Here is a copy of the petition to prevent Lt Dan Choi’s firing due to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy. Just saying “I am gay” constitutes “homosexual behavior” and meets the criteria for discharge. Even of a West Point Grad, who can speak fluent Arabic, who is well-respected in his unit and willing to do a third tour of combat duty.
The Online organizing hub for progressive Californians…a network of over 700,000 grassroots and netroots citizens empowered to leverage online tools for offline activism.
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Keep your promise, President Obama Tell the President to end the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and not to fire Lt. Dan Choi
Lt. Dan Choi, from Orange County, California, is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an Iraq War veteran. Last March he went on Rachel Maddow’s show and spoke three truthful words: “I am gay.”
As a result Lt. Choi received a letter from the Army on April 23 discharging him for violating the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. He told Rachel Maddow the letter was “a slap in the face” to himself and the soldiers he as commanded and served with over the past decade.
Lt. Choi is fighting to stay in the military and ensure that no other soldier is ever again discharged as a result of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The Courage Campaign and CREDO Mobile are joining his effort to secure equality in our armed forces.
President Obama did not create this policy. But he now has the opportunity to keep his promise and allow gay and lesbian soldiers to serve openly in the military. It’s the right thing to do — for justice and for national security.
140,860 people (as of Tuesday, May 26) have signed the following petition to President Obama from the Courage Campaign and CREDO Mobile. Please add your name now:
Dear President Barack Obama,
The time has come to end discrimination in our armed forces. We, the undersigned, ask you to stop the discharge of Lt. Dan Choi and any other soldier as a result of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. We ask that you uphold your pledge and push Congress to quickly put a bill on your desk to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Here’s all 23 words from Gibbs’ about Prop 8 in his May 26th press briefing.
The standard I have not talked to the president. He says it in almost all – if not every one – of the very few press briefings I’ve read. His other favorites, I’m busy with other things (and yet refers to the TV coverage), I don’t have my notes, let me check on that and I’ll get back to you. Whether he does or not who knows but he accomplished his mission – not going on the presidential record.
How utterly worthless is the media? And they’re the ones looking like fools every day. Four plus months in and they’re still getting played.
Highlights that led to a canceled appearance and an explanation. See the links below for the full posts. Warren on Larry King April 6th.
NewsPoliticsNews
PASTOR RICK WARREN:
I am not an anti-gay or anti-gay marriage activist. I never have been, never will be.
During the whole Proposition 8 thing, I never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement, never — never once even gave an endorsement in the two years Prop 8 was going.
The week before the — the vote, somebody in my church said, Pastor Rick, what — what do you think about this?
And I sent a note to my own members that said, I actually believe that marriage is — really should be defined, that that definition should be — say between a man and a woman.
I don’t know about a note. Though he changed his site after he was chosen by barry. Here’s a statement he issued in October 2008.
RightWingWatchdotorg
WARREN: I urge you to support Proposition 8.
He said to Larry King.
WARREN:I was asked a question that made it sound like I equated gay marriage with pedophilia or incest,which I absolutely do not believe.
DrivingEquality
12-15-2008
Pastor Rick Warren interview with Steven Waldman, editor in chief of Beliefnet.
WARREN: I’m opposed to having a brother and sister be together and calling that marriage.
I’m opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that marriage.
I’m opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage
WALDMAN: Think those are equivalent to gays getting married?
WARREN: Oh, I do!
Then he sidesteps the Iowa decision.
LARRY KING: Do you, therefore, criticize or not comment on the Iowa court decision to permit gay marriage?
WARREN: Yes. I’m — I’m totally oblivious to — to what — that’s not even my agenda.
[later] It just means that marriage is for a man and a woman.
Mike Barnicle really is clueless. He of the Hillary reminds everyone of their first wife standing outside probate court comment. See his lack of spine hosting Mike Rogers vs Rev Rivers. courtesy of SwimmingPolarBear
BARNICLE: If you took Cambridge MA, Georgetown DC, the Upper West Side of NY, Santa Monica and San Francisco, CA out of the Rick Warren debate... There would be no debate. Do you agree with that?
BERNARD: [Laughs.] That is actually very true....
BARNICLE: [Derisively] Well. We're all going to get together over Rick Warren.
TIME Magazine named barry 2008 Person of the Year and used as its cover a poster made by Shepard Fairey. See his video interview on the making of the poster.
FAIREY: Tomorrow my illustration for Time Magazine’s “Person of The Year” hits the newsstands. While I’m very honored to be validated by a periodical that is nothing short of an American institution, the moment is bittersweet because I’m very disappointed by Obama’s appointment of Rick Warren to deliver his invocation during Obama’s inaugural address. Rick Warren is against gay marriage and reproductive rights, and he does not believe in evolution (maybe he offers himself as proof of lack of evolution). I understand that Obama is trying to appeal to conservatives and evangelicals, but this move is symbolically a slap in the face to many people.
