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Don't Ask/Don't Tell Update
Posted by Christopher Lagan, Friday, June 18, 2010
Earlier today, the Commandant and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard released an update on the Department of Defense's review of the policy commonly known as "Don't Ask/Don't Tell" (DADT).
As many of you know, President Obama asked Congress in his 2010 State of the Union address to repeal the law that established DADT. Following the speech, the Department of Defense established the Comprehensive Review Working Group to explore the best way to transition our Armed Forces should Congress elect to repeal that law. Last week, Congress began its work to develop legislation to do just that.
As an Armed Force, the Coast Guard is actively participating in the DoD Working Group exploring these options and will follow Pentagon policy changes on this issue.
Today's update from Admiral Papp and Master Chief Leavitt informed Coast Guardsmen of specific ways the Working Group is engaging members of the military around the country this summer to inform their recommendations to the President, Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on how best to implement a repeal of DADT consistent with standards of military readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion and recruiting/retention of the Armed Forces.
As part of the development of its report, the Working Group will continue to engage the military around the country this summer, a survey will be released in the late June, and an Online Inbox has been established for military members and their families to provide anonymous input to the Working Group leadership. Your participation in these efforts is highly encouraged. The feedback from our Shipmates and their spouses will help shape this important policy.
The repeal of Don't Ask/Don't Tell would mark a sea change for the Coast Guard. As senior leadership looks to the men and women who make up the Coast Guard family to inform this policy, we wanted to take the opportunity not only to share this update with our readers, but to encourage a respectful dialogue on the issue here on Coast Guard Compass. Currently, only active duty military can access the Anonymous Online Inbox, but the Working Group intends to establish a web-based non-DoD website this summer where confidential input can be submitted. In the meantime, we invite you to share your thoughts in our comment section.
To be clear, we will NOT publish comments that violate our comment policy, but appreciate that there are two sides to every issue and look forward to sharing what you have to say with our leadership.
Click here to read Admiral Papp and Master Chief Leavitt's message to the women and men of the Coast Guard.
61 Responses
The last link doesn't work, at least from my civilian PC:
"Click here to read Admiral Papp and Master Chief Leavitt's message to the women and men of the Coast Guard."
I can't get there.
The whole issue of allowing or disallowing a Coastie to service on active duty who is gay is really a mute point. Gay men and women have always been in the Coast Guard, past, present, and future. The question has always been if knowledge of this fact would effect moral or the ability for other Coastie's to do their job. This is the same question that was debated when President Truman intergrated the military after WWII. Everyone had the same arguments on both sides about black people serving with whites.
On the other hand you have the issue of sexual perversion which is already being dealt with by the Coast Guard. Anyone care to talk about the infamous wife swapping escapades at Governors Island in the 1980′s??? Adultry is a crime in the US and covered by the UCMJ too. All that happened was people got transfered and split up.
Overall I hope the Coast Guard and other services will see the light and understand that when they leave the military….those same gay people will be working along side them as team members or bosses. All it takes is a little respect for each other and stay focused on your job tasks. I would not ask a gay person about their sex life any more than I would ask a married straight person. Who cares!!
Lastly I served 16 years in the USCG and went out on medical retirement. Several of my doctors and medical staff I deal with are openly gay. Does it matter to me??? No….why should it? I just want them to do their job which they perform in a professional manner!
I served 4 years in the Coast Guard from 1965-1969. I served on board a ship with gay shipmates. It did not interfere with our ability to do our respective jobs then and I do not believe it should interfere now. We have lost the talents of to many loyal sailors and soldiers to allow this "Don't Ask – Don't Tell" farce to continue. Just end the policy and practice NOW, please.
Served 30 years as did my father D.O. Nelson.
Remember Gov. Isl., the Rockaway, Base Soo Mich., and the Bramble.
Remove the gay from the equation and these embrassing situations would not have happened. They degraded the CG, the units, and future crew members.
Don't ask don't tell is an acceptable compromise. Keep it.
Don't Ask/ Don't Tell is going away, the writing is on the wall. What the Coast Guard should be doing right now is figuring out the details (what to do about shipmates previously separated, what to do about harrassment, what about discrimination in assignements or opportunities) and have our policy ready to roll out the day we are legally able to do so.
Congress will repeal DADT, effective December of 2010. But while DoD convenes another working grop, the Coast Guard would implement a few "stroke-of-the-pen" changes which would align our policies with the new law and put us on the front page of the paper as the service which welcomes all who want to serve.
The larger issue that DA-DT is rolled into is that the UCMJ, and the military's involvement in member's personal lives needs to be adjusted in order to recruit and retain quality people in our ranks. We lose out on great people because they are not willing to give up their civil rights to be part of the action. The UCMJ is due for an overhaul.
I ask how many working hours are wasted investigating military member's personal lives, for activities that have Zero effect on the way they perform their official duties? We don't do that to our civilian or Auxiliary members of Team Coast Guard, and they have an equal impact on unit cohesion and readiness. What difference does it really make to the military, how you handle your personal relationships, with the obvious exception of committing a crime?
Military members deserve boundaries between their personal and professional lives, and the repeal of DA-DT is a good start.
Conforming to the rules and regulations of this great service has been …challenging. Keeping one's personal business out of the office is easier than keeping it off the ship, but everyone has a different experience with DADT. I look forward to the day that a member who is gay has the support of the service when it comes time for a PCS move, medical benefits, or simple family separation allowance on TDY's. I am especially eager for the day that the service acknowledges two gay members who are together: both to keep their stations close, and to keep them out of the same Chain of Command!
I ahve served the CG for 19 years now, and in those 19 years I have seen many shipmates some that were suspected gay, of course they could not nor could I ask. Some just didn't care and left you to draw your own conclusuions. These men and women served honorably with the same love of country as I have.
I am opposed to homosexuality on the grounds that the basic reason for the human race to be here is the continutation of the species, with that being said, the constitution of the US gaurantees us Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Who am I to tell a person they cannot live their life, have their liberty and pusue their happiness because of their sexual preference. I say forget this nonsense and repeal the law. They are already serving let them do so with diginity…
I believe we should leave DADT alone. I don't care what people do in their spare time. However it only takes one nasty incident and the media will have a Christmas feast on our backsides. Let people be themselves on liberty/leave, cause once in uniform, a lot more is at risk.
