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DEL.ICIO.USSays Nunn: It might be time to take another look at ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former Georgia senator Sam Nunn, who helped push through the 1993 “don’t ask, don’t tell” law that established the terms under which gays and lesbians could serve in the U.S. military, said Tuesday that it’s time to review the policy.
“I think [when] 15 years go by on any personnel policy, it’s appropriate to take another look at it — see how it’s working, ask the hard questions, hear from the military. Start with a Pentagon study,” Nunn said.
The former chairman of the Senate Armed Services wouldn’t say whether he personally supported putting an end to the policy.
Nunn’s comments followed a seminar in Atlanta on national service, after which reporters also asked him about the chances that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama might choose him as his running mate.
Nunn, who retired from the U.S. Senate in 1996, gave the same answer he had last month. “I think it’s highly improbable that I would be invited to be on the ticket, and I think it’s also highly improbable that I would be going back into government,” he said.
During the seminar on national service, Nunn made several references to Charles Moskos, a military sociologist who has advocated a return to military service for young people. Moskos, who died of cancer on Saturday, also participated in the formulation of the 1993 policy.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” is a short-hand reference to the federal statute that prohibits homosexuals in the military from speaking of their sexual orientation. In return, commanders aren’t permitted to open investigations into what the military might find to be illicit conduct.
When the policy was first adopted in the early days of the Clinton administration, military experts said openly gay military personnel would harm “unit cohesion.”
Since then, the policy has been sharply criticized by many gays as an abridgement of their right to free expression.
Moskos admitted that the policy was flawed. “It’s like what Churchill said about democracy — it’s the worst system possible, except for all the other ones,” he said in 2006.
Nunn said that many people overlook the fact that, before the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was adopted, gays and lesbians were barred from the military unless they gave a false answer to questions about their sexual orientation.
“People don’t understand that that was the beginning point. We basically made it possible for people to serve honorably in the military without lying on the application,” Nunn said.
The former senator said a new look at the policy is “appropriate.”
“But first and foremost we have to put national security on the front burner. That’s particularly true when we’re in a war in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Nunn said.
“Certainly there are a very large number of gay and lesbian men and women serving honorably in our military today. And they’re doing it within the existing law.”
Pressed for his position on the matter, Nunn said, “I’m not advocating anything — except I’m saying the policy was the right policy for the right time, and times change. It’s appropriate to take another look.”
Many conservatives have said it might be time to retire “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal last year, before he decided on a Libertarian run for president, Bob Barr wrote:
”The bottom line here is that, with nearly a decade and a half of the hybrid “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy to guide us, I have become deeply impressed with the growing weight of credible military opinion which concludes that allowing gays to serve openly in the military does not pose insurmountable problems for the good order and discipline of the services….
“Three-quarters of returning Iraq and Afghanistan vets said in a December 2006 Zogby poll that they are “personally comfortable” interacting with gay people. A majority of those who knew someone gay in their unit said the person’s presence had no negative impact on unit morale.”
Photo credit: Renee Hannans/AJC
The Associated Press contributed some of the above material.
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Comments
By ATL
June 3, 2008 3:20 PM | Link to this
How many good men and women has the military lost because a competent gay soldier violates don’t ask, don’t tell? No one is expendable, especially in a time of war.
Good call Sen. Nunn.
By Charlie Brown
June 3, 2008 4:07 PM | Link to this
Nunn’s personal position on the issue is immaterial. He lost all credibility with most Georgians when he endorsed Obama for the demorat presidential nomination. He is just bucking for the Secretary of State nomination and is willing to sell his soul for the job.
By flip wilson
June 3, 2008 4:07 PM | Link to this
Speaking of the military, why is the AJC story on Post TRaumatic Stress soldiers at Fort Benning from the Washington Post? Doesn’t the AJC cover Georgia anymore?
By mark
June 3, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this
Sam Nunn once one of the most respected names in Washington has in fact sold his soul and credibilty for a position in the Obama White House. Why else would he endorse someone so il equiped for the Job. As for Jimmy Carter he has become a joke.
By Nunn is a good man
June 3, 2008 4:35 PM | Link to this
This harmful military policy is the only big negative on Nunn’s resume. Now it appears he is taking steps to fix it. I think it’s a sign that he is being seriously considered for VP
By Steve
June 3, 2008 4:52 PM | Link to this
My same-sex partner and I have already contributed over $3,000 to Obama’s campaign, and in our opinion, Nunn is utterly unacceptable as a VP candidate. His pathetic statement is not remotely adequate to remove the stench of bigotry that he exudes. Sell out? Right! All he wants is for the raving antigay bigots at the Pentagon to issue a new report, and Nunn will fall all over himself to gay bash again. Sam Nunn’s brand of bigotry does NOT represent the future of the Democratic Party. He’s a fossilized throwback to an ugly past — and in more ways than one.
By John
June 3, 2008 5:21 PM | Link to this
An ignorant bigot is an ignorant bigot. And he’s too old. I am a Vietnam Viet, and my deceased partner was a US Army Colonel with 3 tours in Vietnam. We spent 20 years terrified of being discovered. Screw Sam Nunn and his ignorance.
