It’s funny how it’s been a full day since DADT stopped being the law of the land, and all the horrible things that Defense Secretary Gates warned AP about today haven’t happened.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday that abruptly ending the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy as a federal judge has ordered would have enormous consequences.
“I feel strongly this is an action that needs to be taken by the Congress and that it is an action that requires careful preparation, and a lot of training,” said Gates. “It has enormous consequences for our troops.”
The defense secretary said that besides the changes in training, regulations will need revisions and changes may be necessary to benefits and Defense Department buildings.
Enormous consequences. Consequences that haven’t happened since DADT was lifted.
There’s another thing worth mentioning. The probable reason the judge ordered DADT lifted immediately, without any kind of delayed implementation, is because the administration screwed up. Rather than tell the judge that they weren’t planning to appeal, and that they would appreciate a reasonable period of time to implement the demise of DADT, the Obama administration (likely under pressure from Gates) stuck to their guns and told the judge to stay implementation of her decision pending appeal. The judge basically told them to stuff it, and lifted the ban immediately.
So when the administration tells you in the next few days that it was impossible to accept the judge’s order because it would have lifted DADT immediately, and that would have “enormous consequences,” don’t believe them. The only reason the judge lifted the ban immediately is because the administration refused to ask for an “orderly” demise of the anti-gay policy. They can’t now use their own inaction as justification for reinstating the policy.
