CARNAL NATION

Ten thousand U.S. soldiers have been discharged from the military over the past 10 years under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, reports Kelvin Lynch in the SF Gay & Lesbian Examiner. The Associated Press reports that 11 more soldiers were discharged in January of this year alone under DADT. Representative Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) introduced a bill to end the restriction last week, saying "This is an important civil rights issue. We also need the strongest military possible, and we need to recruit the best and brightest Americans. Some happen to be gay." President Obama has vowed to end the restrictive policy as part of his civil rights agenda. In the military such a policy is labelled a restriction; everywhere else it's called discrimination. Well, Mr. President, we're waiting.