In regard to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell discussion, I am posting here an article from a local newspaper that is pertinent, written by Ian Mackey, taken from the Springfield, Missouri News-Leader June 15, 2010 (titled Skelton ignores issue of gays in U.S. military):

Missouri's 4th District Congressman, Ike Skelton, stated this week he wants to avoid any national discussion on homosexuality.

"What do mommies and daddies say to their 7-year-old child," he asked?  Well, Ike, I suppose that depends on whether those mommies and daddies are straight or gay - or whether they are tolerant or intolerant of families different from their own.  A simple answer to his question is one that I give my preschoolers - "some of our friends have a mommy and a daddy, some of our friends have two mommies or two daddies, some of our friends only have a mommy or only have a daddy, and some of our friends don't have a mommy or a daddy."  That usually ends the discussion because their little wheels get to spinning so fast you really don't need to explain further.  And eventually they understand - we're all different. 

I suppose I could ignore the question.  That seems to be Congressman Skelton's preferred method any time an uncomfortable issue arises.  Unlike Ike, though, I prefer solving problems instead of ignoring them.  Ike wants "Dont Ask Don't Tell" to remain U.S. military policy, despite the nearly 80 percent of Americans who support its repeal, because he doesn't think our soldiers should be engaged in a "social experiment."  And [recently] we discover Ike not only wants to keep "Don't Ask Don't Tell" in the military; he would rather society as a whole implement the policy.  What does that solve?  Ignorance is bliss?  Well, it's not.

The acceptance of blacks, women, and all religions in the military have illustrated that social experiments in our military can have a positive outcome.  And since I suppose Ike isn't advocating for an all-male, all-white army, I'll have to assume he's worried about the timing of this experiment.  But Ike fails to realize that it's never the wrong time to do the right thing.

Ike's revered by members of his party from one end of the spectrum to the other for his leadership.  And rightly so.  So, I wish Ike would put his leadership to work to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."  Leadership is responding to challenges in the face of adversity.  Pretending the issue of gays in our military - or gays in general - doesn't exist is the opposite of leadership.

What I find even stranger than Ike's decision to ignore this issue is the decision of others close to him to accept it.  Ike's gay staff member(s), his liberal colleagues, all turn a blind eye to his intolerance.  If Ike is going to refuse to have this conversation, fine.  But those of us who believe in treating all human beings with an equal amount of dignity should not accept his position.

Fortunately, it is not up to Ike whether our nation engages in a national discussion about equal rights.  It's up to teachers, parents, journalists, and anyone who believes in equality to start the discussion.  And eventually Ike will realize that the world has evolved forward, and he has stood still.

{end of article}

Barb