Repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ law was overdue

David Klamann, Las Vegas

Thursday, Dec. 23, 2010 | 2:02 a.m.

Congratulations to gays, lesbians and their supporters for overturning the heinous “don’t ask, don’t tell” law that hunted down and persecuted people — who were willing to fight and die for their country — just because of who they were. Thousands of soldiers were kicked out of the U.S. military and billions of taxpayer dollars were wasted because of the irrational fears of petty bigots.

You did this all on your own; you didn’t back down and you held the politicians who made promises to you to follow through. Note to President Barack Obama: This is what real victory looks like. No compromises and no giving in.

Strangely enough, “don’t ask, don’t tell” was a “compromise” written by Republicans and conservative Democrats that continued an old military policy of discrimination that shamefully allowed then-President Bill Clinton to claim victory and dodge his promise to the gay and lesbian community.

Any bets that in two years “don’t ask, don’t tell” supporter Sen. John McCain will be giving a speech saying, “I told you so”? Any bets that in two years the conservative corporate press will be covering the story that the military didn’t fall apart and that the supporters of “don’t ask, don’t tell” were absolutely wrong?

I can hear the silence now.