I am amazed that our nation and Service have got to this point. Sodomy has been against our national interest since our nation's inception (i.e. General Washington drumming known sodomites out of the army).
Cultures are clashing here. The U.S. is not capable of functioning as a pluralistic society. The military especially will not be able to survive pluralism. Either (1) you will have homosexuals openly in the military and thereby alienate those that believe it is perversion and will not be able to serve along side them or (2) you hold to the traditions of our nation and Service and treat sodomy as it has always been treated in our nation: an act or lifestyle that goes against the law, morality, and nature.
I am shocked to not see more voices against DADT, but then again, today it is not acceptable, cool, or "intelligent" to voice one's convictions unless they are in line with the homosexual agenda.
I have served our nation for two decades in the Coast Guard and have seen many changes some for the better…some not, but none as harmful as repealing DADT will be. It will not be the end all of the Sodomite agenda, but just the start. Remember, DADT was the compromise that was supposed to allow sodomites to serve; however, it was just the beginning. Standby for more and more volatile issues from the homosexual community: bathroom issues, berthing issues, 8-H issues. I am disappointed and ashamed of our Coast Guard leadership for going along with an ideology that does not strengthen our Service, but rather hurts it for the sake of political correctness. When DADT passes our core values will pass from our rich history of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty to taking a stand does not get you promoted, situational ethics prevail, and only conduct the mission if it does not offend anyone.
After twenty years in the Coast Guard and proud of its traditions, missions, and history I now think I should have jointed the Marines. No wait, their commandant is out and the next one will only get the nod if he is on the "right side" of DADT.
I don't think the policy should be changed. You can't unring a bell. You also shouldn't have to announce your sexual preferrence or practices in the workplace. Under or current policy your sexual lifestyle is a personal private matter. It should remain such.
I agree with Tommy P….Let's face it, no one is concerned about who you sleep with. I believe the real forces behind all this, are people who are looking for recognition..none of us need or want to know this….Your sexual preferences are just that..PREFERENCES. This has nothing to do with religion, race, creed, nothing!…so therefore, I don't see why it's an issue.
Gays and Lesbians have and are serving in the Military, and have done a fantastic job. Most of us at least have an inclination about who's who…in any event, so far there's been probably few incidents….at least in 30 years of service, but one thing I will say…can it create more problems? Yes, it will. Should it? No. Discredit to the services? Well, that's going to depend on the situation.
The DADT policy is just fine the way it is.
So if our next Commandant is openly gay, it wont matter? I'm not saying its a bad thing but I dont believe people will take us seriously anymore if that happened. In addition to repealing DADT congress is going to have to repeal the sodomy law in the UCMJ. Because sodomy is illegal in the military. And lets face it, if a member is openly gay then he might be practicing sodomy, and that would be illegal.
I'm always surprised at the reasoning that most people use to defend keeping the current policy. If leaders really care about their people like we are supposed to do as part of any service, then we would want to know whether our people are gay or not. In going to war, we would want to know about a significant other to ensure that those closest to the servicemember have what they need while the servicemember is absent. This is what leaders do. So as far as I can tell, we either need to actively seek and kick out all the homosexuals or accept them so we can take care of them properly. The current policy is blantantly asking servicemembers to lie. This should make any leader sick. If you can't accept gay people, fellow american citizen and brothers and sisters in arms, then how can we expect to send you to another country and expect that you will give people of foreign customs and traditions any respect. If we can't even respect eachother, how can we expect our servicemembers to show respect to the people in foreign lands? For you naysayers, your service isn't about you.
To Coco Loco, that is a GREAT point! I never thought about UCMJ (Sodomy). How will this go, will we have to say I'm Black, White, Homosexual, Heterol Sexual….
Not sure where to begin. Yes they are in fact serving, and one day it will be acceptable to do it openly. Our culture is not ready at this juncture. Perhaps the Norwegians will be the first. They have women serving in the infantry and everyone showers together. Sexuality is of no concern for them. It still is for us. We will get there eventually. Let's not have it forced upon us for the purpose of some politicians agenda. What I don't know doesn't bother me. I do not want to know if the man next to me in the shower is gay anymore then my sisters in blue want me in the shower next to them. I don't work in an office. I work in tight quarters on a small ship. It's pretty easy for the traditional shop worker to not give a darn. Remember….those of you that do… that there are those like me that don't go home every night. Do you want to hot rack with a homosexual person? Sorry…I'm just not ready. I am working on it. It takes time. Now is just too soon.
You should read the current policy before you go around slamming it. First, we don't kick out homosexuals, we discharge people who engage in homosexual activity, because sodomy is a violation of the UCMJ. Under the current policy, you can admit to having engaged in homosexuals acts in the past, and still be retained, look it up, Chapter 12 of the PERSMAN.
Second, we're not asking people to lie. We're not supposed to be asking people about their personal private lives. Don't ask……, Don't tell.
We have other people engaging in activities that violate the UCMJ. If they went around telling us about that, shouldn't we as leaders hold them accountable for it?
I don't care if people are homosexual. I don't care if people are in open marriages. I don't care if people cheat on their spouses. All of these things are their personal choices, until their personal private matters affect the workplace.
Sixty years ago the U.S. military was racially segregated and women were not allowed to become aviators. The majority of servicemembers at the time were either indifferent towards these policies or supported the status quo. Now, sixty years later, most of us would object to the idea of segregating the military by race or not allowing a woman to fly an airplane. What we think of as right/wrong changes as we evolve as a society.
Right now the military, including the CG, discriminates against an entire group of people for an innate genetic attribute they are born with (modern medical science has proven unequivocally that homosexuality is genetic), just like it once discriminated against an entire group of people based on the color of their skin. While the majority of servicemembers don't support letting gay people serve openly and don't support repealing DADT right now, it doesn't mean they won't in 30 years. It took our society several hundred years to integrate the military and only then because the military did it forceably 50 years ago; sometimes the military has to go beyond ignorance and naivety and force society to accept an evolution in human rights. This is one of those times, and history will judge us not by what political controversy we sought to avoid if we maintain the status quo, but by what we failed to do to bring equality to an entire segment of our population.