By Political Foreskin
June 3, 2008 6:09 PM | Link to this
Cnn just reported that a unicycling bear, (escaped from the circus), was struck and killed by motorists on I-75 in Cobb County. Witnesses say the bear was ill tempered and must have thought the HOV lane was a bicycle lane, because it kept refusing to yield to faster traffic and made several obscene gestures at horn blowers.
The motorist didn’t stop.
By Kudzu
June 3, 2008 7:32 PM | Link to this
Honorably Nunn, honorably? How can a man or woman serve honorably in the military while hiding their very being, their very soul. I think sir you are so far out of touch with reality you shouldn’t be involved with anything having to do with the human spirit. It is shameful that we have and have had elected officials with the narrow views they have, shameful.
By Bitter EX democrackkk
June 3, 2008 7:41 PM | Link to this
Steve, you and your partners are ignorant fools to give NObama $3000.
HOW in the WORLD can you POSSIBLY THINK this guy is remotely qualified???
Sam Nunn is leagues above the Obakarama mess…wait til the Michelle tirades come out!
STRIVE to be SMARTER than a democrackkk!
By Brad
June 3, 2008 8:01 PM | Link to this
One question for the board, does anyone know where I can get a hooker I need to get laid.
By Larry Craig
June 3, 2008 10:36 PM | Link to this
Concourse C
By TW
June 3, 2008 11:03 PM | Link to this
McCain ‘08 BECAUSE BUSH CAN’T RUN AGAIN - FINISH THE DRILL!
By WT
June 3, 2008 11:32 PM | Link to this
McCain 08’ cause Bush can’t run again-destroy America the Republicans no the way.
By Dawg
June 4, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this
Too bad it’s the American people getting drilled.
By Dave
June 5, 2008 12:03 AM | Link to this
Wow, there’s no place for sensible moderation in these blogs. at least with regard to the far left and far right. Nunn helped make it possible for gays to serve in the military in ‘93, and now he’s likely saying that they should serve openly, and “John” is calling him ignorant - like he’s your enemy. I wonder what you call people who actually don’t care for your lifestyle, John.
By Weatherwax
June 6, 2008 3:29 PM | Link to this
Nunn has heard enough feedback from GLBT voters that he knows he has to backpedal his queer-bashing of 15 years ago - but he doesn’t want to alienate his bigoted supporters. I think he would be a detriment to President Obama.
By Weatherwax
June 6, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this
Nunn has heard enough feedback from GLBT voters that he knows he has to backpedal his queer-bashing of 15 years ago - but he doesn’t want to alienate his bigoted supporters. I think he would be a detriment to President Obama… to all sides of the fence. It’s worse than McCain’s flip-flopping.
By Paul Landers
June 6, 2008 10:10 PM | Link to this
Dave,
I also long for a more civil, moderate approach to people interacting with one another, but at age 52 I have developed enough pragmatism (cynicism?) to realize there is no relating to some people. Sad to say, John is right. Ignorant is how we are born, stupid is a choice! My father, a WWII veteran, once said he knew boys who were gay when he was growing up (in the '20s/'30s), in service ('40s), and all his adult life. His hope was that my life wouldn't be fraught with the hardships that he saw many of these people endure. People offer all manner of excuses for not simply saying "This is wrong. It must stop." But the simple truth is that half-way measures that attempt to appease all, serve none. A quote, attributed to Dr. M. L. King says it best, I think. "In the final analysis, what we will remember will not be the harsh, hate-filled rhetoric of our enemies, but the deafening silence of our friends."By JT
June 11, 2008 11:05 PM | Link to this
I think this man is on the right track. I have no way of knowing his motives. As a gay 33 yr old, living in Arkansas, I believe 100% that we are entitled to be treated equally. However, people as a mass are friggin’ ignorant and can be rallied into a mobb so easily. History has proven this from the time of Christ and beyond. His crucifiers were the same people that gathered around Him and followed Him throughout Jerusalem. My point is..to just jump out and say “we’re military, we’re queer, and we’re here” would have been to bold and would have been rejected and gays in the military would have continued to have NO RIGHTS. Again, I believe that everyone is entitled to equal rights…but I believe sometimes we expect too much too fast. That is the mentality of our generation…”gotta have it…and gotta have it now.” That’s why we are so in debt…more that any other generation before us. Good change takes time. We are good people, but sometimes I feel we are overzealous. For expample (this is just my opionion) we call our parades “GAY PRIDE” I understand the goal (exceptance) but I feel it nothing to be proud nor ashamed of. We are nothing special and that makes us EQUAL. We are fighting and arguing against an ignorant hetrosexual people and unfortunately we proudly display our “stereo-typical” gay selves to them. Quite frankly I think it scares the hell out of them. Not all gay men talk with a lisp and say “girl” every other word. I am amazed at home many “closeted men” presented themselves as everyday persons until they “came out” and suddenly took on the gay personas of their new peers. That never made sense to me. Maybe, if we would just try being ourselves, homosexuals, and not try to conform to what homosexuals are percieved and expected to be…maybe, just maybe the breeders will begin to just see us as people…equals. thanks reading my opionion. J.L.
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