Update: Military policy on inclusion of gay soldiers [video]
”We have had preliminary discussions with the leadership of the Pentagon, Secretary Gates, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, this is, as you know, George, better than most, this is an issue that is not going to be a light switch but more of a rheostat in terms of discussing it and building – having the discussions that have to be had with the military in order to make sure the good order and discipline of the military … I don’t know if [Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell will be overturned]. We’ll have to — the president has said that he is in favor of that. We’ll just wait — we’ll have to wait and see — as a result of the deliberations and as a result of the — in the months and weeks ahead. We have a lot on our plate right now. It has to be teed up at the right time so – to do this the right way.”
General James Jones, a White House National Security Advisor, speaking on camera with George Stephanopolous (ABC News program ”This Week.”)
”When I got the letter [of dismissal], I was extremely angry. The letter is basically saying, bottom line, ‘Lieutenant Dan Choi: You’re fired! You’re a West Point graduate. You’re fired. You’re an Arabic linguist. You’re fired. Deployed to Iraq, willing to deploy again. Doens’t matter. Because you’re gay, that’s enough grounds to kick you out.’ … That’s nothing compared to saying that my unit is not professional enough [and that it suffered a lack of good order and discipline.]”
Dan Choi of the New York Army National Guard returning to the Rachel Maddow show where he previously stated on television, “I am gay.” (MSNBC)
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