Political Quotes

“Mr. President, briefly, it was so important for me to be here today because don't ask, don't tell is wrong. I don't care who you love. If you love this country enough to risk your life for it, you should not have to hide who you are. You ought to be able to serve. The history of our wonderful Nation is spotted with wrongs, but this institution is at its best when it corrects those. That is the opportunity we will have today. Don't ask, don't tell has resulted in the discharge of over 14,000 patriotic and talented service members who were otherwise qualified to serve their country. A 2005 Government Accountability Office report says nearly 10 percent of those discharged under don't ask, don't tell have been linguists trained in critical languages such as Arabic, Farsi, and Chinese. As a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, let me tell you that turning away Arabic, Farsi, and Chinese speakers is bad for national security. It makes it harder for us to win the war on terror. Don't just take my word for it. The fact is, the military now understands how important it is to make this change. Today, the Senate has the opportunity to be on the right side of history. Don't ask, don't tell is a wrong that should never have been perpetrated. Let's move to end it today. Again, let me say thank you to all of you. I look forward to being with all of you next year. I yield the floor. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Michigan is recognized.”