Flashback: Barry Goldwater on gays in the military

[zulchzulu]

With the way the Repigs acted last night in the debate about gays in the military, it's time to revive what conservative Barry Goldwater said about the subject as well as Clinton's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy:

Ban on Gays is Senseless Attempt to Stall the Inevitable

Everyone knows that gays have served honorably in the military since at least the time of Julius Caesar. They'll still be serving long after we're all dead and buried. That should not surprise anyone.

But most Americans should be shocked to know that while the country's economy is going down the tubes, the military has wasted half a billion dollars over the past decade chasing down gays and running them out of the armed services.

(snip)

The point is that decisions are always a lot easier to make in hindsight. but we seldom have that luxury. That's why the future of our country depends on leadership, and that's what we need now.

I served in the armed forces. I have flown more than 150 of the best fighter planes and bombers this country manufactured. I founded the Arizona National Guard. I chaired the Senate Armed Services Committee. And I think it's high time to pull the curtains on this charade of policy.

What should undermine our readiness would be a compromise policy like "Don't ask, don't tell." That compromise doesn't deal with the issue - it tries to hide it.

We have wasted enough precious time, money and talent trying to persecute and pretend. It's time to stop burying our heads in the sand and denying reality for the sake of politics. It's time to deal with this straight on and be done with it. It's time to get on with more important business.

The conservative movement, to which I subscribe, has as one of its basic tenets the belief that government should stay out of people's private lives. Government governs best when it governs least - and stays out of the impossible task of legislating morality. But legislating someone's version of morality is exactly what we do by perpetuating discrimination against gays.

When you get down to it, no American able to serve should be allowed, much less given an excuse, not to serve his or her country. We need all our talent.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/scotts/bulgarians/barry-goldwater.html

[dbackjon]

1. Good Ol Barry - fiscally conservative, socially liberal

I wish that is what we were dealing with today.

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. Vote for Hillary, that's what you get. nt

[JohnnyLib2]

2. It's stunning to think that he'd be called a phony soldier now.

:-(

[zulchzulu]

4. I wish he had a chance to tell the Repigs what he thinks...

His views on "conservation" were pretty close to the "environmental" movement is these days.

[terrya]

5. He was disdainful of religious fundamentalists

He once memorably said ""Every good Christian should line up and kick Jerry Falwell's ass."

[Reader Rabbit]

6. Was Goldwater the one who said:

"A soldier doesn't have to be straight, he just has to shoot straight." Or something like that?

[rufus dog]

7. I believe you are correct

After he won his final term he became much more outspoken and liberal. Repubs said he was senile!

Edit: I met him once in Southern Cal as he standing alone outside a company I worked for. I offered him a ride and he said his daughter was on her way. He then asked me if I knew who he was, I replied yes, I grew up in AZ. He responded with "why the hell are you living here you stupid son of a bitch" all while smiling, I responded many have used the same term to describe him and he laughed.