On Tuesday, Feb. 2, there will be a Congressional hearing on whether the 1993 law banning homosexuals from serving in the military should be repealed. (The law should not be confused with Clinton’s policy to evade the law, known as “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”.)
So it was good timing last Sunday for Barbara Walters to ask Scott Brown whether or not he agreed with Obama on allowing homosexuals to serve in the military. But Brown refused to answer her question.
Brown, as a Lt. Colonel in the National Guard, knows well the military’s purpose and climate. He should have manned up and answered this question directly. Instead he avoided taking a clear stance, following the Mitt Romney model. (This is not surprising given that Romney’s men are now Brown’s top advisors.)
Brown deferred to “generals in the field.” Well, Senator-elect Brown, they’ve already spoken (as noted by the Center for Military Readiness):
As of January 2010, a formal statement of support for the 1993 Eligibility Law, addressed to the President and Members of Congress, has been personally signed by 1,164 retired Flag & General Officers for the Military, 51 of them of four-star rank. The statement concludes:
“Our past experience as military leaders leads us to be greatly concerned about the impact of repeal on morale, discipline, unit cohesion, and overall military readiness. We believe that imposing this burden on our men and women in uniform would undermine recruiting and retention, impact leadership at all echelons, have adverse effects of the willingness of parents who lend their sons and daughters to military service, and eventually break the All-Voluntary Force. As a matter of national security, we urge you to support the 1993 law regarding homosexuals in the military (Section 654 Title 10) and to oppose any legislative, judicial, or administrative effort to repeal or invalidate the law.”
Brown’s prevarication does not bode well. It is not indicative of an “independent thinker,” but of a politician waiting to see which way the wind is blowing. Not what his supporters voted for...
Here is our transcript from the Barbara Walters interview:
Walters: You have been a member of the National Guard for 30 years. You’ve talked about how important that service is.
Brown: Yes.
Walters: You’re a Lt Colonel. On Wednesday, the President announced that he wants to work with Congress to repeal ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell.’ What’s your view?
Brown: I think it’s important, because as you know, we’re fighting two wars right now. And the first part is to finish the job and win those two wars. I’d like to hear from the generals in the field – in the field – the people that actually work with these soldiers to make sure that, you know, the social change is not going to disrupt our ability to finish the job and complete the wars.
Walters: But Senator, your own view?
Brown: That’s my view.
Walters: So you can’t say whether you’re for or against it?
Brown: No, I’m gonna wait to speak to the generals on the ground.
For more on homosexuals in the military, see the Center for Military Readiness. We especially hope that Senator Brown will study this report: “Consequences of the Proposed New “LGBT Law” for the Military.”
