Why Does "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Still Exist?

President Obama has promised numerous times to get rid of "don't ask, don't tell," which is U.S. military discrimination against gay people but he has not done so. Yet as Commander-in-Chief, he has the authority to end it immediately.

Instead, he now speaks of getting rid of it some day. But while he equivocates, U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips ruled that the policy is discriminatory, violates the U.S. Constitution and directed it be ended, something Mr. Obama should have done.

Then came a major irony. Under President Obama, the Justice Dept. filed a motion for the judge to set aside her decision as it appeals to a higher court claiming that to end this discrimination would "irreparably harm our military and the national security of the United States." Judge Phillips refused to set aside her decision.

Meanwhile, President Obama spoke at a Town Hall meeting on Thursday (10/14) and claimed as usual he would end this 17-year-old discriminatory policy. But then he said, "this is not a situation where I can, by the stroke of a pen, end this policy."

Nonsense. On July 31, 1948 President Truman ended U.S. military racial segregation with the stroke of a pen with Executive Order No. 9981. At the time it was a very unpopular decision and Mr. Truman was running for election but he did it anyway. Segregation was wrong then and it is wrong now.

If one argues that President Truman was ending a policy not changing a law, as "don't ask, don't tell" is, ending "don't ask, don't tell" could be as simple as President Obama directing the Justice Dept. not to file an appeal to Judge Phillips' ruling and issuing an Executive Order.

As a leader Mr. Obama must find the courage to act just as in 1948 another President found the courage to end racial discrimination. Now Judge Phillips is giving him a golden opportunity.

Dick