Don't Ask, Don't Tell

[CLARENCE 2015!]

Got a letter in the mail from a veterans group I haven't ever heard of talking about voting for the GOP to reinstate Don't ask Don't Tell....this is a LOSING ISSUE!!!!!!

As a veteran, I can tell you that I suscribe to the policy of "you don't have to be straight to shoot straight." Statisics say there were probably gays with me in Vietnam and you know what- if that's true, I'm still here. They had my back.  As long as a service member is professional and does his job, who cares if he wants it in the rear.

More importantly- this is a LOSING ISSUE. My party is on the wrong side of history, just like when there were opponents of integrated black and white units.  Gays will serve in the military, we shouldn't make it a sticking point to try to stop it. Especially when Mr. Five-DeferMITT was such a big advocate of gay rights when he ran against Teddy Kennedy!

[Phony Moderate]

Reinstating it will create jobs, I'm sure.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

They had my back. 

too much info, dude.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Letting gays serve in the military is very much a genie-out-of-the-bottle issue. Then again, I'd have said that about gay marriage too, but California had to go and be dicks about it.

[Pyro]

The GOP has always been reactionary. Why are you surprised?

[Likely Voter]

If this issue was a political winner (even in the GOP), Rick Santorum would have been a flavor of the month.

[The_Texas_Libertarian]

The conservatives have made such a big deal of working to tear down those who are homosexual  or bisexual that the progress for them is disastrous for the GOP.  Massachusetts, Iowa and other states with same-sex have not seen the destruction of "traditional-marriage", the military hasn't fallen into disarray with the repeal of DADT.  

Now desperation is beginning to set in, this was clear in local races across the country in 2011

In Houston the first openly homosexual mayor of a major city saw attacks against her

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/07/01/259154/lesbian-houston-mayor-fights-back-against-anti-gay-opponent-im-being-attacked-simply-because-im-a-lesbian/
 Houston businessman Dave Wilson — who is challenging openly gay Houston Mayor Annise Parker — sent out a fundraising letter criticizing his opponent for using her “sexual orientation” to promote a “homosexual agenda.” “Being a homosexual is one thing,” the letter read, “but using your position of power to promote the homosexual agenda, is quite another“

Anise Parker won re-election in the country's 4th largest city despite the attacks on her sexuality


Maine Republicans went after same-day voter registration as a tool that could potentially help "gay agenda"
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/11/08/363649/gop-defends-maines-gay-baiting-ad-on-same-day-voter-registration/
"opponents of same-day registration are running an ad in 25 community papers that singles out a gay rights group’s involvement in the effort. The ad implies that same-day registration would help the LGBT equality organization — EqualityMaine — push through a “gay” agenda and hopes to convince homophobic voters to maintain the new election restrictions"

Same-day voter registration was re-instated in Maine, despite the attacks on it as a gay agenda tool



Had the GOP won this seat in Iowa they would have won control of the Iowa State Senate, however someone thought using homosexuality as a punching bag would help the GOp
http://marion.patch.com/articles/final-election-story-district-18-race
After years in television, Liz Mathis didn't let a few nasty robo-calls urging voters to question her about "what homosexual sex acts she endorses" ruin her day.

Liz Mathis won in State Senate district 18 in Iowa


While using talking points to degrade those who are homosexual/bisexual or those support equality for all Americans is good for the conservative base, it is bad for the general electorate and will damage the GOP long term.  This is one issue that the country is undeniably moving to the left on.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Anise Parker won re-election in the country's 4th largest city despite the attacks on her sexuality.

inner city Houston voting patterns are NOT representative of Texas or the USA.

[The_Texas_Libertarian]

Anise Parker won re-election in the country's 4th largest city despite the attacks on her sexuality.

inner city Houston voting patterns are NOT representative of Texas or the USA.

It wasn't simply "inner-city Houston" that got to chose it's mayor, it's a city of 2+ million people (which would be the entire city, not one small section of it as you are implying)

That's also why I posted multiple examples of the conservatives using homosexuality to promote their candidates/issues.

State Senate District 18 also isn't representative of the Country, but the ridiculous robocall teling people to ask which homosexual acts Liz Mathis supports failed to help the GOP win that seat and thus the Iowa State Senate

Even more ridiculously, the claim that same day voter registration is some type of pro-gay agenda plot is laughable.  Of course Maine voters saw right through that and smacked down that ridiculous conservative claim by voting to reinstate same day voter registration

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Anise Parker won re-election in the country's 4th largest city despite the attacks on her sexuality.

inner city Houston voting patterns are NOT representative of Texas or the USA.

