‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ Proponents Asked To Defend Stance Before Gay Soldier On CNN
Larry King hosted a military panel on his program last night to discuss the possible repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, which would have been a fairly routine discussion save not for the presence of Lt. Dan Choi, who came out as gay on The Rachel Maddow Show almost a year ago and is facing termination from his job despite being a West Point graduate, an Iraq War veteran, and an Arab linguist. King didn’t back away from making the situation a little uncomfortable for Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis and Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, who had come to the program to support the policy, and while they held their ground, King tossing the ball to Choi (and General Wesley Clark) made for more than a few awkward transitions.
Perkins and Maginnis mainly argued that military culture, which severely limits the privacy of its soldiers, stood a great amount to lose from permitting gay behavior in such close quarters, especially during wartime. Responding to a question about whether the times have changed enough to allow it, Maginnis replied, “Times have changed, but the military’s culture has not radically changed because it’s a time of war.” Rather than a follow-up on possible solutions to the culture problem, King went to the personal angle, asking Choi: “Does this personally hurt you?” His response was possibly the most compelling part of the discussion, particularly for the way Choi used military teachings in his favor:
When we can all just talk about policy, I think that’s fine for a great show in the evening, but, for me, all of this really affects my life. That hearing today was about my job. But, you know how it really affects me personally…We’re wearing our rings, and on my West Point ring it says ‘honor’. On the first day at West Point I learned that the honor codes, a cadet will not lie. You will not lie. And you will not tolerate those who lie.
Ball is in your court, Perkins: “Doesn’t it bother you to hear Lt. Choi say that?” After some kind words to numb his response, Perkins reiterated his concern: “We don’t make public policy based on personal situations. We make public policy based on what’s best for the nation.”
The exchange remains fascinating to watch to the end, with King pitching questions about whether a law banning all gays would be best (Maginnis: “we already have gays”) and asking Choi if he believes it would have simply been best to quit. Watch the rest below:
