What An Honor To Know This Man - His Interview Honored Me But He Is The True Gift To The World!

Why We Needed to Repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT)

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October 2011

One of the most progressive, yet highly controversial military policy change that has been recently proposed is the is the repealing of the" Don't Ask Don't Tell" law. In 1993 Congress passed the Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy. Don't ask, don't tell (DADT) is the common term for the policy restricting the United States military from efforts to discover or reveal closeted gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members or applicants, while barring those that are openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual from military service. These restrictions are mandated by federal law Pub.L. 103-160 (10 U.S.C. § 654) the policy prohibits anyone who "demonstrate(s) a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts" from serving in the armed forces of the United States.

This is a hot button issue because of the intense emotions and opinions it evokes on both sides of the argument. The opponents of repealing DADT argued that it will undermine the morale and discipline of the armed forces, thus degrading and subverting the military cohesiveness which is essential to maintain a superior fighting unit. Proponents for repealing DADT countered that the law should be repealed because firstly, gay soldiers have always been part of the Armed Forces since its inception and the military unfairly and arbitrarily administers DADT. Secondly, the law violates the civil rights of gay soldiers. Thirdly, the law fails in its original purpose in protecting gay soldiers from being outed, harassed, and injured. And fourthly, our present day military cannot afford to lose any more qualified and highly trained personnel.

As a result of these reasons and many others, on December 22, 2010 President Obama signed into law, congressional legislation overturning DADT, and now the military process has begun which will allow gay men and women to serve openly. When we analyze and investigate the arguments for the repealing of DADT, we find very compelling reasons for doing so.

DADT prohibited any homosexual or bisexual person from disclosing his or her sexual orientation or from speaking about any homosexual relationships, including marriages or other familial attributes, while serving in the United States Armed Forces.  In the first reason for repealing DADT, opponents of DADT argue that openly gay soldiers serving in the military will have an injurious and debilitating effect on morale, but as we research the historical beginning of the first American military force, we find that is not true and if it was not for the efforts and contributions of gay soldiers, we would have lost the war to England and the United States would have never came into being.

Randy Shilts' book "Conduct Unbecoming: Lesbians and Gays in the U.S. Military" supports this very fact. It states, "Even before the armed forces of the United States were formally organized, gays were bearing arms for the yet unborn nation. The United States might have never become a nation, in fact, were it not for the services of one particular openly gay general in the first difficult years of the American Revolution. In 1777, the rebellion was going badly. General George Washington made a dashing figure on horseback and was revered by his troops, but he had little background in the art of military drills and training. Thirteen disparate and mutually suspicious colonies had contributed soldiers for what were, in effect, thirteen different armies. Though all fought under the fraying banner of the Continental Army, they were not yet one unified and disciplined force.

The army desperately needed training, and in Paris, Benjamin Franklin wisely plotted to supply the one man he believed could save them: Baron Frederich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin von Steuben, one of Europe's leading military prodigies. According to Randy Shilts, " Steuben was the son of a Prussian army officer of high enough rank to be able to secure King Frederick William I as godfather for the infant." Through this association  he was able to secure an appointment as an aide to King William II, who was a notorious gay ruler (he banished all women from his court)  and was also one of the most brilliant and pre-eminent military strategists in Europe. King William II's military genius transformed Prussia from a weak nation into one of the most powerful countries in Europe. King William II then trained 13 hand picked officers and personally instructed them in the fine arts of war; Baron Steuben was one of these thirteen.

In paraphrasing Randy Shilts, when Steuben arrived at Valley Forge, he realized that The Continental Army was on the verge of collapse. The army had no uniformity or discipline. Some soldiers drilled in the French style, some in the English style, and others in the Prussian style. Steuben immediately set about to correct this problem. He began writing a manual on the instruction of drilling and taught the concepts to the men which was unheard of because like the British Officers, American officers felt that it was beneath them to drill the men, but not Steuben, and this zealousness endeared him to the soldiers. Steuben was so meticulous and passionate that when his men poorly performed in training, he would swear at them (as most present day drill instructors still continue to do). And because of his limited English vocabulary, he had his two American aides teach him better English profanities to inspire and motivate the men.

