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White House quizzed on certification of DADT repeal
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 7/25/2011
Alliance Defense Fund is raising questions about religious liberty in
the wake of the Obama administration putting a formal end to the ban on
homosexuals and bisexuals serving openly in the military.
On Friday afternoon, following a meeting with Defense Secretary Leon
Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Mike Mullen,
President Barack Obama formally certified the repeal of the ban of the
military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. That policy, he stated in an
accompanying press release, "undermines our military readiness and
violates American principles of fairness and equality."
While Obama argues the issues of "fairness and equality," ADF attorney
Daniel Blomberg brings up the issue of religious freedom, telling
OneNewsNow that no American -- and especially not American troops --
should be forced to abandon their religious beliefs.
"And unfortunately this politically motivated move by the Obama
administration to force open homosexual behavior on the United States
military has the very real likelihood of doing just that," the attorney
says, "and perhaps even being used as a staging ground to attack the
Defense of Marriage Act through this change in military policy."
Blomberg points out that during the 2008 presidential campaign and
before becoming commander-in-chief, Obama decided to deliver on his
political promise to a small number of Americans seeking the change.
"He appointed people who agree with him, and well, they agree with him
-- and so that's what we've had here," Blomber explains. "Their
certification was predetermined well before this issue was ever even
looked at. And of course, well over 60 percent of the combat troops
actually in the field predicted that this would harm the military to
make this change."
Blomberg says the administration's much touted survey of troops "was
revealed to be a charade that underhandedly obeyed activist demands to
abandon the moral standards that have served the U.S. military for
generations."
ADF is calling on the Department of Defense to release reports that
purportedly justify imposing open homosexuality on the military in 60
days, beginning September 20, 2011.