Just more than a week ago, we wrote with optimism that our country was moving forward, ending a 17-year-old discriminatory ban that forcefully puts a gag order on gay members of the military.
Just more than a week ago, we sighed with relief when a judge ruled unconstitutional the law that prohibits gay members of the military from asking or telling anyone anything about their sexuality.
Just more than a week ago, we thought things were over.
And then Republicans proved us wrong.
Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. Senate failed to muster the 60 necessary votes to invoke a regulatory procedure called cloture that would have effectively ended debate and moved the bill directly to a vote.
With every Republican senator in opposition, the move to fight for equality in this country failed once again at the red hands of the Right.
And although we agree it would be preposterous to support eliminating debate on a $726 billion defense bill, which includes the provision to end “don’t ask, don’t tell,” we also realize the defense bill probably wouldn’t have been so hotly contested or filibustered if that tiny provision wasn’t included.
And we’re ashamed.
We’re ashamed to live in a country where the dominant political parties fight to be so ideologically unique that even a message of equality for those who choose to fight so bravely for a war even they might not agree with can’t bring the warring states of red and blue together.
