More on the two soldiers who were gay bashed on 4th of July

An update with video and more on the alleged hate crime in Colorado Springs, Co.

The video certainly brings home the reason why dragging out certification of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" is ridiculous and counter productive. While in the Navy, I remember sailors being interrogated and punished for something as simple as a sunburn for the troops "destruction of government property." The UCMJ doesn't offer up much of a defense of privacy when you are questioned by a superior as to why you have suffered injuries away from the army base! The army troops having to lie about the circumstances behind their beating puts them at a huge unfair disadvantage.

It is a shame the Obama Administration has been so reticent and have dragged their feet on certifying the ending of "Don't Ask Don't Tell." With this most recent court decision, Obama has certainly painted himself into a corner by not leading on this issue, and have unnecessarily angered a lot of us gay veterans who were just waiting to back Obama as soon as he successfully pushed that policy through. Instead, he has allowed the Log Cabin Republicans to look like "Fierce Advocates" while stealing his thunder. If he challenges the Ninth Circuit's decision to immediately end the ban he will look even more stubborn, thin skinned and willing to put the pace of his personal political policies ahead of our civil rights.

This all could have been avoided if he had just led and done the right things via Executive Order, and had been the "Fierce Advocate" he had claimed he was when he was running for President. He can't say many of us in the LGBT community didn't warn him, or ask him to issue Executive Orders that would make his position with our community stronger. I don't remember any hesitancy on the part of the Bush Administration in issuing controversial E.O.'s to further endear himself to his rabid right wing base. Rather, Obama has desperately tried to compromise with those who will never like him, much less vote for him. They are more interested in successfully out flanking him, and stealing his thunder while actually succeeding in begrudgingly having our rights observed to potentially split Obama's natural allies.