Maybe If We Leave It To The Women?

I got an email recently from an organization that has impressed me, VoteVets.org. As their name implies, they work hard on Behalf of our veterans. They work not just on behalf of our veterans, but all those currently serving in the military. The email was on the issue of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which VoteVets.org wants repealed, and has been actively pursuing to achieve that end. You know I could not agree more.

So, I was reading the email, thinking, "hey, this is a really nice email. I wonder who wrote it?" And then I got to just who it was. Check it out:

The military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is an unjust, outdated, and harmful rule that violates the civil rights of some of our bravest, most heroic men and women.

That's why I have been working, along with my colleagues in the Senate and so many of you, to overturn this wasteful and destructive policy.

Today, I have great news: Senator Carl Levin, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, has agreed to hold the first Senate hearings on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell this Fall.

We have to prepare for these hearings, so I'm launching a nationwide call to action and need the help of everyone at VoteVets.org. My goal is to get thousands of people to stand with me and show that this country is ready to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Click here to help end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." I want to show my colleagues that America is ready to do the right thing.

Numerous military leaders are already telling us that this policy should be reversed. Having lost over 13,000 of our best and brightest to this policy, including over 800 in "mission critical" areas such as 10% of our Arabic and Farsi speakers, and wasting nearly $200 million in training and recruitment costs, the time for change is now.

We must all join together now and speak up on behalf of the brave men and women who only want to serve their country.

The announcement of hearings this fall is great news and a critical milestone on the road to repeal. But our work is not yet done.

Click here to help end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

I need your support right away, but moreover, I need you to share our call to action with your friends and colleagues who want to repeal this policy, too. Earning the broadest support possible is the only way to convey the message this Fall that the American people want to undo this harmful policy.

I want to thank VoteVets.org for helping to lead the fight to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Together, I am sure that we can make America stronger and bring equality to our Armed Services.

Sincerely,
Kirsten Gillibrand
U.S. Senator

Paid for by VoteVets.org PAC and Authorized by Gillibrand for Senate

Dang, I know, right? She's following in Hillary Clinton's footsteps! I am not being sarcastic when I say that New Yorkers should be very proud that Gillibrand has followed Clinton's lead, and is taking up one of the issues important to Secretary Clinton. Good for her; good for US, good for the U.S.

And I received another email recently. This time about Secretary of State Clinton. It was a petition request to thank Secretary Clinton for all of her work on behalf of women and children, sponsored by the United Nations Foundation through care2.com. Nice, right? And about damn time, too:

Thank Secretary Clinton for Protecting Women's Rights
Target: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Sponsored by: United Nations Foundation

A nation's economic health is directly impacted by the health, education and workforce opportunities of its women. Yet the current economic crisis is overshadowing critical discussions about women's rights, putting women and girls worldwide at greater risk.

Fortunately, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continues to champion women's rights on an international stage, and has drawn much-needed attention and funding for family planning and reproductive health issues – both critical to women's long-term success and welfare.

Under Secretary Clinton's leadership, a new day is dawning for the world's women and girls. The Administration has requested a considerable increase over last year's assistance for family planning and reproductive health programs, overturned the Global Gag rule, and established the first Office for Women and Girls and an Office of Global Women's Issues in the White House and State Department.

Send a letter thanking Secretary Clinton for her dedication to women's rights and empowerment – and for her work in improving women's lives around the world.

The letter they have written is quite nice, and you can add your own two cents worth to thank Secretary Clinton for her lifelong work toward women's equality.

Oh, and one last thing, and this has nothing to do with an email. It's more of a question, really. Why is it that Lucia Whalen, the woman who made the 911 call in Cambridge for another woman, who has been threatened, called a racist, and generally had her life turned upside down by being a good citizen, has not been invited to the Beer-Fest at the White House tonight? I'm just wondering - it seems to me that she at least deserves a damn beer after all she has gone through, including having to hire an attorney. I guess it's "Men Only" and she is, after all, just a woman. No need for HER to get an apology from anyone, apparently. So, while we now know the beer of choice for Obama, Gates, and Crowley, we know Whalen wasn't invited. Nope:

White House officials declined to respond to questions whether Whalen should be invited as well.

Uh, yeah, no - no more mention of Ms. Whalen attending.

Here's what I think should happen. I think Secretary of State Clinton should invite Ms. Whalen out for drinks (in whatever form that takes be it cappuccinos, wine, what-have-you). Then they can discuss the various and sundry ways in which the Old Boys' Club is alive and well. Oh, and what it feels like to be saddled with a horrible moniker like, "Racist," when one is nothing of the kind.

And I have one last question if that happens: Can I come?