Don't ask, don't tell

I am thrilled to read of reports that indicate that the Pentagon is close to making some sweeping recommendations for change to this ridiculous policy.

My regular readers will know that for 15 years I was married to a gay man - for five of those years, he also served in the US Army and was deeply closeted for reasons only known to him, though I suspect that much of his conflict and secrecy was due to being married to me.

In order to put this issue into perspective, let's imagine for a moment that your partner/husband/wife/or significant other is serving in a combat zone. They are killed in the line of duty and the Pentagon does not know that you exist (due to Don't ask, Don't tell), and as a result, nor do they tell you of said partner's demise. This is a very real situation for all too many of our servicemembers who are currently in combat zones and living in closeted relationships.

If gays are openly accepted into the military, they can come out of the shadows and live sans fear of reprisals. They can openly love their partners, write letters and call home using real names, not pseudonyms as was reported in a recent 60 minutes story I watched with sorrow.

I am hoping and praying for a speedy and cohesive resolution to this Clinton-era debacle.

Let us all do the same if we consider ourselves to be fair-minded Americans.

Education and prison reform

The two go hand in hand. One cannot have one without the other. Education - even if it is as minimal as a GED is key to preventing recidivism in prisoners returning to society.

I was encouraged to read a story regarding same in tonight's online NY Times. It would appear that the Wesleyan University in Connecticut has spent funds to bring an educational degree program to inmates at a correctional facility. Some of these inmates will be in prison for decades, others a few years - one even has a father who is a college admissions advisor. The students compete hard for a spot in this elite program.

President Obama has a full plate, but he has committed to doing something about prison reform - much-needed, ever since Bill Clinton took away Pell Grants from prisoners during his administration - these men and women do not need more recrimination and judgement, they need help to get back on track so that when they do return to society they have a chance at actually making it!