I'm honestly shocked at some of the ignorant comments made in this thread. Sodomy is not limited to that of "gay society" There are MANY Heterosexuals that practice it as well but would not be punished or kicked out of the military for it. ALSO, saying that who you sleep with is your business, is true. So should Heterosexual men be allowed to talk about their partners? Not Sexually but just in general. I as a gay man would love to serve my country and receive all the great benefits offered, and I'm willing to bet I could outperform many straight men physically and mentally. The mental abuse the Homosexuals have had to deal with over the years outweighs anything any drill sergeant could throw your way. The point i'm trying to make is this…I can perform a duty just as well as any other man out there. Just because I love someone of my own gender makes me no less of a human being or male. So this law that keeps us "walking on egg-shells" all the time is outdated. As in today's society if anything prevented someone who is African American or any other race to join it would be frowned upon because as a culture we have changed and accepted it. isn't it time to move past this as well just like the majority of us have moved past racism and segregation?
It is really important that we work together to find resolve for the multiple concerns that many Coasties have. I read through all the comments that are posted and believe that you all are bringing up sincere concerns from both sides of the table. It is true that there have been countless homosexual men and women who have strived to give the Coast Guard their very best. Yet it is hard to serve aboard any type of afloat unit where berthing and showering draw a concern for privacy and or perversion. So understanding that berthing is a huge concern for many, will perhaps give our senior leadership some opportunity to create a better living situation. However, it is truly important that we are looking at the individual who is serving. What is their job performance like? Are they helping the team? Race, Gender and sexual preference should not be the focus of the individual's committment to the team. Our culture is full of diversity and as Coast Guard members we rely on unity within the unit. Every coast Guard member should put all judgements and predjudice aside for the sake of the mission. I have served with multiple homesexuals who committed every effort to being a good team member. Many political decisions that are made are out of our control. You can always write your congressman, but for the most part we are either going to have to deal with the changes that come our way or separate ourselves from things in which we do not agree to. You ultimately have the choice: to be proactive by being a leader and setting the example or make the situation more complex by not helping other shipmates and decreasing morale at your unit. Everyone is entitled to their own perspectives, but what we do with those perspectives is what makes the difference.
I'd recheck what science has unequivocally proven. I'd also broaden your focus a little. The service already discriminates against many groups of people for a variety of reasons. We already have standards of how tall or short a person can be. People have been sent home from basic after their initial dental exam. A tatoo can bar someone from enlistment. Color blind people can be barred from certain billets or ratings. Do I even have to point out our weight standards?
We live by a set of rules. Those of you questioning peoples' leadership ability should try and understand the rules that the rest of us swore an oath to obey. That Sodomy ART 125 does apply to everyone. Uniform Codes aren't always applied uniformly.
Here's some numbers you might find interesting. Since 2000 the Coast Guard has discharged 163 service members siting homosexual conduct as part of that package. 38 of those members had homosexual acts listed as a lesser offense during other procedings. The other 125 were discharged after declaring the homosexulaity, again IAW the Coast Guard's policy which can be found in Chapter 12 for those who care to look it up. Compare those numbers to the amount of people we discharged just last year for not meeting their weight requirements. We live by a set of laws.
The service regulates where you can grow hair and how long it can be. The service tells you what type of jewerly is authorized and when you can wear it. Is it really that hard to believe that the service regulates other forms of acceptible conduct?
Part 1: Gay men and women are already serving in the military, many of them "openly," in both theaters of war, and in the Coast Guard, too. Two scientifically valid recent polls of Iraq/Afghanistan troops bear this out (2006 Zogby International Poll, and 2010 Vet Voice Foundation Poll). In the former 68% of the troops said they either knew for certain or suspected there were gays in their own unit, and of those who were certain, 55% said that knowledge was widely known by others in the unit. 73% of the troops in both polls said there were comfortable working around gays and lesbians.
In confirmation of those poll results, the Pentagon Working Group is finding exactly the same results in their Town Hall meetings with the troops — when they ask the audience if they know they're serving with gay troops, the vast majority raise their hands. When asked if these known gay troops are causing a problem with operational readiness, almost no hands are raised.
Part 2: Since the entire foundation of Don't Ask, Don't Tell was the assumption that ANY known gay or lesbian would degrade unit morale, unit cohesion and operational readiness, and since none of those things are happening now with tens of thousands of gays serving, many known to their shipmates and sometimes even to their commands, there is no justifiable reason to continue to kick out valued members of a unit simply because somebody finds out they're gay.
There is a reason men and women do not bunk together.
Essentially repeal opens the door to more than just 'protected' status for gay men/women.
Unfortunately Christoper, the science and nature of the issue should not be separated from the decision making process. As well, the implementation needs to take these factors into account.
Retirement gives me the convenience of viewing this issue from afar.
This much is certain — no matter which way it goes some will be disappointed.
Salute to all of you!
We need to address the logistical needs before the policy changes. We need to remove assocciated UCMJ Arts. We also need to look at the need for continuing or re-writting the adultery and fraternaiztion rules.
Moving forward we need to answer some basic questions. Will the service recognize same sex marriages or civil unions? Will future assignments be limited to those states that recognize such unions? Will we assign members with different sexual orientations in the same berthing areas? If so, will we open ourselves up to future disrcimination claims when we continue to limit afloat opportunities to women based on limited berthing? We need to re-define what constitues sexual harrassment and sexual discrimination claims.
Before the policy changes we need to change Chapter 12 and our 8H policy to reflect the new standard.
Re implementation issues after DADT is repealed: The foundation of every facet of regulation change is simply this: Once DADT is repealed, all Coast Guard men and women who don the uniform will be subject to the exact, same rules and regulations of speech and conduct. Equality for everyone under military law. Under DADT, that is most definitely not the case.
The Pentagon Working Group has been provided with a number of implementation issues and proposed solutions, most of which apply to the Coast Guard. Here's an example:
Should there be separate quarters for gay troops on base and separate berthing on board ships for gay sailors?
Known gay service members are already integrated in every branch of the military and are currently sharing barracks and berthing areas with their straight peers, including submarines, without reported problems. Segregation of housing facilities based on sexual orientation is historically unprecedented in our society, as is the requirement to declare one's sexual orientation, in order to implement segregation. Furthermore, both gay and straight troops are professional enough to share barracks and berthing areas. Since there are no reported problems with known gay troops serving alongside their straight counterparts, segregation in barracks and in shipboard berthing is unnecessary.
well will gay members be prohibited from being a chaplain? Straight members will want separate berthing/showers in boot camp. High ranking gay members WILL have a negative impact on morale/respect(religious members). Recruitment/retention WILL also be negatively impacted(religious members). Will religious members be allowed to request trasfer/early discharge if they dont feel comfortable where they work due to gay members/boss? Afterall we can't ask members to (do things/accept things) that are against their religion. Will gay males that have a feminine personality be required to "tone it down" (be less open about it) while in the workplace? This will be a serious undertaking, alot of small things that will mean alot. Good luck to our leaders in dealing with this mess.
Im with you cocoloco,
You are going to have to allow persons with religious convictions to either leave the command or switch berthing s or showers, how can we be "tolerant of gay rights" but not tolerant of religious rights.
After reading Mr. Lagan's comment above, I will re-tool my previous statement:
1. It'll be an order, everyone will have to comply. If I were in command, I'd begin preparing my troops as soon as I get the word. I'd begin revising my command's Sexual Harrassment, Civil Rights, and any related policies.
2. I would definitley caution my Department Heads to keep an eye on thier personnel…just in case.
3. I'd be networking with my peers, and other commands in the area…this being a precarious situation, mentoring amongst all commanders may be necessary. Let's face it, there's going to be a brand-new set of issues arising.
I still hope Congress leaves the policy alone. I don't see how it's hurting anyone. I served 30 years, never saw or heard of any problems……
Why doesn't the CG take input from us who were kicked out under DADT. I never told, kept to myself and nobody ever suspected me, except one subordinate who followed me off duty. Later he turned his own personal investigation into the command, so then they asked, against policy, so I denied it. So then not only was I kicked out, i was charged with a false official statement to boot. There is no current punishment if commanders break policy and ask. Guess I should have went to the news with this one, but I didn't. I loved the CG, kept my life private, never wanted anyone to know, and took a rating that was shore based only, on purpose, so these issues wouldn't come up. 6yrs of my life wasted. Where can I send my comments being a former member?
You may not have seen the policy "hurting anyone", but I certainly have. I have seen good people kicked out because "they were found out." I have seen straight shipmates have to lie for their gay shipmates. I have witnessed/experienced gay shipmates spend an exhausting amount of time and energy trying to keep this secret to themselves – always wondering when they'd be called into the CO's office for the "end of their career" talk.
This law needs to be repealed as it treats one segment of the military population differently than another, thus infringing on basic human rights of equality.
I was lucky to have enlisted in the Coast Guard in the 80′s when women were allowed to serve in any rate and any rank. The sage folks before me recognized that women could honorably serve in any/all positions, rising to the occasion just the same as their male counterparts.
Equality builds a very strong and united team. Inequality drives a wedge deep into the heart of a unit, dividing and fragmenting its members.
Bottom line, this law needs to be repealed. Will we need to educate folks? Yes. Will it be a bit of a lift. Perhaps. But not only is it worth the lift, it is absolutely necessary to shoulder this task so we treat all our fine, dedicated Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen and Marines EQUALLY.
Semper Paratus!
I served over 30 years in USCG and I have know gay members of the military in all ranks and in all services. I have not known it to be a problem that effected their duties. I do know it always was an added burden to gay service members that they had to worry about what would happen to them if they were found out.
I can only see an up side to getting rid of the don't ask don't tell policy. The orders concerning all aspects of behavior will still be in effect and as long as they are followed I don't see any problems.
No one should ever have to fear administrative and or UCMJ action based on their sexual orientation. Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty is what counts at the end of the day. Come to think of it – it is what counts at the start of the day too!
I see that the policy needs to be revised not necessarily repealed. Homosexual members should still be afforded the right to be private in their sexual orientation, therefore supervisors, peers and subordinates should not "ask" a member about another's lifestyle and homosexual members should not run about and tell everyone, keeping their private life private. However, should their lifestyle become apparent, then no action should be taken against the member and commands should ensure that the member is treated equally while assigned under their supervision.
No matter what, this will be a fine line with civil rights. There will be incidents and those who violate the civil rights of another member should be held to the same standards as those who have done so in other racial and gender related cases.
Here are some more implementation issues and a proposed solution — dealing with the issue of anti-harassment / diversity / discrimination training:
When the law is changed, will there be a need for extensive training for Coast Guard members?
Training on this issue can simply be added to already existing training courses for harassment, discrimination and diversity. Sexual orientation would simply be discussed alongside issues of gender, religion, ethnicity, etc. The Coast Guard could easily adopt and modify training curricula developed by our British, Australian and Canadian allies when they removed their bans several years ago on gays serving openly in the military. It is likely true that once the law is repealed, the Coast Guard will move more quickly than our sister services in the DoD, so that, once again, they might take a page from Coast Guard progress in this area.
Will unit commanders need to be trained on the new law?
The British and Australian military experience shows that leadership is the key to the success of the change in the law. Commanders will need to understand their roles and responsibilities and this can only be accomplished through service wide training.
If so, at what level of command will the training be given?
All unit commanders and senior enlisted will need to be trained, but everyone up and down the chain of command will need to realize that harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation will not be tolerated (in exactly the same way that it is not tolerated on the basis of gender, race, religion, etc.)
Who will carry out this training and how will it be paid for?
Training should be carried out by the same resources currently providing educational schooling on issues such as diversity, harassment and discrimination. It is not necessary to create any new programs requiring extensive expenditures of fund.
Rarely have service members been given the opportunity to voice their opinions on a pending major policy change. The repeal of DADT is long overdue, the challenge is to implement the repeal seamlessly from the Joint Chiefs/Comdt to the recruiting office, to the family medical clinic, to the housing officer and ultimately to every member of the Coast Guard family.
Many of the comments I have read here show fear and ignorance of gay/lesbian/bisexual service members. Harassment and discrimination regulations will govern public behavior but additional training at all levels is needed to show how the DADT policy;
1. creates artificial barriers that hindered unit cohesion and effectiveness,
2. creates distrust among crewmembers,
3. fosters an environment where opinions/perception cannot be discussed and dealt with,
4. forces members at all levels to lie to their crewmates,
5. wastes money, lots of it.
And how the Coast Guard is a stronger, more cohesive and effective Service without DADT.
Senior enlisted need to take the lead by example in word and in deed, with clear expectations that all members are equal parts of the CG team with a multi-mission objective.
The subject of one's sexuality should not have to be "declared" one way or the other. It is a non-issue when it comes to pulling someone out of the water, firefighting, flying a helicopter, counting fish, giving training or performing any of the other missions the CG is tasked with.
Training at all levels, combined with open-forum discussions to address individual concerns should be done.
Until DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) is updated/repealed, all units should welcome and include the partners/children/spouses of each and every member regardless of perceptions.
Lessons learned by our allies Canada, England, Australia, and others should be shared including how retention was affected.
Those kicked out under DADT with no other issues should be offered full re-instatement as long as they still meet retention requirements.
Those kicked out within 5 years of normal retirement should be given special consideration.
Religious concerns of members should be addressed to their own particular spiritual advisor. The chaplain corps is present in the military to provide members the opportunity to seek spiritual counseling/services. Chaplains have to follow military regs as well as denominational so if there are conflicts a choice will have to be made.
The Coast Guard should withdraw from localities where members are discriminated against – for any reason.
Once we take away the fear and ignorance we will be a stronger team and a better Coast Guard.
Good Day everyone:
I'd like to address Ms. Wickman…First, many have said here that they recognize Gay shipmates throughout thier careers…I have too. As a leader, and someone my superiors and subordinates could trust, I saw, or heard of no pain caused by the current policy. Reason? Most commands do not care what you do, as long as you do your job well, and don't bring any discredit upon the command. Let's face it, that's how it works.
But Ms. Wickman, I'll give you this….IF the Military recogizes Gay and Lesbian Marriages, THEN change the policy…(They'll have to change a lot of things).
Someone earlier stated they were kicked out of the CG because of this policy…well, I beg to differ…they were kicked out because of a clear violation of Commandant Policy. Remember, there were/are folks kicked out for violations of the Commandant's Alcohol, Sexual Harrassment, Ethics, Fitness, and other such policies too…The DADT policy protects gay people from being asked about, or judged on thier sexual preferences…(by the way, I wasn't asked about my sexual preferences either, no one I knew has)
I still believe the policy is not, or has never been the problem. I'm convinced there are Gay and Lesbian Servicemembers survive just fine with it…so does everyone else. I hope Congress takes a hard look at the only fact that matters…can you PROVE its done or does harm?.
Should this change, I reinterate;..it's an order. One of the main things our service prides its self on is adapting to change. Th CG's current members will continue that tradition.
There are policies in place that will more than handle the problems with a minor amount of work..no one has to re-invent the wheel. I believe our Commanders will do thier best to prepare thier crews. I hope the transition's a smooth one.
I miss the Coast Guard.
After 14.8 years of honorable service, I was honorably discharged from the Coast Guard in March 2002. I honor and do my best to live the Coast Guard's core values. I could no longer live a lie or live in denial about my sexual identity so I came out to my Captain. During my coming out process, the hardest thing was the ambiguous policy. The people around me were wonderfully supportive of my wish to remain in service and openly gay. While I wanted to remain in the Coast Guard, ultimately, the beast of a policy that no one appeared to support won out.
During my years of service, I served primarily on District 13 Staff, Pier 36 (Puget Sound), Polar Sea (Deep Freeze 90/91), and Munro (1992-1995). It seemed that my shipmates either knew that I was gay, suspected and didn't care, or didn't think of people along the lines of sexuality. Some of my best memories are those times with my shipmates; many of whom I'm still friends with and consider family. Bottom line, my sexual identity was never a problem during my 14.8 years of service.
Rejection by the Coast Guard was painful and it was painful to have some people, while supportive, question my patriotism for not being willing to remain silent. Immediately following my discharge (2002), I returned to school and completed my graduate studies. Since completing graduate school, I serve our severely Ill and Injured combat service members and veterans out of Iraq and Afghanistan. While I don't advertise my sexual identity, I don't hide it, and those injured and their families don't care. They do care that there is a genuine, empathetic, and warm person assisting them through a time of need and walking a path of recovery with them.
I miss the Coast Guard and welcome the thought of putting the uniform back on.
Michael (Todd) – well said. There are thousands like you and I am so sorry we lost a very wonderful and caring member of our fine service.
Now, what Patrick is going to tell you is that you shouldn't have told. Had you remained silent there wouldn't have been a problem, so it's really your fault you're out of the Coast Guard, not the DADT policy.
What Patrick fails to recognize is that the DADT law requires gay members to keep their identity secretive and to not love anyone (e.g. remain celibate). It is exhausting to keep up a false facade and gay service members must deal with this on a daily (hourly/minute-by-minute) basis. You can't even go out to dinner with your partner because you're afraid that someone from your unit will see you. Your career, that you dearly LOVE, is teetering on this fine line 24/7/365…
Patrick, you should really walk a mile in a gay service member's shoes. A way to do that is to stop going out with your wife in public and don't mention at work what you did over the weekend with her. Oh, and that little July 4th BBQ that friends from work invited you to, go ahead and attend, but tell your wife she can't go with you since her mere appearance with you will jeopardize your career. One final thing – you need to remain celibate since making love is a violation of the UCMJ.
Patrick, you make some valid points regarding implementation of repealing DADT, and I know my response is a bit on the sarcastic side, but my sarcasm is the only way I feel I can give you the full picture regarding how truly unjust this law is.
I would encourage you to talk to some gay and lesbian ex-service members (you can't talk to any A/D gay members since that would jeopardize their careers). Begin your talk with "you survived DADT just fine" and "so is everyone else" , so what's the big deal? Let me know how those conversations went.
One final thought, you want proof that DADT has hurt members. Read Todd's story above. Also, read Booted2010′s story. There are thousands of stories like theirs, of that I am certain. If DADT has hurt just one member, that's one member too many and it needs to be repealed.
On February 2nd, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen testified before the US Senate Armed Services Committee on February 2nd, in favor of the full repeal of the don't ask don't tell law and had this to say:
"I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy whice forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me, personally, it comes down to integrity-theirs as individuals-and ours as an institution."
The Admiral is a 1968 Graduate of the US Naval Academy; a Vietnam War Veteran and a man of faith. He is known to be a very thoughtful and insightful individual. His wife Deborah Mullen is one of the most prominent advocates for the welfare of military families. He also said that he has served with many years with gay and lesbian servicemembers and he added that everybody in the US Military has done so. While others have used the same old tired arguments to keep the Twenty-First Century version of separate-but-equal on the books-i.e. morale, unit cohesion, readiness, religious and moral perspectives, privacy issues etc.; Admiral Mullen has provided us with a very compelling reason to get rid of this law. INTEGRITY!!! It is time for don't ask don't tell to go. There is little doubt that the US Coast Guard will be able to adapt.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) is currently the law of the land. With President Obama's intent to change that law, and the related bill in Congress, we can't merely discuss why we support or oppose DADT. We must be always ready to do what our country asks of us when that law and related policy is changed. Our core values of 'Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty' must be unconditional and applied to all we do and equally applied to those with whom and for whom we serve. We are not just a military organization, but also a federal law enforcement agency and a service with a broad exposure to our nation and her citizens.
The great thing about the military is that despite our ethnic, religious, or cultural backgrounds, those in uniform come together for a common purpose. To enable that purpose, we have to embrace the diversity of our differences, and respect those differences. The military doesn't change who we are but it may require us to change how we behave. When DADT is repealed, implementing that change successfully will be tied to education and understanding of the differences on both sides.
As someone with gay friends and family, the intolerance by some shipmates has been appalling. The biases among some are definitely out there and will need to be addressed; we can't pretend they don't exist or expect they will disappear when the policy changes. As mentioned previously, not everyone will be happy with the results of the Pentagon study on repeal. Whenever DADT is repealed, I hope all the services allow forums not just to explain any policy changes but also to share and understand the diversity among us. I believe repealing DADT will make all the services and our nation stronger, but we cannot overcome our differences if we don't understand them.
Regardless of your personal views on gays in the military, there are some things that are clear. DADT and its application has lead to the separation of dedicated and competent shipmates, the expenditure of millions of dollars in training and replacing these personnel, empowered a subtle but ever-present environment of intolerance, and has even lead to servicemembers under investigation committing suicide. I will never attempt to change someone's moral beliefs but, likewise, I will never understand how someone could say those items listed above have made us a stronger military or a better nation.
Semper Paratus
From the standpoint of implementation, I feel that repealing DADT is no different than what the military undertook when integrating African Americans and women.
Education, in my view, would not be an especially heavy lift as it can be rolled into the current Human Relations annual training. For the offenders of the Human Relations policy, the UCMJ, as it always has, will handle it.
Living quarters is a non issue as well since gay and lesbian members have lived in harmony with their straight shipmates for decades. As far as military housing, those criteria will most likely have to be changed a bit to recognize a gay couple. Oddly, when I was married to a Coastie (we both were enlisted at the time), we did not qualify for military housing in Hawaii because we had no children. We were told that there weren't enough members in our household to warrant a house on base. We understood the reason behind the criteria and simply lived on the economy on our BAH. I suspect that many base housing areas have this criteria and gay couples without kids may have to live on the economy in some locations.
Lastly, I feel we need to heed lessons learned from other countries. People are people, no matter what country they hail from, and their lessons learned will apply to us and be an invaluable resource for dealing with some of the issues that will arise when DADT is repealed.
Thank you for the opportunity to weigh-in on this very important issue.
I am pleased to see the robust discussion on this policy and thank all who commented on this post. This type of open communication is helpful for everyone to understand all sides of Don't Ask-Don't Tell. I encourage all Coast Guard members (Active Duty/Reserve military, their spouses and civilians) to visit the Comprehensive Review Working Group site at where you can provide your comments for the review process. The site is only accessible by CAC holders. Active Duty/Reserve military can access the site for their spouses. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts on this important policy.
Vice Admiral Sally Brice-O'Hara
Vice Commandant
My response is to Michael (Todd) Kilmer:
One of the hardest moments of my Coast Guard career was when I signed your DD-214 releasing you from the Coast Guard. You were one of the Coast Guard's rising stars and great assets. You have been missed. My genuine comments stems from you and I coming up the ranks and taking care of our customers no matter what the situation. I for one don't recall sexual preference and/or orientation as being a qualifying or disqualifying factor to fix pay problems, drive our ships, fix our main diesel engines and fly our aircraft. Until DADT is repealed, we will continue to lose our valued members and by repealing DADT the last vestige of discrimination will finally go away.
My personal thoughts about openly gay members serving in uniform are simple: It doesn't matter to me what a person's sexual preference is. When I introduce myself to others, the first statement out of my mouth is not "Hi, my name is Bill and I'm a heterosexual." The same applies to everyone out there. Treat others as you would want to be treated. Equally!
We as military professionals are already following regulations and regretibly DADT is just one more regulation. When it is finally repealed, again more regulations will be forthcoming and all in uniform will be required to follow them.
Semper Paratus!
Good Day;
Well, guess I should elaborate a bit more:
I do not condone Homosexualy, but, I don't discriminate against those that do.
I have served with Gays and Lesbians, and had no problems with any of them. Yes, they have and do serve with distinction.
The rules MAY change. If they do, those who serve WILL adapt, and the Earth keeps spinning. If they don't, those who serve WILL adapt, and the Earth keeps spinning.
As for the poor person that told thier CO about this, what did they expect? A CO has to maintain order IAW SERVICE CURRENT POLICY. The CO had no choice but do thier job…..BUUUUUTTTT….quite honestly, if I were that CO, I would have given them some very sound advice, then let the situation go. Those of us that are leaders AND mentors will understand what I mean here.
None of my CO's asked me about my prefences, nor did I tell them. As long as I did my job well, I believe they wouldn't have cared anyway. Based off many of your comments, my finding is verified.
No need to get spun up….the services are changing rapidly. It dosen't matter what I think, or anyone else….. This is gonna happen…Look around, it's already happening…read the comments…. the services are quite aware of who's who, and many of these persons still get promoted or advanced. Dosen't sound to me like anything needs changing.
My Point? I still say no one needs to know the other person's sexuality. It has NOTHING to do with job performance. When Federal Law begins acknowledging Gay and Lesbian Marriages, the Military WILL FOLLOW SUIT. I think, based off the comments, the Gay and Lesbian personnel are alreay accepted, therefore, we're just waiting for the ink to dry.
There are too many contradictions within people's own arguements. Too many people are serving openly gay where no one cares while too many others live in constant fear of being found out.
And to claim that so many people are aware of people violating current policy and choosing to ignore it is disheartening. Would you applaud those people who choose to ignore members using drungs and not reporting it? That, unlike the race or gender arguemnt would be closer to applicable. Drug use and sodomy are violations of policy. Even if you argue that sexual orientaion is not a choice, you still choose to act on those desires.
Even if you remove DADT, an openly gay member would not be free to express their sexuality to those who didn't want to hear it. This would still be a place of business. You can't currently discuss your heterosexual relations with people who don't want to hear it. We have standrads of conduct.
And the religous arguement doesn't hold water. You can't currently discrimate against any other servicemember based on your religious beliefs. The Coast Guard policy trumps all. If you really can't serve alongside someone, you can get out.
Once again, we live by a set of rules. We shouldn't applaud those who violate those rules. If you don't like the policy, set about to change it, don't simply ignore it.
Maybe, just maybe, if everyone who is serving openly gay had already been exposed, and the number was anywhere near the tens of thousands mentioned earlier, the policy would have already been changed because it would have placed too great of a burden on the service to process those people out.
Getting back to basics, the DADT policy is a great policy if people simply followed it. Examples have been provided in this discussion that shows where people have violated the policy from both sides. The problem isn't with the policy, it's with it's application.
Once again, no one should feel the need to express their sexuality in the workplace. No one should be asking about your sexuality in the workplace. And no one needs to lie about their sexuality. Everyone has the right not to incriminate themself. You don't have to answer a question that no one had the right to ask in the first place.
People are also omitting the final part of that policy which was don't pursue. We aren't supposed to be conducting those individual investigations like the one that was mentioned earlier. If people were actually informed of the current policy, that individual's statements/finding would have never been heard, and he would have been the one facing administrative/NJP actions.
Here is a list of things that straight service members can engage in routinely without a second thought, but for which the current DADT law and UCMJ sodomy statute can and have caused gay service men and women to be kicked out: (part 1)
1) talk about their lover;
2) talk about their significant other;
3) talk about their spouse;
4) have a telephone conversation overheard with any of the above;
5) have a letter or e-mail discovered addressed to any of the above;
6) have sexual relations with any of the above;
7) talk to their buddies about who they went out with the past weekend;
8) brag to their buddies about their sexual exploits the past weekend;
(part 2)
9) bring their significant other to a military function;
10) have a Facebook page or MySpace page in which they reveal their sexual orientation.
11) Have a photograph of their significant other or spouse or kids on their desk, in their locker or on a table by their bed or the bulkhead of their shipboard rack;
12) Be seen with their spouse or significant other in a movie, restaurant or bar;
13) Holding hands with or kissing their spouse or significant other in a public place;
14) Seeking help from a military chaplain wherein their sexual orientation was revealed;
15) Seeking help from a military health care provider wherein their sexual orientation was revealed.
Gay people can and have been kicked out for ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
DADT kicks out patriotic, talented and experienced gay, lesbian and bisexual service men and women for any and all of the items mentioned above. Straight people get kicked out for none of them.
This situation creates a gross inequality for gays and straights under military regulations of conduct.
Getting rid of DADT simply allows all service members to live under the exact, same rules and regulations of conduct.
There's a difference between talking to your buddies and talking to your co-workers. Heterosexual people are also prevented from discussing many of those same topics. Married members can't openly discuss their infidelities or their relationship outside of their marriage. People in relationships that involve fraternization can't openly discuss those. People who engage in activities that violate the UCMJ can't openly discuss them in the workplace. Discuss whatever you want with your "buddies", just don't bring it into the workplace.
Also discussions about spouses should be limited to a relationship which the service would recognize that significant other as a spouse. One of the questions that's still going to have to answered is whether or not the service is going to recognize same sex marriages or civil unions.
With Facebook, underage members can't talk about their drinking without fear of reprisals. No service member could talk about their drug use on MySpace or Facebook without fear of reprisals. Heterosexual members couldn't discuss their illegal (yes illegal under the UCMJ) sexual exploits. Officer or Enlisted member couldn't talk about their personal relationship that violate fraternizations laws without fear of reprisals. We have many laws and standards of conduct that don't apply to other places of business.
Any personal picture, photo or display can be removed from the workplace if some has or the potential exists for someone to see it has offensive, distateful, objectionable…… pick your word of choice. A member couldn't currently keep a picture of their wife on their desktop if someone else in the office objected to it. That's the law we live under.
Check the record, heterosexual people have been discharged for inappropriate or illegal sexual activity or relationships. Let's not misrepresent the facts. Read any Good Order and Discpline report and you will see people getting discharged for the very things you're claiming straight people are free to engage in.
Once again, many patriotic, talented and experienced people get discharged for a variety of reasons when they fail to meet the service standard.
Repealing DADT isn't going to allow people to freely discuss their personal private matters with whomever they choose. People who don't want to listen to it will still be able to prevent those converstions from happening in the workplace. People who continue to discuss those topics can still have action taken against them.
There's a difference between your "buddies" and your co-workers. Staight people aren't currently free to discuss any of the topics you mentioned in the workplace if people object to it. Those are the laws we live by. The service currently only recognizes a married dependat as a spouse. Long term signifacant others aren't afford the same recognition. No one is allowed to freely discuss their activites that violate the UCMJ. The Good Order and Discipline reports have heterosexual members in them every quarter who are held accountable for the very topics you claim they can freely engage in. No you can freely discuss their personal private matters that violate the UCMJ.
Good Afternoon;
I totally agree with Stu…I'm confident he knows the rules. I still believe that your sexual preferences are totally different than any other issue (Gender, Race, Religion). Building on what Stu says, straight people CANNOT discuss these things either. Most people only discuss these things with very close friends and family, not with the entire workforce.
Now, that being said….pictures of your "Signifigant Other"..well, under the current rules, as long as the picture's not offensive, no problem. Not as if someone's gonna ask you, "What's your relationship with that person"…..
Lastly, IF the Federal Government recognizes Gay Marriages THEN change the policy. If not, just leave it alone.
In a Military Environment, everyone's under many strict rules of discipline that are different from the Civilian world…and for good reason!
People really need to be clearer on this issue. I personally am not well versed or even interested to find out about DOD procedures or policies. I am only interested in Coast Guard policy, and the Coast Guard is very clear on this issue. People do seem to be confusing the actual policy with the manner in which it is carried out or enforced.
Let me be clear. The Coast Guard does not discriminate based on sexual orientation. No one has to take my word for that, they can look it up for yourself, Chapter 12, black and white, Coast Guard policy.
If this issue could affect you, your career, or your life, you should really educate yourself on it, and your rights. Everyone should educate themselves on their ART 31 rights.
And if the policy is changed, people should take another read through the sexual harassment and inappropriate actions policies that we currently have in place. Your speech isn't going to be as unrestricted as some people might want you to believe.
if you look at the big picture Hetersexuals dont get discharged for being who they are. and thats okay to do it to others? service to your country should not be limited to just 1 kind of person but for all who live work and bleed in america. a homosexual they has done 3 tours in iraq and then gets discharged and his benifits takin away….. its discussting and revolting and to be frank everyone out there that thinks other wise look at the picture odds are you are serving and or best friends at work with one and u dont even know it so befor you start writing things say heterosexuals have it so hard think of the people defending and putting there lives everyday on the line for all of us and on top of that stress they have to depress who they are and in fear of getting discharged everyday
That same person doing 3 tours in Iraq could have been discharged and lost his benefits if he failed to meet the weight standards. Where is the public outcry over that?
I was honorably discharged from the Coast Guard when I was caught kissing a guy while we were on a patrol break in Aruba. They told me I could continue the patrol for another month but could not guarantee my safety on the ship. So I took a plane ticket home from Aruba. What a joke. The xo said he was very upset that he had to let me go since I was such a great AST. But you like boys, so time to go. As if that had any effect on my ability to do my job. If the military thinks being gay looks so bad, why don't they have a policy for the hetero's called the You married, don't cheat on your wife policy or we kick you out too.
Adultery is a violation of the UCMJ, but meeting the elements of that offense is very different than just comitting the act. Once again, focus your blame. The Military enforces the rules that we are given. Congress makes those rules.


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Safety First in Boating
Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and boats are shucking their covers all over Missouri. Warm days in April and May bring fishermen and boaters to the state's waterways in droves. Before launching your boat for the first time this spring, there are a few things to keep in mind to make your boating experience safe and fun.
As early season boating regulars know, the water is still cold, even on warm days. Most boating fatalities occur from capsizing and falling overboard. Cold water decreases the amount of time a person can swim or tread water, regardless of training or swimming ability.
Best Boating Law
One of the best Missouri laws is the one that requires each vessel to have one appropriately sized, U.S. Coast Guard approved personal flotation device for each passenger on board. However, PFDs are useless if they are not readily accessible.
Nine out of ten drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket. That's why authorities recommend that boaters wear a life jacket at all times. If traditional life jackets are too bulky, hot or uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time, consider trying an inflatable, U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD. Some inflatable PFDs resemble suspenders or fanny packs. A CO2 cartridge inside inflates them. Pulling a cord activates some. Others inflate automatically when a sensor comes into contact with water.
These small, lightweight PFDs are more expensive than regular life jackets, but most users agree that the convenience is well worth the extra cost. All inflatable PFDs are approved only if they are worn.
Children under seven years old are required by law to wear a PFD while aboard any vessel, unless they are in a totally enclosed cabin, such as on a houseboat. Before heading out, make sure the life jacket fits the child well, so he or she won't slip out of it after falling into the water.
Another required piece of boating safety equipment on every vessel 16 feet or longer is a throwable personal flotation device, such as a seat cushion or a ring buoy. Throwing a buoy to someone in danger of drowning keeps would-be rescuers out of the water, where they might themselves drown.
Vessels 16 feet and longer also must be equipped with a sounding device. If your boat doesn't have a horn, a simple solution is a plastic or metal whistle. You can attach it to your boat keys so you'll always have it when

subset: commoncrawl


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The Newman Center offers Mass every Sunday at 7pm, each week that school is in session.
The Fall 2014 semester ends on December 12th. Our last Mass of the semester will be on Sunday, December 7th.
We will offer an 11pm (yes, pm) mass on Monday, December 8th on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception…followed immediately by midnight breakfast for exam week!
See you for the first mass of Spring 2015 on Sunday, January 11th.
We offer Daily Mass every Wednesday afternoon that school is in session.
4:30p.m. in the small chapel.
Father Dean is also available for Confessions by appointment, or before or after Sunday mass in the small chapel.
Adoration is offered each week in the small chapel on Thursday evening at 8pm, immediately after Family Dinner.


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First meeting of the "CSO Club" Kinshasa
There are four Christian Science Organizations in Kinshasa, and Parfait Mabela, the clerk of the CSO at the Université Pédagogique National, tells us about the first meeting the CSOs had together and how the CSO club in Kinshasa came to be. It is an inspiring story of connection and inspiration.
Here is what Parfait had to say about the meeting:
The goal of this first meeting was to find a way around the shadow areas, the doubts, a lot of people have about spiritual questions, to discuss spiritual ideas, and then to try to answer questions people might have by sharing our own experiences. University students were the target audience.
We wanted the meeting to create a frame of enrichment and intersection between the CSOs of Kinshasa.
During the first part of our activity, we discussed ways to better explain both to ourselves and others what a CSO is. While talking about this intersection point of sharing, we created and named what is now the "CSO club." People really liked this idea and having the "club" encouraged them to ask as many questions as they could.
Soon after we showed people about the CSO club, we did what we always do next: have a workshop. The workshop of the day was titled: "My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth". 1
We had something like a debate, or an interactive discussion. Since I was leading the discussion, my objective was for people to know without a doubt at the end of the workshop that only God can bring a solution, no matter what the problem is.
And that is exactly what happened! At the end, people made comments about God bringing solutions. It was so inspiring to me to see how receptive everyone was to seeing how solutions come from God. To see more about the meeting, you will have to go watch the video
- Ps. 121:2 ↩
Topics: College and University, Practical Spirituality | