Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Prophetic voices, prophetic faces

You may not be following the kerfuffle around the repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't tell (DADT) in the current defense bill. Here are a few facts.

1) President Obama (the Fierce Advocate) said in his State of the Union address that DADT should be repealed.
2) General Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, agrees.
3) So do 70% of Americans
4) Republicans in Congress are upset, and instead of repeal, put a statement in the Defense Appropriations Bill that says there should be a study. The Defense Appropriations bill has a not-quite-repeal provision that calls for a study.
5) The Pentagon had a study, and finds that (surprise!) 70% of military folk agree with repeal. (Aside: this agrees with our experience. My stepdaughter has dated a number of young men in the Marines or in the Navy who have said to a one that yes, they have gay comrades, and who cares?)
6) Sen John McCain promises to filibuster to prevent the Defense Appropriations Bill and its not-quite-repeal, and Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, might eliminate this provision from the bill

Yesterday, a group of activists including veterans Dan Choi and Autumn Sandeen, chained themselves to the White House fence in protest of the lack of Fierce Advocating.

I want to point out to you Fr Geoff Farrow, who was relieved of his duties as an RC priest in California when he refused to "toe the line" supporting Prop8. Fr Geoff was arrested too. Look at that picture.

Prophetic voice?

H/T my cousin Julie who posted this on FB and this site for this amazing photo

6 comments:

Frank Remkiewicz aka “Tree” said...

doncha just love republicants? I have not even considered votingfor a republican since Houston I Flournoy ran for governor of California.

JCF said...

While DADT (repeal) is essential in and of itself, it also epitomizes the utterly broken MESS that is our political system right now.

An overwhelming majority of the US support a principle (which is entirely consistent w/ the US Constitution: "Equal Protection" and all that). Yet not only can an intransigent minority BLOCK it . . . the minority actually GAINS (majority) despite their intransigence! Oy vey...

Brother David said...

Off Topic -

Can someone assist me. I can no longer comment at Jake's Place because it no longer recognizes my old Holoscan account and because I am not a Blogger, so I do not have a Blogger account.

How do I comment?

it's margaret said...

Sorry Dahveed --I am no help to you in that department.... sigh.

But I do love Fr. Geoff. THAT is what a priest looks like.

Brother David said...

I went to The Three Legged Stool and was able to sign in with my Google account and that planted a cookie that has let me comment at Jake's Place. So as long as I retain the cookie it will be OK.

Plus I now know how to raid the cookie jar!

Anonymous said...

Prophetic? He has no chance whatsoever of being hurt. This is politics as theater.