Chelsea Turner

Helping: Defense Secretary Robert Gates

In addition to his commitment to slash wasteful spending from the U.S. military budget, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has made clear his position to give homosexuals the right to serve openly in the military. And why not?  Are we still so backwards in our mentality that we will continue the eugenics movement of the early 20th century?

According to global news source Associated Free Press, a new survey given to active duty and reserve military troops shows hope for removing the ban on gays and lesbians in the military. The survey indicated 70 percent of respondents felt no backlash would whip military members or maneuvers. This would refute claims that repealing the act would hurt the current war effort.

Due to religious strains and ideologies, the idea that the brave men and women who serve our country will accept homosexuals as roommates and equals proves to be a grand stride for humanity.

Gays and lesbians, just like African-Americans and women, have been historically discriminated against by the civilian leadership of the military. Now a new civil rights era has begun.  U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom and Canada, allow homosexuals to openly serve in the military, as do over 30 other countries. And here we stand with the claim that we are the “leader of the free world.”

Those who are opposing the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell need to listen to those who are actually on the battlefield and expecting little, if any, negative response to such a move.

Let our military members decide the consequences of Don’t ask, Don’t Tell, not our legislators and bias politicians who sit in comfy offices watching the world go by while our troops fight for our freedom.

Not helping: Sen. Mitch McConnell

With the House now in control of the opposing party to the president, legislation and progress are bound to come to a halt.

What exactly were Americans expecting to gain from a split Congress? If it was a vain hope to reignite the compromise and bipartisanship of Bill Clinton’s second term, think again.

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell said first and foremost on the “to-do” list for the Republicans is to ensure that President Obama is not elected for a second term. This is apparently a more important priority to Republicans than the economy, the national debt, immigration or the war. In order to do so, many representative-elects will have to commit to block all legislation unless it is in the party’s favor.  They must also repeal anything passed in the next few weeks of the lame-duck session. The federal government will be held hostage by partisans while America’s problems compound.

The chances of the budget being revised have gone down the drain as a bi-partisan committee has continuously failed to agree on a settlement, and a strongly separated Congress will exacerbate the issue.  Americans wanted the Great Recession to disappear, but they flubbed in remembering that split votes only cause a stalemate in the political arena.

The split Congress is bound to keep the U.S. in a stagnant position for the next two years.  While Republicans may have some good ideas to bring to the table, their only goal thus far is to get Obama out of office.  What a wonderful political system we have, when our elected officials’ only goal is to play childish games rather than fix adult problems.