy.
Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., and Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., talked with KOA Radio yesterday morning about allowing gays to openly serve in the military. Polis, one of the first openly gay congressman, and Coffman, a veteran of the U.S. military, offered competing views on the merits of getting rid of the policy that has booted an estimated 12,000 openly gay people from the military in 16 years.
Coffman argued that his experience in the military leads him to believe that allowing gays to openly serve will break the interdependent bond that is formed within combat troops in the military.
“You have to have total trust because if I’m a squad leader … I’ve got to decide maybe who’s got to take point on a patrol,” Coffman said on the radio program. “And if I have a relationship with somebody on the squad, then everybody else in the squad is going to question my decision.”
Polis agrees on relationships
Polis said Coffman was right in saying that inner-squad relationships shouldn’t be allowed, regardless of sexuality. But he added that it’s absurd to kick people out of the military because of their sexuality, especially considering the amount of money that goes towards training them.
“It makes no sense. (Don’t Ask Don’t Tell) weakens our military every day this policy continues,” Polis told the radio program.
President Barack Obama has made promises about repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, according to Mindy Barton, legal director for the GLBT Community Center. In fact, Reuters reported earlier this month that former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Colin Powell has urged for the policy to be reviewed.
Reuters went on to say that U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has asked military lawyers to look at ways to make the law more flexible.
“I do believe that would be forward progress to equality,” said Barton.
Both Polis and Coffman made the argument on KOA that the two-front war supports their position on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
Good or bad time to revisit this policy?
Coffman said the military is stressed enough as it is and that this is “really not the time to debate social policy in the military.” Meanwhile, Polis fired back, saying that not allowing gays to serve in the military is bad from a competitive standpoint.
“To the extent that we’re overextended and we need the very best and brightest and most capable in our military, it’s ridiculous to rule people out just because of their orientation,” said Polis.
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