It wasn't simply "inner-city Houston" that got to chose it's mayor, it's a city of 2+ million people (which would be the entire city, not one small section of it as you are implying)

are you forgetting I grew up in Houston, still work in Houston, and still live 40 miles NNW of it?  The last Democratic mayor (White) won reelection with 86 percent of the vote.  Parker received 50.8 percent and barely avoided a runoff.  The last time Houston voted for a GOP mayor was 1979!

so, again, the inner city of Houston is NOT representative of Texas or the USA

[The_Texas_Libertarian]

Anise Parker won re-election in the country's 4th largest city despite the attacks on her sexuality.

inner city Houston voting patterns are NOT representative of Texas or the USA.

It wasn't simply "inner-city Houston" that got to chose it's mayor, it's a city of 2+ million people (which would be the entire city, not one small section of it as you are implying)

are you forgetting I grew up in Houston, still work in Houston, and still live 40 miles NNW of it?  The last Democratic mayor (White) won reelection with 86 percent of the vote.  Parker received 50.8 percent and barely avoided a runoff.  The last time Houston voted for a GOP mayor was 1979!

so, again, the inner city of Houston is NOT representative of Texas or the USA

How could I forget something you never told me?  lol how am I suppose to magically know where you live?  Plus living in a place doesn't mean you have a proper view of it.  You keep referring to the city of Houston as "inner city Houston" for some reason.  It also doesn't change the fact that Houston was the first major city (not inner city, the entire city got to vote) to elect an openly homosexual mayor beating cities like Chicago, New York City, Dallas and Philadelphia

The point of my post isn't that one of these races is representative of the U.S., but  that it indicates of a greater national trend that using homosexuality as a political punching bag isn't going to work any more.  Even as recent as 2007 homosexuality was used successfully against Ed Oakley of Dallas and which saw Tom Leppert win.  Dallas is at least as Democratic as Houston.


Also you work in Houston but live 40 miles NNW of it?  Wow that must be a fun commute, hope you're having fun with those gas prices

Edit:  Less than 500,000 people live inside the loop, there's over 2.1 million who live in Houston proper.  Unless you have a very liberal use of the phrase "inner city" there is no way the 500,000 inside 610 could out-vote the remaining 1.5+ million who reside in the city of Houston outside the loop

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

You keep referring to the city of Houston as "inner city Houston" for some reason.

those of us in the suburbs still consider ourselves Houstonians.  But unless you live in neighborhoods like River Oaks, Memorial, or newly annexed Kingwood, you're basically living in the ghetto if your address is Houston...and I should know because I am from a Houston ghetto.  (So is poster Sam Spade)

---

The point of my post isn't that all these races individually are representative of the U.S., but is indicated of a greater national trend that using homosexuality as a political punching bag isn't going to work any more.  Even as recent as 2007 homosexuality was used successfully against Ed Oakley of Dallas and which saw Tom Leppert win.  Dallas is at least as Democratic as Houston.

It’s a sign Democrat portion of America has embraced homosexuality, not the GOP.  And since 1979, the Houston mayor’s race is basically a Democratic primary.

---

Also you work in Houston but live 40 miles NNW of it?  Wow that must be a fun commute, hope you're having fun with those gas prices

That’s 40 miles as a crow flies. But, it’s about 50 miles in a car.  But a 50 mile commute in Houston is like a 10 mile commute in Boston.  I have I-45 or the Hardy to choose from if I’m going into downtown and I can make the trip in just under an hour.  And I’m getting 34MPG in my Fusion and my expenses and tools are tax deductable. Before I bought the Fusion under my company (I’m taking advanced depreciation so I can only deduct the actual cost of driving the car), I drove a paid off Corolla and put 30k miles a year on it and took the mileage deduction instead and therefore actually made money while driving to work.

I think Houston’s traffic ranking in the last couple of years has gotten worse as the recession has decreased traffic in a lot of other cities and Houston’s traffic has stayed about the same

[The_Texas_Libertarian]

those of us in the suburbs still consider ourselves Houstonians.  But unless you live in neighborhoods like River Oaks, Memorial, or newly annexed Kingwood, you're basically living in the ghetto if your address is Houston...and I should know because I am from a Houston ghetto.  (So is poster Sam Spade)

---

That reminds me of the people who live in Plano and McKinney who claim to be Dallasites.  If you live in Sugar Land you do not have a vote for Houston Mayor.  If you live in Conroe you do not get to vote for Houston Mayor.  There's nothing wrong with being a suburbanite.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I agree that the Democrats have embraced freedom and that unchosen traits should not disqualify anyone from public office. 

Also you work in Houston but live 40 miles NNW of it?  Wow that must be a fun commute, hope you're having fun with those gas prices

You must be logged in to read this quote.

