CThru.com Presents Tony Ward

Gays In The Military

…..Guest blogger Yoko Grosshans brings us up to date on the continuing political hot potato involving “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”……..

“Gay men have had a very difficult time finding acceptance alongside their comrades in the military. It begs the question; if a man proclaims to be gay, why is he deemed incapable of defending our country? Is it the “effeminate” nature of some gay men that has been exhibited or forced to be proclaimed? If that is the case, why are women allowed to serve in the military?
This brings the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Act” into continual play. A law passed by Congress in 1993 and signed by President Bill Clinton. It is exactly what it states; don’t ask about one’s sexual orientation and don’t divulge information about one’s sexual orientation.
James Pietrangelo II knows all too well about this act and its effects. The former Army infantryman and lawyer was booted from the military after fighting in Iraq in 1991. He returned as a JAG officer in the second war in Iraq and was preparing to return for his third combat tour in 2004, when he openly declared that he was gay. After many appeals the Supreme court is declining to review his case.
President Barack Obama has stated numerous times that he would overturn the act, but thus far no changes have been made. In fact, the Obama administration in its brief last month supported a lower court ruling, stating they acted accordingly in upholding the gay ban! What’s even more suprising and somewhat baffling is that a recent Gallup poll found that most conservatives and churchgoers now support gay men and women to serve openly in uniform, yet still no action has been taken to change the law to date.
It doesn’t seem to make sense that because of a person’s sexual orientation, they should be denied their rights to defend our country. Just when one thinks we have made such great progress in this land of hope, a non-sensical issue such as this arises and makes one question how much progress we have actually made.”

A History Of Being Borked

…After seeing part of the Sonia Sotomayor senate hearings as she ascended to the Supreme Court recently, I rummaged through my hard drive in search for another George magazine assignment from my past. I was sent to Washington to photograph former circuit Judge Robert Bork. I knew the name instantly as I recalled that he was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Reagan in 1981 and was riveted to the television set like many Americans, who witnessed a phalanx of US Senators deny his entrance to the ultimate position of power. I didn’t know what to expect from him as I was introduced by his secretary, nor was I briefed much about his temperament or how he perceived representatives of the media in general. He was actually quite engaging and assertive as one would expect a judicial leader to be…..