Wash. Times Responds To DADT Repeal With Anti-Gay Rhetoric

Kuhner: DADT Repeal “An Act Of National Suicide.” In a December 30 op-ed, Jeffrey Kuhner called the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell “an act of national suicide”:

Mr. Obama - again with GOP help - succeeded in getting “don't ask, don't tell” (DADT) repealed, enabling homosexuals to serve openly in the military. This is one of the most revolutionary and damaging acts ever done to a core American institution. It will decimate the greatest fighting force on earth, undermining unit cohesion, morale and discipline - the lifeblood of a successful military. It is an act of national suicide. [The Washington Times, 12/30/10]

Wash. Times: DADT Repeal Will “Devastat[e] ... Morale” And Lead To “Privileged Homosexual Protected Class With Ramifications That Will Reach Beyond Military Service.” In a January 2 editorial, the Times claimed that "[h]aving openly homosexual troops will be devastating to morale in the armed forces, and in practice the new policy's implementation will lead to the establishment of a privileged homosexual protected class with ramifications that will reach beyond military service." [The Washington Times, 1/2/11]

Wash. Times: “Repudiated Congress Implements The New Gay Army.” In a December 20 editorial, titled, “The left's legislative rampage; Repudiated Congress implements the New Gay Army,” the Times wrote that DADT repeal “is part of the left's larger societal goal of using government to force others to embrace unorthodox personal lifestyle choices.” The Times further wrote:

The implications are clear from a look at how the federal government treats issues of homosexuality. President Obama, for example, repeated his call for repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” in his proclamation of June 2010 as “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.” It's inevitable that the same programs will be foisted on the military services. Troops can look forward to so-called pride parades on military bases and awareness days for the transgendered.

Everyone knows the sort of thing that might work in Greenwich Village or a San Francisco neighborhood doesn't go over well in a fighting force drawn largely from red state America - an area whose residents Mr. Obama once derisively referred to as the type who “cling to guns or religion.” That's why implementing the New Gay Army means forcing soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to endure “diversity” training. Those who don't like it will be told to get out, as several senior military leaders have suggested already. Chaplains in particular will face the dilemma that preaching their faith will violate the new pro-homosexual code of conduct. As a result, far more are likely to leave or be thrown out of the military as a result of Mr. Obama's policy than were ever affected by Mr. Clinton's. [The Washington Times, 12/20/10]

Knight Laments GOP Didn't Use “Suppressed Facts” to “Cripple The Homosexual Juggernaut.” In a December 20 op-ed, Robert Knight wrote that "[i]nstead of using the military debate to bring to light many suppressed facts that could cripple the homosexual juggernaut if Americans only knew, [Republicans] played by their opponents' rule book." Knight further suggested that DADT repeal would “turn the U.S. military into a gay mecca with zero tolerance for chaplains and anyone else who disagrees.” From Knight's op-ed:

Once again, as in 2008, Sen. John McCain has led conservatives over a cliff. Both defeats were a result of a conscious decision to unilaterally disarm morally and allow spurious claims to go unchallenged.

When an opponent advances by asserting moral authority, it's powerful even when wrong, as just occurred in the Senate vote to overturn the military's ban on homosexuality. The most effective defense is a superior moral offensive. That did not happen.

[...]

Instead of using the military debate to bring to light many suppressed facts that could cripple the homosexual juggernaut if Americans only knew, they played by their opponents' rule book.

In “After the Ball,” a 1989 gay-strategy manual, two Harvard-trained public relations experts warn that “the public should not be shocked and repelled by premature exposure to homosexual behavior itself. Instead, the imagery of sex per se should be downplayed, and the issue of gay rights reduced, as far as possible, to an abstract social question.” Elsewhere, the authors say, “first, you get your foot in the door by being as similar as possible; then and only then ... can you start dragging in your other peculiarities, one by one. You hammer in the wedge narrow end first ... allow the camel's nose beneath your tent, and his whole body will soon follow.”

With Democrats and turncoats like Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican, and Sen. Scott Brown, Massachusetts Republican, falsely framing military service as a “civil right,” the focus remained off behavior and morality. Hapless defenders such as Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Georgia Republican, fell back to saying things like “this is not the time to do this,” as if there ever were a good time to turn the U.S. military into a gay mecca with zero tolerance for chaplains and anyone else who disagrees.

Moral arguments against repeal were AWOL during Saturday's cloture debate. All the moral posturing was on the side of repeal.

[...]

A more conservative Congress should restore the law. At some point, America's temporary plunge into moral insanity must end, or it will be the end of this self-governing republic that God has blessed so richly - up to now. [The Washington Times, 12/20/10]

Wash. Times Publishes Va. Lawmaker's Call To “Ban Homosexuals From [The] National Guard.” On December 28, the Times published an op-ed by Virginia Republican Del. Bob Marshall, titled, “Ban Homosexuals From National Guard.” Marshall wrote that repealing DADT “could endanger remaining troops, compromise our foreign policy, threaten the all-volunteer force and precipitate a compulsory military draft. No foreign enemy could have delivered a more devastating blow.” From Marshall's op-ed:

Fully 32 percent of ground combat Marines said they would leave the service sooner than planned. An additional 16.2 percent would consider leaving early. The report noted that 21.4 percent of Army combat arms personnel would leave sooner than planned, and 14.6 percent would think about leaving, a potential loss of 36 percent of our ground troops.

This re-enlistment decline could endanger remaining troops, compromise our foreign policy, threaten the all-volunteer force and precipitate a compulsory military draft. No foreign enemy could have delivered a more devastating blow.

The world's largest militaries preclude active homosexuals. Reversing 232 years of American military policy must be challenged. The incoming Congress must deny funds to implement the DADT repeal. States must also pass laws to deny admission of active homosexuals into their National Guard units. This has nothing to do with “homophobia” and everything to do with national security. [The Washington Times, 12/28/10]

Wash. Times Has Long History Of Anti-Gay Rhetoric

Wash. Times Has Long History Of Anti-Gay Rhetoric. As Media Matters has documented, The Washington Times has a decades-long history of publishing anti-gay rhetoric and smears, including warnings against the “gay agenda,” attacks on the possibility of gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military, minimizing of the AIDS epidemic, and attacks on gay relationships and gay rights. [Media Matters, 8/9/10]