If you enjoy nearly 50 miles each way all I got to say is to each his own.  Although I'm glad you are enjoying your government subsidized tax deduction

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Edit:  Less than 500,000 people live inside the loop, there's over 2.1 million who live in Houston proper.  Unless you have a very liberal use of the phrase "inner city" there is no way the 500,000 inside 610 could out-vote the remaining 1.5+ million who reside in the city of Houston outside the loop

And in 2010, 44% of that 2.1 million were Hispanic, and another 23.7% were Black and only 25.6% were White.  So, like I said - if you live within the Houston city limits, you likely live in a ghetto (unless you live in rich neighborhoods like Memorial or River Oaks or newly annexed Kingwood).

That's not even close to being representative, which is why 1979 was the last time Houston voted for a GOP mayor and the last non-homosexual Democratic mayor won reelection with 86% of the vote.

[The_Texas_Libertarian]

Edit:  Less than 500,000 people live inside the loop, there's over 2.1 million who live in Houston proper.  Unless you have a very liberal use of the phrase "inner city" there is no way the 500,000 inside 610 could out-vote the remaining 1.5+ million who reside in the city of Houston outside the loop

And in 2010, 44% of that 2.1 million were Hispanic, and another 23.7% were Black and only 25.6% were White.  So, like I said - if you live within the Houston city limits, you likely live in a ghetto (unless you live in rich neighborhoods like Memorial or River Oaks or newly annexed Kingwood).

 
So much for the conservative talking point that minorities are socially conservative despite the fact they vote Democratic.  I always knew that spin would be smacked down soon enough by real election results otherwise Gene Locke would have won in 2009 against Annise Parker.

Thanks for providing evidence against that conservative talking point

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I would say Houston is the best representative of Houston.  I'm sure whatever suburb you live in has it's own conservative mayor.  Although it is interesting to note how pathetic the GOP is going inside of the city.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

There's nothing wrong with being a suburbanite.

Whoever said there was?  But I don’t live inside the city limits of any city – although my mailing address is Magnolia, I live 10 miles outside its city limits.  And if someone from Boston asks me where I’m from, I’m not going to answer “Magnolia” because they wouldn’t know what that was.

If you enjoy nearly 50 miles each way all I got to say is to each his own.

Yes, and at the end of that 50 miles is a house that sits on 7 wooded acres with not another home north of it for literally miles and that house is home to 4 kids who go to decent public schools.  And we are 3-4 miles from a Kroger, a Home Depot, a Target, a Super Walmart, and many other stores…and 10 miles from The Woodlands Mall.

---

 Although I'm glad you are enjoying your government subsidized tax deduction

Unlike in the former USSR, only corporate profits (revenues minus expenditures) get taxed in the US.  Of course, I don’t pay any corporate tax, because all profits go into my pocket in the form of a minimum salary and large quarterly bonuses (and I only pay income tax on those bonuses – bonuses are exempt from FICA and Medicare and all those other taxing leeches) so that my corp shows a profit of $0.00 at the end of each quarter.

Welcome to Capitalism 101.

[The_Texas_Libertarian]

Whoever said there was?  But I don’t live inside the city limits of any city – although my mailing address is Magnolia, I live 10 miles outside its city limits.  And if someone from Boston asks me where I’m from, I’m not going to answer “Magnolia” because they wouldn’t know what that was.

But don't pretend you live in the city of Houston and vote for the mayor there.  When I lived far north of Dallas I specified "north of Dallas" that way people couldn't accuse me of living where I didn't.  I also didn't pretend that the mayor of Dallas was there because of or despite how I voted

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I'm not criticizing your life style.  I currently live in a suburb.  Although I find it amusing you think being near a Wal Mart and Target is something to brag about

You must be logged in to read this quote.

lol @ the cute lecture

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Edit:  Less than 500,000 people live inside the loop, there's over 2.1 million who live in Houston proper.  Unless you have a very liberal use of the phrase "inner city" there is no way the 500,000 inside 610 could out-vote the remaining 1.5+ million who reside in the city of Houston outside the loop

And in 2010, 44% of that 2.1 million were Hispanic, and another 23.7% were Black and only 25.6% were White.  So, like I said - if you live within the Houston city limits, you likely live in a ghetto (unless you live in rich neighborhoods like Memorial or River Oaks or newly annexed Kingwood).

 
So much for the conservative talking point that minorities are socially conservative despite the fact they vote Democratic.  I always knew that spin would be smacked down soon enough by real election results otherwise Gene Locke would have won in 2009 against Annise Parker.

Thanks for providing evidence against that conservative talking point

whoever said I follow conservative talking points?  though 50.8% is a long way from 86%

---

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I would say Houston is the best representative of Houston.

Can’t argue with that logic.  A ghetto is, after all, representative of a ghetto.  Congratulations for winning over the bombed out inner portion of the Greater Houston area.

