Don't Ask/Don't DREAM

I'm rather saddened about the recent Republican filibuster of the Defense Authorization Act (or whatever the military appropriation is called).

While I'd be happy to not have the money approved, forcing our troops to come home post-haste (I think the best way to support our troops is to remove them from harm's way, at least when the benefits to the country of leaving them in harm's way are, at best, unclear), it had the (fully intended) side effect of blocking the DREAM Act and leaving in place the existing Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy governing gays in the military. (It also had other effects, although I'm not interested in going into those at the moment.)

I'm a bit of a radical when it comes to immigration policy; I keep remembering "Give us your tired/your poor, your huddled masses", and that my forebears didn't need to be bothered with immigration policies that would have made their entrance to the country illegal, and that it is therefore wrong to set immigration limits as is currently done. It's too much of, "I'm here where things are great, so no one else is allowed to follow me", without any recognition that that encouragement of others to come in is a lot of what makes the country so great. So I think the DREAM Act is a great step in the right direction, especially as it specifically keeps kids whose parents immigrated under the table from being hurt by what their parents did.

As a side note, I just heard the term "anchor baby" for the first time a month or so ago, and as a parent, I find that term incredibly offensive. Actually, I find the whole concept incredibly offensive; there is just no way in hell that anyone is having kids for such a stupid reason.

Getting back to the point, I'm also looking forward to DADT being repealed, and am disappointed it didn't happen this time. The thing that keeps me from being more upset, though, is the knowledge that even if it doesn't happen today, or this year, it will happen, and soon. If it doesn't happen within five years, I'll be shocked. I guarantee that it will happen within ten. The younger people just don't believe in that kind of discrimination.

I know, that's cold comfort for those gays currently bravely serving in the military; I wish I had more immediate encouragement. I guess all I can say is, "Keep up the fight, because you WILL win."

And since I'm on the topic, that goes even more so for gay marriage. The approval rate on that for youngsters (I forget whether it was for those under twenty, or under twenty-five) was over 80%. The current problems are just a failing rear-guard action.