He acquired the reputation as a real and dedicated soldier and not an effete stereotype. Shilts goes on to say "In three days time, George Washington was so impressed with Steuben's progress that he ordered Steuben's training to be extended to his entire command. No general in the Continental Army would do any more drills he added, until they had Steuben's specific instructions." Two days later, the whole army at Valley Forge was drilling under Steuben's guidance." Members of the model brigade became the drill masters who trained others, who in turn became drill masters who trained others as they had been trained.

Five weeks after the first drill, Washington appointed Steuben as the First Inspector General of the Army. Six days after that, Congress commissioned him as a Major General. A year later, Congress enacted Steuben's "Regulations for the Order and Discipline for the Troops of the United States." Then Randy Shilts puts Steuben's contributions into historical context and significance. He says,"His impact on the revolutionary cause is incalculable. Some historians have counted Steuben along with George Washington, as one of only two men whose services were" indispensable" to the success of the Revolution!

When the American cause was won at Yorktown and Washington issued his congratulatory orders, Steuben was one of only three commanders he singled out for praise. In 1783, General Washington's last official act as Commander-in-Chief was to write a letter thanking Steuben. As Colonel Alexander Hamilton later wrote, "Tis unquestionably due to his efforts, we are indebted for the introduction of discipline in the Army." After Von Steuben's magnificent and legendary contributions to the Revolutionary cause, one would think that the nascent American military would see the value in allowing gays to serve openly in the militia, but not so, because at the time Von Steuben was transforming our woefully undertrained and under-disciplined army into a victorious battle-ready militia, General Washington was approving a court-martial and subsequent discharge of a Lieutenant Frederick Enslin.  Lieutenant Enslin was charged with sodomy and had the dubious distinction of being the first gay soldier to be discharged "with infamy" according to Randy Shilts.

The second argument for repealing DADT is that this very law and the present  Military mistreatment of gays violated their civil rights and conferred upon them second class citizenship. There is a direct correlation of the mistreatment of gay soldiers to the manner in which blacks and women were mistreated by the government in the past. This was a painful and shameful period in our nation's history, in  which  a great many of our nation's citizens were denied the right to share in  America's opportunity and largesse, simply because their skin color was different or their chromosomal markers read XX instead of XY.  It was argued that desegregating the Armed Forces would harm it irreparably…It did not! It was also said that allowing women into the military would be equally as destructive…it has not! Proponents for repealing DADT feel confident that the same positive result will be forthcoming when gays are allowed to serve openly.

The third argument for repealing DADT is that the law was a blatant failure. Despite the so-called legal protection that it supposedly offered to gays: meaning the right to live and serve "closeted", gay soldiers were still being outed , harassed, and discharged by military homophobes who had resorted to going through gay soldiers' private emails, and invading other areas of their personal life to acquire  sensitive information in order to destroy their professional lives. And the majority of these hapless gay soldiers were military professionals who love the service and have outstanding professional records. This leads me to the fourth and final argument for repealing DADT, which is we cannot afford to lose any more qualified military professionals. Due to our active participation in mulitiple wars at present (and another one looming in Libya), our Military is precariously and dangerously stretched thin. We are critically undermanned. Military re-enlistment quotas have suffered so dramatically and drastically that the military has now lowered the moral requirements to join the armed forces.