---

Oh, and next time your in Houston, if you happen to want to find a bookstore, I recommend going to the suburbs or the rich white neighborhoods, cause in many Houston neighborhoods and malls most of the bookstores have closed their doors.  I noticed this trend in the early 90’s when I stopped by Gulfgate Mall (it used to be the nicest mall in Houston) wanting to buy a book (it used to have 3 bookstores) and after about 20 minutes I stopped by the info desk to ask them for directions to the bookstore and they looked at me as if I were from Mars as they informed me there was no bookstore in the mall.

Same goes for Greenspoint Mall, though they do have a T-Shirt shop where you can get a custom T-Shirt memorializing the latest member of your gang to be shot and killed. (no joke)

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

But don't pretend you live in the city of Houston and vote for the mayor there.

never said I voted for the mayor, at least not since April 1990 when I left the ghetto.

---

I'm not criticizing your life style.  I currently live in a suburb.  Although I find it amusing you think being near a Wal Mart and Target is something to brag about

well, that Kroger/Home Depot/Walmart/Target/Petsmart respresents about 90% of our shopping, and it's all at the corner of FM1488 and FM2978, about 2-3 miles from our house.  Unless we're buying clothes, it's about all the stores we need.

[The_Texas_Libertarian]

whoever said I follow conservative talking points?  though 50.8% is a long way from 86%

No one did, but I've heard it from plenty of conservatives and it is nice to know that

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I find it hilarious that you think Houston proper is a ghetto because it has a high minority population.  One bad t-shirt shop means nothing and it is pathetic you think that represents the whole city.  

Although the last time I was in the city a whopping 5 days ago I had no problem finding a few book store.   Along with the demise of Borders who had dramatically over priced products it is no wonder why there are fewer book stores.  Even Uptown Dallas lost it's book store when Borders went under and that is a very nice part urban Dallas

  And with the increased use of e-readers I suspect more traditional book stores will continue to go under.  Why use gas to drive to a book store when I can download a book onto a Kindle?  

[The_Texas_Libertarian]

But don't pretend you live in the city of Houston and vote for the mayor there.

never said I voted for the mayor, at least not since April 1990 when I left the ghetto.

I never said you did.  But telling people you live in Houston when you really live north of Houston gives the wrong impression

[The_Texas_Libertarian]

 I don't feel like going back and forth on this issue anymore.  Clearly you think it is no big deal that Houston was the first major city in the United States to elect an openly homosexual mayor, whereas I do.

To each his own

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I find it hilarious that you think Houston proper is a ghetto because it has a high minority population.  One bad t-shirt shop means nothing and it is pathetic you think that represents the whole city.

Dude, I lived within a mile of 610 within a mile of MLK until I was 22 years old, and I have three brothers and we live on the northwest side (Magnolia), the west side (Katy), the southwest side (Sugar Land), and the south east side (Hobby Airport)…I think I know the city a tad bit better than you do.



The only portion not a ghetto are parts of NW, W, and SW…with the entire N, E, S sides being poverty areas.

“Almost 80 percent of HISD (Houston Independent School District) students come from economically disadvantaged households”

80% economically disadvantaged sounds like a ghetto to me.


---
 

Although the last time I was in the city a whopping 5 days ago I had no problem finding a few book store.   Along with the demise of Borders who had dramatically over priced products it is no wonder why there are fewer book stores.  Even Uptown Dallas lost it's book store when Borders went under and that is a very nice part urban Dallas

  And with the increased use of e-readers I suspect more traditional book stores will continue to go under.  Why use gas to drive to a book store when I can download a book onto a Kindle? 

As I said, I started noticing book stores closing down in the slums of Houston in the early 90’s – WAY before Kindle came along.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I don't feel like going back and forth on this issue anymore.  Clearly you think it is no big deal that Houston was the first major city in the United States to elect an openly homosexual mayor, whereas I do.

oh, as I have said for almost 10 years on this forum - we're headed for homosexuality being publically recognized just as it was in the days of Lot and Sodom.  But don't try to tell me Houston is politically representative of Texas or the USA, because it is clearly not.

[Link]

Anise Parker won re-election in the country's 4th largest city despite the attacks on her sexuality.

inner city Houston voting patterns are NOT representative of Texas or the USA.

It wasn't simply "inner-city Houston" that got to chose it's mayor, it's a city of 2+ million people (which would be the entire city, not one small section of it as you are implying)

are you forgetting I grew up in Houston, still work in Houston, and still live 40 miles NNW of it?  The last Democratic mayor (White) won reelection with 86 percent of the vote.  Parker received 50.8 percent and barely avoided a runoff.  The last time Houston voted for a GOP mayor was 1979!

so, again, the inner city of Houston is NOT representative of Texas or the USA

Guess what the Dems haven't won the mayorship in Houston in my lifetime either...



You are one cagey SOB, jmfcst.  I'll give you that.