Rachel Maddow Talks to Dan Choi, Joe Sestak on Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Rachel Maddow talks to U.S. Army First Lieutenant Dan Choi, the first Arabic linguist fired under Obama on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'. Maddow also discusses a letter published by the Windy City Times yesterday (below) to 2nd Lieutenant Sandy Tsao assuring her that he would follow through with his promises to repeal the military gay ban.
Choi announced he was gay on the Maddow show a few months ago when he launched Knights Out, a support group for US Military Academy active duty alumni, cadets, and their families.
Rep Joe Sestak also joins the conversation.
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...
In related news, David Mixner weighs in on the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" debate on his blog:
"What do we tell these brave soldiers? That their lives and careers must be sacrificed upon the altar of political convenience? America, especially its young, has come to accept that the LGBT quest for equality is a full fledged civil rights movement and not a special interest group that can be dealt with on a political timetable. Justice has no calendar."
Posted May. 8,2009 at 8:26 AM EST by Andy Towle in Barack Obama, Dan Choi, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Military, News, Rachel Maddow | Permalink
Those are some really nice words that Obama wrote in that note. Too bad that Obama's lack of action means that the military careers of these fine officers has been ruined. Words mean very little if they are not followed by action!
Posted by: Wayne | May 8, 2009 8:35:24 AM
He makes a very good point. He got fired for simply being gay. Isn't that officially unconstitutional in America now?
Posted by: MT | May 8, 2009 8:39:26 AM
how long would it take for Obama if he wanted to, to repeal DADT?
I KEEP HEARing it would be basically a fast and done process.
Posted by: liz templin | May 8, 2009 8:59:02 AM
We just got to keep fighting for our rights. As more and more of us come out of the closet and become more visible it becomes more difficult to justify the blatant discrimination against us. The bigots know this of course, which is why they have constantly tried to push us back into the closet. Unfortunately for them, we're not having it! I certainly hope we get a boost from the California Supreme Court that will jolt the world back to reality! I do believe Obama intends to do the right thing, it is just frustrating to wait.
Posted by: Mike | May 8, 2009 9:05:59 AM
I want to thank Dan Choi for his service and for being a brave honest member of our community.
Mike, I agree with you. We all know this fight against gay marriage is not focused on marriage itself, but rather on an effort to contain gays from being more visible. The campaign calling out for holding hands in public, strikes me as an effective way to fight the stigma. The time is upon us to pick and choose our battles. The President has already communicated that he has a plan in place to tackle the more immediate issues concerning our community, I trust him.
Posted by: Rafael | May 8, 2009 9:39:32 AM
The words of Sgt. Leonard Maklovitch, “When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men, and a discharge for loving one.” This continues to be a sad period in the USA....
Posted by: alex in boston | May 8, 2009 9:49:31 AM
What's going to really end up happening is that this is going to fore Obama's hand. Rather than being strategic and trying to get the his full social agenda rolling, he is going to have to deal with this NOW.
The question is what social policy is going to get sacrificed to get this done NOW? I'm thinking that some part of health care is going to be sacrificed.
Posted by: Lee Adama | May 8, 2009 9:58:26 AM
The fight for equality is not about MY right to join the military or get married, but to have the CHOICE to do so, like any other American citizen.
Thanks Sandy and Dan, and thank you Rachel.
Posted by: Rick in Robbinsville | May 8, 2009 10:10:43 AM
Daniel Choi is my hero and my current mad crush. He should be the face of the modern gay rights movement, our Rosa Parks. His pride is exceptionally moving, his cause undeniably just. I want every person in the United States to see and hear him.
Thank you to Rachel Maddow for documenting his story so beautifully. And with such dignity.
But I am a shallow, giddy fay fan. He's so dreamy! I want shirtless pics of him, turn ons, gossip on who he's dating (Wouldn't he and Corey Johnson make a cute couple?)-- full Tigerbeat treatment, please.
Posted by: Landon Bryce | May 8, 2009 10:48:25 AM
First, with respect, the note to Lt. Tsao does NOT reiterate the promises to "repeal" DADT but speaks of "changing" it, and that is reason for alarm.
Not only does no dictionary/thesaurus declare "repeal" and "change" synonyms, but there is historical reason, both recent and older, as well as Mr. Obama’s known care for the right word, to be concerned. Is his word choice evidence that the temporary replacement of “repeal” with “changing” in the recent Scrabble game played on WhiteHouse.gov was no fluke, but, rather, indicative of a new intention, yet revealed or explained to us, to tinker with rather than trash DADT?
Further, it seems to have been forgotten, but for a period of time only changing the ban policy created during WWII was discussed during the Clinton administration. Specifically, the idea was put forth of segregating soldiers from non-gay soldiers in such situations as military housing, job assignments, promotions, and deployment. Are those the matches that President Obama is considering playing with?