The Military will now accept and allow felons and other societal undesirables to serve our country, but will not allow, and will unswervingly and self-destructively vilify, ostracize, and discharge exemplary outstanding gay soldiers because their only crime is to be lovers of the same gender. In pursuing this unjustifiable vendetta against gay soldiers, we have wasted over 340 hundred million dollars in training them, and then prosecuting and discharging them. Consequently, our military is all the weaker for it. We applaud the brave and wise legislators, as well as the political leadership that President Obama has bravely demonstrated for standing on the right side of history and repealing this onerous and discriminatory law. We praise them for exhibiting the courage for stopping this insanity and ending this hypocritical policy of duplicity and paranoia which has made us the laughingstock of the civilized military world. Many other progressive and enlightened nations such as: the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Israel, and the Netherlands have integrated their Armed Forces with openly gay soldiers and have not suffered any noticeable measurement of decreased inefficiency or poor morale. In order to revive and restore our fragile, overstressed, and overworked military, we must rehabilitate it.

We must realize that the strength of America is in the diversity of it!  Many gay women and men contribute enormously to our great country, and they do so as well in the military. I believe that we can empower them to do more now that we removed DADT. For when we remove the stressful atmosphere of fear of discovery and harassment, then we will surely strengthen our armed forces and improve the quality of life of those heterosexuals and homosexuals who both serve.  French philosopher Voltaire, a contemporary and compatriot of Steuben our first gay general remarked, "Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come!" And the time finally came to repeal "Don't Ask Don't Tell!"

By Terry Angel Mason and Asim

ANGEL SQUARE
BY
TERRY ANGEL MASON

October 2011

Pulitzer Nominated Civil Rights Activist and HIV Advocate Shares How His Widely Read Columns and Books Are Inspiring Millions in an Interview With NE Informer Owner/Editor Doreen Wade

 

--click on photo logo below to hear interview-

Pulitzer Nominated Civil Rights Activist and HIV Advocate Shares How His Widely Read Columns and Books Are Inspiring Millions in an Interview With NE Informer Owner/Editor Doreen Wade

 

October 2011

Terry Angel Mason, one of the world’s most acclaimed authors, columnists and civil rights leaders, discusses the growing impact and popularity of his latest book, They Say That I Am Broken, and his sophomore novel, Love Won’t Let Me Be Silent in an intimate interview with Doreen Wade, owner and editor of NE Informer Magazine.

Sit back and listen to the complete interview.

Mason became a renowned columnist after catching the attention of Doreen Wade, who offered him an opportunity to be a columnist for her publication. Mason’s articles drew legions of readers around the world, and catapulted him to international success as a writer and author.

A minister, speaker and global hero, Angel Mason has been garnering local and national praise for his latest literary release titled, They Say That I Am Broken, a powerful book aimed at spreading truth about the dangers and consequences of homophobia, hate, and inequality.

Visit www.TerryAngelMason.com for more information. Angel Mason has written numerous, compelling articles that are featured in the NE Informer and countless other national and international publications that discuss issues affecting the gay and lesbian community, and is a maverick for gay rights.

A self-published author, Mason exploded on the literary scene with the poignant release of Love Won't Let Me Be Silent, a gripping tome that offered strategies to help parents, families, ministers, teachers and community leaders effectively understand and support gay teens, young adults, and people infected with HIV/AIDS. Mason's book touched the lives of millions and was submitted for a Pulitzer Prize and numerous awards, including the Lambda Literary Award and the Stonewall Awards. Mason’s latest, highly anticipated release, They Say That I Am Broken is set to be released this fall, and is a gripping page-turner that deals with a plethora of issues affecting Same-Gender-Loving community, including homophobia in the Black Church, HIV, DADT (Don't Ask Don't Tell), gay marriage, homeless gay children, and more.

The book also features captivating articles about CNN anchor and author Don Lemon, The Los Angeles Lakers’ basketball superstar Kobe Bryant, and much more. They Say That I Am Broken is poised to gain worldwide recognition as it affirms God’s love for all people, and eloquently dissects race, religion and homosexuality through empowering essays, poems and stories.

They Say That I Am Broken can be pre-ordered by visiting www.TerryAngelMason.com. Electronic review copies of They Say That I Am Broken are now available for the media upon request by contacting Florence Edwards at Florence@Publicity911.com.

