DADT: Five Steps To Messing Up A Good Deed

1. First hold a massive bill signing moment beginning the process of ending DADT.

2. Have LGBT people moved, empowered and overwhelmed with emotion as they celebrate their first real legislative victory in Congress.

3. Drag your feet on implementation and refuse to set a public timeline. Allow Secretary Gates to depart without certification of the repeal.

4. Because of unnecessary and unwarranted delays, a Federal Court intervenes in the case. The Pentagon says they can live with the decision.

5. Have your Department of Justice appear the Federal Court Decision asking for a delay in repealing DADT and piss everyone off in the process. - David Mixner

http://www.davidmixner.com/2011/07/dadt-five-steps-to-messing-up-a-good-deed-.html#more

But the road there will be ugly and the ugliness can't be excused, no matter what anyone says. The President has a chance to speak for the people, rather than for the elite, but remains relatively silent about the matter. I remember when Rick Perry ridiculed LGBT Texans and insinuated he wasn't going to represent them in any way, that only certain Texans deserved to have representation and be a part of the State. Silence can't defeat such an idea, a little talk can't drown out such an idea. It has to be drilled into our enemies' heads: we are people and we are citizens, whether you like it or not; we are your equals.

But, from what it looks like, to many of our supporters, to many of our representatives, this isn't the case. We're some idea to be played with. The Founders of this country were willing to be hanged for an idea; what are we and our supporters willing to do? Only say so much to keep from making Republicans hard to negotiate with? Only be proactive in the law in order to win a public relations battle? Only do the right thing when the waves are relatively calm?

I still believe in this President. But does he believe in himself? Or us?