The day before tens of thousands of gay rights supporters marched on Washington, D.C., President Barack Obama spoke at the annual Human Rights Campaign black-tie dinner, vowing to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
However, Obama's promise to eliminate the policy, which was enacted 15 years ago and prevents gay and lesbian people from openly serving in the military, was no different from the promises he made while campaigning for the presidency.
While we support repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," we question why Obama continues to pledge to repeal the policy when he clearly has a slew of other priorities.
Obama is more likely to tackle health care reform, the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan before he pushes for legislation to end discrimination in the military. Though "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" should be abolished, it doesn't affect American households in the way that health care reform would.
If Obama is as serious as he sounded on Saturday night, then he should set a timeline for reversing the policy.
It's unfair for Obama to get people's hopes up when it isn't feasible for him to fulfill his promises as quickly as many would like him to.
While "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" may not affect as many people, abolishing the policy means a lot to those whom it directly impacts. Its repeal proves that the United States is a nation striving toward equal rights for all.