Warren is not a uniter, but a divider… he is intolerant in many of his views. I still think Obama is the best choice for president, but I can’t condone Warren’s involvement in Obama’s inauguration, no matter how insignificant it is. While I’m on the subject of gay marriage, I will be donating a chunk of the proceeds from an inauguration poster of Obama I was asked to create to the movement to overturn Prop 8. At first I was considering pulling my inauguration poster, but I think re-directing funds from it to put into a cause I care about is actually more constructive. Plus, I wouldn’t want withdrawing the image to come across as a blanket boycott of Obama. I’m sure I will ultimately disagree with Obama about many things, but I think I will agree with him on more. I think it is important to speak one’s mind, but also to not let the narcissism of petty differences sabotage our unity and progress.
Barnicle, Rev Rivers and Mike Rogers are discussing barry's choice of Rick Warren and the impact on the LGBT community. Where is Keith Boykin hiding? How Warren is a divisive figure politically with his opposition to Prop 8 and the misinformation he promulgated. Rev Rivers thinks it's just a "pseudo-controversy". Listen to the righteous indignation in his voice and how he talks over Mike Rogers. His loud defensiveness and dismissive body language gives him away. He does not like gay folks. Why is there an extra stigma in the black "community" - especially for men? Mr Rogers sits there calmly explaining his position. Really quite remarkable. Kudos. I would have enjoyed watching him handle barama matthews.
BARNICLE: What bothers you about Barack Obama inviting Rick Warren?
ROGERS:...In picking Rick Warren, [barry] picked somebody who has basically used gays in the cultural war by attacking gay relationships in the Prop 8 battle. And I think he was a bad choice, not again because of his religious beliefs, but because of his political activity. I think that the community has a right and in fact mandate and a need to stand up and object to theat behavior.
He mentions how Saddleback's website has toned down the previous openly homophobic language -- like Wright's did and barry did after Wright, Pfleger, New Black Panther Party...
BARNICLE: We're already making progress here. Rev Rivers, isn't tolerance a larger issue here than Mr Warren's appearance at the Inauguration?
RIVERS: Oh, absolutely! I think this is basically a pseudo-controversy that's been fabricated by the sorta anti-religious left. [Then he goes a'ranting - loud and angry.]...Anyone that has actually does their homework and researches what Rick in fact does...
BARNICLE: Gene, are you saying that Mr Rogers hasn't done his homework?
RIVERS: Obviously! Listen! Point of fact--
Slaps his hand in his palm (3:30) and talks louder and louder and continues talking over Rogers. Barnicle can't host a show. Eventually he lets Rogers speak but Rivers speaks over him again.
ROGERS: ...where you are forced to come on and defend Rick Warren- the very fact that this argument is happening shows the power if the gay community...
RIVERS (4:11) laughs dismissively, shrugs and turns his head to the right. Power, yeah right...who cares. This sure reveals a lot about him. He goes beyond defending warren and barry - he shows his obvious disdain for the gay community. And he does so freely without any attempt to hide it. I've watched him a lot of times starting when he came out against wright and was pist at barry - but this is the most agitated I've seen him.
Now this is absolutely ridiculous. Barnicle has spent the last two years referring to the African American *community*. They don't listen to their guests and it's clear not even to themselves. Don't they ever get embarrassed by their lunacy?
BARNICLE: Hey, Mr Rogers, let me ask you a question. You just referred in your response to - you used the phrase *my community*. What do you mean by my community? Aren't we all part of the one community in this country? Or ought we not to be part of one community?
RIVERS: Amen!
Amen is right. How many times have we hear Rev Rivers say that white America doesn't understand the black community? That wright isn't so bad because whites just don't understand black churches. And what barry's election is doing for the black community - African American if you like. Why don't these folks listen to themselves?
Rogers then makes his point that the gay community hasn't changed - but Warren has because he was confronted.
RIVERS: Mr Rogers. Listen! Mr Rogers, if YOU are happy and feel better, president-elect Obama, Rick Warrren and myself are happy. It's a great advent experience. If you're feeling better that's a good thing. Issue resolved!
What can you say to this? He interjects himself and puts himself on par with barry and Warren.
ROGERS: I think it is an improvement. What I would like to see, and I'd like to hear you agree with it, is that Rick Warren convenes and sits down, again, behind closed doors, none of the showmanship up on the stage, and trotting everybody out. But sits down with the leadership of our community--the gay leadership--and says I'd like to build a bridge. Sit down with the Human Rights Campaign, sit down with National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Religious Roundtable and show me that your speech is really about reaching out and that it's really about uniting America. And if you can't sit down, and have those meetings with the community, then I think that really shows what you're really about.
RIVERS: Uhm, it would be presumptuous of you to suggest that if Reverend Warren doesn't sit down with your particular CREW [He sits forward and shakes his body in a dismissive manner], that somehow that's an act of bad faith. That's a political trick.
Imagine the black community being referred to as a "particular crew". Never happen. Nothing is taken seriously but race.
ROGERS: If Rev Rick Warren is a so-called leader in the evangelical movement who represents the evangelical movement on a national level--
RIVERS: White evangelical.
ROGERS:...certainly it's appropriate for him to sit down with the national leaders of the gay and lesbian movement -- let's not parse the exact phrases-
BARNICLE: We've got to wrap it up there.
RIVERS: We're all happy now! [laughs]
BARNICLE: We're all happy now.
Yeah because they did their bit. What are the chances warren is going to have such a meeting? And what's the likelihood of the proobamedia making sure it happens and Rev Rivers is there?