Angel Mason’s work has been featured in publications all over the world. Please view his latest articles about marriage equality:

IT'S OUR TIME FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY.

Prop 8: Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind (Edge Magazine)

The Ugandan Homophobic Plague That Has Spread And Infested Ghana!

Same Church, Different Song of Equality – SB 48

About Global Author Terry Angel Mason

Terry Angel Mason is an internationally renowned author, keynote speaker, poet, singer, songwriter, minister, and Civil Rights activist who currently resides is Southern California. He is the author of three popular titles, Love Won’t Let Me Be Silent, They Say That I am Broken, and The Dream Keeper, set to be released later this year). 

A revered leader and global change agent, Terry Angel Mason’s mission is to inspire, educate and empower millions around the world, and promote love and acceptance for all people. A highly sought after author and activist, Mason has been featured in (Lee Bailey's) eurweb.com, The East County Magazine, Five (5) Magazine, Whosoever Magazine, SGL Weekly Magazine, Outword Magazine, The NBJC Newsletter, The Advocate, Frontier Magazine, Broadway World, The Windy City Times Newspaper, New Pittsburgh Courier, New England Informer, Our Weekly Magazine, Out Impact, The San Diego Gay and Lesbian News, The San Diego Gay and Lesbian Times, The San Diego Union Tribune, ME Magazine, POZ Magazine, The New Civil Rights Online Magazine, A&U Magazine, Religious Tolerance, Marriage Equality International, Homorazzi, BN&S News Commentary, Real Health Magazine, Q Magazine, MSNBC News Vine, ILGA, Out Military Online Magazine, Proud Parenting Web Magazine, Fuse Magazine, Echelon Magazine, The Bay Area Reporter, Connextions Magazine, and in many other publications.

For breaking news, articles, interviews, or to learn more about Terry Angel Mason
visit his website at www.TerryAngelMason.com.

He can also be reached on the Web at
www.facebook.com/home.php#/terryangelmason
www.myspace.com/angelsloveson
Twitter at http://twitter.com/ALOVEBALLAD.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF TROY DAVIS AND ALL THE INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN UNJUSTLY INCARCERATED AND EXECUTED BY LETHAL INJECTION, BULLIED AND MURDERED AT THE HANDS OF HOMOPHOBIC ABUSERS

I AM TRUTH!

 

I AM TRUTH!   You know… the one you lock out of your heart and out of your mind when you prefer to walk in darkness.

I am the one that liberates men from fear, deception, false perceptions, dishonesty, and unethical practices so that they may truly see and experience wholeness and abundance.

You know me well, so don’t try to deny who I am and what I am by acting like you are unfamiliar with me when you are around your friends.

I was the one that you locked away for decades so that you could ease your guilty conscience when you enslaved innocent Africans for hundreds of years.

Now, Now, Now! Let’s keep it real! You know that as long as you could rape the women of Africa and exploit the Mother Land’s male children to work your farms, pick your cotton, and provide the physical labor to build your financial portfolios and institutions, that you would have imprisoned me forever if you could have gotten away with it.

I am the one you blindfolded and handcuffed so you could kill Emmett Till in Mississippi and those four innocent Black children in Birmingham, Alabama, by bombing Negro churches during the Civil Rights Movement because you wanted to feel superior to the disenfranchised and the poor and maybe even wipe out their existence from the Earth.

And if the truth be told, I was the one that you nailed to a cross over 2,000 years ago on Calvary’s hill because my cutting-edge message was so radical, it made you see that your man made rituals, ceremonies, and legalistic practices were not the way to eternal life and had absolutely no redeeming value!

Dismissing me from your mind made it easy for you to kill prophets, assassinate Presidents and Civil Rights leaders, persecute countless races and steal their land, assets, and women because of your endless need to fulfill your greed and fleshly desires.

