DADT- Sign Up, Strap On, or Shut Up

It appears that the US is close to repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Not so affectionately known as DADT. It seems that in a most recent poll of people in the military, the actual people who have the most at stake, for whom this issue is not theoretical, 70% have said it is not an issue for them! Well, yeah. Damn skippy.

Repealing DADT is seventeen years overdue. If there were ever a time to let go of this half-step, placeholder compromise to keep the issue on the table in a way that appeases both those for and against openly gay American's serving in the military, it would be now.

Hey America, wake up and smell the gunpowder. We are at war. Stretched thinner than your last piece of plastic wrap. You know what war is don't you? War is when our young people, primarily from poor and working class communities because they lack few other options, are fighting and dying for us. Whether we agree with the war or not, (and I don't but I digress) they are fighting for us. We are at war, even our National Guard members, our weekend soldiers have been serving three, four tours without a break. And some of those soldiers, they aren't so young.

This war is being fought out of our sight, and too often out of mind. It is an abstract for many of us because we don't see the coffins unloaded from the planes, are unaware of the holes left in the lives of families, don't see the broken bodies trying to heal in our military hospitals. And that is the critical issue, the cognitive dissonance between what we see (very little), what we know (even less), and the actual reality of being at war. It allows us to have this really silly theoretical abstract conversation about who should serve, and how they should serve.

The military has been up against the wall for recruits since we invaded Iraq. That would be since 2003, seven years! And because no one is willing to even consider the idea of a draft, (that would bring this war to complete and quick end let me tell you, but, I digress) so this is an all volunteer army which means, people have to be motivated to VOLUNTEER.

Now I don't know about you but I know this much. When I'm in a fight and the other side is beyond motivated and seemingly has access to hundreds of thousands of recruits to keep throwing at you, and I need help, like right now. I don't care if the person who jumps in to help is a guy wearing a dress, and a girl in tuxedo. It could be a clown in an Elvis costume. All I want to know is, "Can you fight? Are you willing, because it is all hands on deck here? Whew, thank you because I'm getting my butt kicked here."

America is at war. If gay people want to fight, let them. And for all of you who object to gays serving openly, for whatever your reason, I say this...Sign up. Strap on. Ship out. Or shut the hell up. Really. Help or Hush. It isn't that deep or that difficult. Seriously. It isn't. Don't Ask. Just call your representative and tell them the time has passed to get this done.