Raw Story reports that six days before his death, Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) told a constituent that he supported the repeal of the military policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
“Repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ does not change the composition of our Armed Forces,” Sen. Byrd wrote in a letter to constituent Jim McKay.
“It merely allows troops to continue to do their jobs without fear of dismissal or blackmailing because of their personal life,” Sen. Byrd wrote.
In 1993, Byrd was a big opponent of allowing gay people to serve openly in the military.
Bryd’s replacement Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has not expressed whether he will vote for repeal. During his first appearance on the Armed Services Committee in early December, Sen. Manchin warned that repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” may cause military chaplains to leave the service in large numbers.
Of course, this is nonsense and just one more empty scare tactic designed to obscure the fact that lifting the ban will have virtually no affect on the military.