One hopes, rather, that he will soon return to the excellent outline for action that he promised in November of 2007:
“As President, I will work with Congress and place the weight of my administration behind enactment of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which will make nondiscrimination the official policy of the U.S. military. I will task the Defense Department and the senior command structure in every branch of the armed forces with developing an action plan for the implementation of a full repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell. And I will direct my Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to develop procedures for taking re-accession requests from those qualified service members who were separated from the armed forces under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and still want to serve their country. The eradication of this policy will require more than just eliminating one statute. It will require the implementation of anti-harassment policies and protocols for dealing with abusive or discriminatory behavior as we transition our armed forces away from a policy of discrimination. The military must be our active partners in developing those policies and protocols. That work should have started long ago. It will start when I take office. America is ready to get rid of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. All that is required is leadership.”
With that final sentence, Mr. Obama, echoed exactly the unchallengeable conclusion of the 500-page 1993 Rand Corporation Study, paid for with taxpayer dollars but lost in the firestorm ignited by President Clinton’s call for equality for gay and lesbian servicemembers, fueled by the bigotry and willful ignorance led by Bob Dole, Sam Nunn, Colin Powell, and some Presidential advisors, and fanned by the Antigay Industry.
Yes, there are still some determined arsonists stalking and salivating over any attempt to make 66 years of wrong right. But, as poll after poll documents, the American people are no longer kindling nor cord wood for them, and any attempt by them to rub two lies together, damage to unit cohesion and gays as sexual predators, will ultimately only burn their fingers.
Amazingly, sadly, we have come full circle to what Leonard Matlovich said in 1975: the only excuses they have left are prejudice and discrimination.
Mr. President, it’s time to tell Congress: if “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is not wrong, nothing is wrong.
Posted by: Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com | May 8, 2009 11:19:08 AM
I wanted to smack Joe Sestak. He's just a typical liberal "ally", willing to let Gay people suffer until he decides it's finally time to address discrimination against them. He said DADT "is a law." It is not a law! It's an injustice written into law. There's a difference, and the two things should be approached differently. You approach a law with respect. You approach an injustice with civil disobedience.
Posted by: Stuffed Animal | May 8, 2009 11:40:30 AM
Stuffed Animal - While I understand you, and like you I believe DADT was wrong and immoral since its conception. I think that Rep. Sestak is correct here, he doesn't want this to be decided by executive order because it weakens our system of check and balances. It is in our interest to restore the sovereignty of our institutions. We have to be better than Bush/Cheney and not take shortcomings, we have seen the dangerous path where that lead us.
Rep. Sestak has been named the most productive freshman representative in Congress. The Honorable Representative of Pennsylvania is a very capable, intelligent man, and we would be better off if he ran for the Specter's seat in the Senate.
Posted by: Rafael | May 8, 2009 1:38:37 PM
Listen, all you who are saying it'll take time, that while patience sucks it's the only way. You all may be totally right, that's the way to go. Certainly many posters articulate that point well. It's so REASONABLE.
But the simple fact is that if a gay arabic linguist is not on the job RIGHT NOW listening in to the terrorist chatter & trying to interpret it, RIGHT NOW we are at risk, gay americans, straight americans, everyone. RIGHT NOW.
So there's nothing to be cautious about, IMHO. If repealing DA/DT makes an imminent attack less likely by 1 more day, that's 1 more day i'll take.
In spite of the REASONABLE take it slow approach, i think it's dreadful. Even deadly, potentially.
Nobody in our military, legislative branch, or executive branch should get a pass on this. They're fracking our safety up by kicking out service members in general but gay linguists in particular.
Posted by: Daniel | May 8, 2009 4:48:29 PM
The PBS series INDEPENDENT LENS is having dozens of FREE screenings of the Johnny Symons documentary about the DADT policy, ASK NOT. ASK NOT airs on PBS in June (for LGBT Pride month), but Community Cinema is holding free previews in May.
If you live in or near Seattle, the free event is TOMORROW at SIFF Cinema at Seattle Center at 12:30PM with a speaker from the ACLU afterward to answer questions. http://siff.net/cinema/ Let's talk about it! I'm going!
To find a screening near you, check out
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/asknot/
Posted by: thesectionalblog | May 8, 2009 6:01:47 PM
Both Tsao and Choy violated Title 10 of the US Code as Tsao admitted. Neither one was "fired" for being gay or lesbian and neither was asked to lie. If so, they should have filed a complaint. Clearly, they both disobeyed orders and that is a punishable offense in the military. Their personal agendas have no place while they are in uniform.
I will write to the President and plea to NOT repeal DA/DT until until a substitute mandate can be formulated.
Posted by: Bob | May 9, 2009 7:34:35 PM
fuku bob.
Posted by: nic | May 10, 2009 7:46:01 AM
I admire what Daniel Choi has done for our country and hope that President Obama will stop DADT asap.
I had the honor of interview Daniel Choi for my site and he is truly an amazing guy and I wish him the best!
Posted by: Ramble Redhead | May 11, 2009 10:46:47 PM
Bob is right. Also, Choi "used" us taxpayers to get a 4-year college education for free then he copped out on his promise to serve. He also effectively turned his back to his troops when he copped out. I do not find that honorable.
Posted by: SonnyRey | May 15, 2009 5:54:59 AM
Daniel Choi brought shame on West Point and all, repeat ALL, citizens of United States of America by essentially abandoning his post in a time of war. (He purposely took an action that he knew would get him out.) His was a cowardly way out and being well behind the lines, bullets were not whizzing over his head.
Posted by: Ernest | May 15, 2009 6:48:33 AM