I am the one that you shoved in the corner because your desire to hate and discriminate was so strong until if you had not eliminated and disempowered me, you could have never felt justified in murdering and raping gay youths like Damian Furtch, Larry Bland, David Kato, Jason Mattison Jr., George Lopez Mercado, Marcellus Andrews,  Matthew Shepard and Lawrence King or feel good about falsely proclaiming yourselves as emissaries from Heaven, breathing out endless hate-filled slogans during Gay Pride Parades as you pompously held up signs saying, “God Hates Fags!”

I am the one Pastors had the ushers escort out of the church because he feared repercussions that would result in the losses of tithes and offerings had he dared tell the truth. Because had he stood up for me by telling his parishioners that no matter what we believe in the Bible or how we interpret the Bible, it does not ever give us the right to hate or follow the insane masses by condoning witch hunts and heinous hate crimes.

I tried to tell you how acquainted with love I am and how the two of us have known each other for millenniums, but you still try to discredit our relationship. Because to acknowledge it would mean that you would have to hear the voices of the children who are crying out and admitting today, “Yes, we are same-gender-loving people, but we just want a chance to love the person who is our true soul mate; a chance to possess the same rights that you enjoy. We just want a chance to experience the joy of celebration as our friends and families are gathered around us like they were at your weddings, as we celebrate our Covenant unions.”

Come, on now…don’t act like you don’t know me!

I know that it is painful to look at me with discerning eyes of clarity because you would rather see life through rose-colored glasses so you can continue to rob the unsuspecting masses in your corporate meetings, steal their stocks and bonds, avoid the payment of taxes that you owe, and initiate hostile business takeovers so you can continue to lavish yourselves with materials things that eventually the righteous shall possess in the end because of your unethical practices.

I am the one you hid away from your conscience and locked in a closet so your God-given attributes of kindness, compassion, equity, and love for all humanity could never express themselves in the dawn of any new day.

Isn’t it funny?! I was around before your mother ever conceived you, but you think that because you have a college education and a piece of paper in your hand that you call a degree and you can quote a few memorized scriptures, that you know more than me. How foolish! How arrogant! How unwise!

Even though I possess more power than you do and I have existed longer than you could ever imagine, I refuse to make you listen to me by overriding your will or God-given right to choose, even though your only intent is to deceive, humiliate, kill, steal, and destroy the innocent lives of others.

But know this! In the end, you shall not prevail because I am going to be present at your Eternal Hearing, and I am going to reveal every lie you told, every evil scheme you thought of, every life you stole, every career you ruined by character assignation, every fear you fertilized because it benefited your evil cause, every false doctrine, and Biblical principle and concept that you distorted to discriminate and marginalize so that you could keep people from possessing what is rightfully theirs.

And the very ones you robbed, exploited, stole from, told would never gain entrance into Heaven, hated, falsely accused and executed by lethal injection (like Troy Davis), and authored bills to deny them of their Civil rights will be in that same courtroom as justice prevails.

So go on...do your thing because it won’t change who I am. It won’t change my complexion. It won’t change my mission. It won’t distort my vision.  It won’t lesson my power, and it won’t wipe out my existence because in the end, there is only one voice that will be heard above all other voices throughout eternity and that voice is mine. For I AM TRUTH!

By Angel Mason, Global Author

An excerpt from the most anticipated new book of the year: They Say That I Am Broken

Global Author - Terry Angel Mason
www.terryangelmason.com

By Angel Mason, Global Author
Excerpt will be included in my new book:

They Say That I Am Broken
 

www.terryangelmason.com

 

Without question, Angel Mason is an extraordinary poet who eloquently expands and redefines the traditional idea of the love poem in creative and ingenious ways. Mason's literary compositions have consistently earned him numerous literary nominations; while at the same time, gaining a place of reverence in the hearts and minds of thousands of readers -- both men and women worldwide. His electrifying writings are destined to make him one of the foremost voices of the African-American experience. We have no doubt that the artistry and enduring vision that Mason demonstrates in his compelling books will inspire a revolutionary awakening world-wide; and continue to influence our culture, reshape our thinking, and touch our hearts and lives for decades!