I watched the entire State of the Union tonight (thanks for keeping it under an hour and a half, Mr. President!) and have many thoughts about it… But I’m not going to get into it all right now. I’m tired, and yes, I was playing a “State of the Union” drinking game with friends online, so I’m not inclined to get into it.
No, I just want to focus on one thing, because it’s the ONE thing I got multiple txt msgs about before the address.
From CNN’s mobile breaking news service, to friends who saw the news online and txted me, my phone blew up about the President’s intention to call for the repeal of the US military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
Even now, with the State of the Union address already over with, it’s still a main headline on CNN.com’s homepage.
And the punchline? It made for all of about ten seconds of the SOTU address.
Look, I think it’s great that Barack Obama campaigned on (among many other things) a promise to see “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repealed. I think it’s great that he got up in front of the Human Rights Campaign at their national dinner gala and re-committed to ending DOTA. And I think it’s great that it got a sentence or two in a 70-minute televised address.
But for fuck’s sake, it’s not breaking news. Not that he was planning to say it, and not that he said it. It’s not news at all — he’s repeatedly made it clear that he wants it changed.
So Congress, it’s time that you freakin’ did something about it. Produce a bill that will eliminate the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and send it to the President’s desk for his signature.
Like, tomorrow.
did he even mention the words, DADT? all i heard him say is that gays should be able to serve openly and reference to, “the law.”
This is what he said:
“I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. It’s the right thing to do.”
You’re right, he didn’t refer to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy by name.