Comments on: More Evidence that DADT is Dead

By: Suricou Raven

Suricou Raven — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 07:39:08 +0000

“…co-sponsored by Democrat representatives Charles Rangel and Pete Stark. When the final House vote was taken, only two Democrats, Jack Murtha and Stark, voted for it.”

Sounds more like three democrats wanted to impose a draft… and the rest dont. Not something the party collectively supported.

By: Timothy Kincaid

Timothy Kincaid — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:07:32 +0000

Christopher,

How very funny. I responded to your comment without going up and re-reading those above it. So I read “draft” in the context of drafting a bill rather than as the military draft.

Thanks for the clarification.

By: Christopher™

Christopher™ — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:28:58 +0000

Hi, Timothy–

I wasn’t referring to DADT. I’m well aware of the Democratic support for repealing that policy, and I am in full agreement with them. As a response to Suricou Raven’s and Emily K’s statements about being drafted, I was pointing out the Democratic attempts to introduce legislation in either the House or Senate to re-institute a military draft.

In 2003, HR 163, the Universal National Service Act, was co-sponsored by Democrat representatives Charles Rangel and Pete Stark. When the final House vote was taken, only two Democrats, Jack Murtha and Stark, voted for it.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/07/rangel.draft/

Democratic senator Ernest Hollings introduced a similar bill at the same time in the Senate.

Since the failure of the House bill in 2004, Rangel reintroduced similar military draft bills two more times in May 2005 (HR 4752) and in February 2006. Both times they died in committee.

Look, I’m no fan of President Bush or how Republicans have run this country over the last several years, but it’s been the Democrats who have been pushing military draft legislation, not Republicans. That’s all I was pointing out. :-)

By: Timothy Kincaid

Timothy Kincaid — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:08:47 +0000

Actually, Christopher, that is not correct. Although the overwhelming majority of Congressmen committed to repealing DADT are Democrats, HR 1246 does have bipartisan sponsorship.

By: Christopher™

Christopher™ — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:37:23 +0000

Keep in mind that all the Congressmen who have been pushing for a draft in various legislative bills over the years have been Democrats.

By: Suricou Raven

Suricou Raven — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 10:58:48 +0000

Interestingly, that Israel that the right loves so much has allowed homosexuals to serve openly in all branches of its military for years. And its still there – no problems have resulted at all. The same goes for many European countries. So why should the US be any different?

By: Emily K

Emily K — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 20:30:18 +0000

I would prefer to be drafted for a war that is actually an imminent threat to this nation, which Iran and Iraq aren’t. They are more a threat to Israel, and Israel has not gone to war with them. If I were to be drafted for World War III, I would probably go. I would try to opt for something that would help the nation that didn’t involve direct combat, but that still helped serve this country.

By: Suricou Raven

Suricou Raven — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 20:22:36 +0000

Ephili: A draft would be needed to occupy Iran. But Bush shows no signs of wanting to occupy Iran – that has been quite a struggle in Iraq, he wont made that mistake again. What he wants to do is bomb the military, and any other government targets that take his fancy, into piles of finely-ground gravel. No draft needed for that!

That doesn’t mean no draft will be coming. Just that it wont be coming for a while.

By: Bill Ware

Bill Ware — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:21:29 +0000

I flew combat missions in Vietnam, earning the DFC and ten Air Medals as well. The idea that any sane individual would send a qualified pilot home because he was gay, leaving more combat missions for the rest of us to fly in his place is about as absurd as it gets.

By: Emily K

Emily K — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:53:56 +0000

Ephilei, I agree to a point, haha. I think the higher-ups in the military are starting to realize (finally) that yeah, you NEED these guys, and war-time is NO time to be picky.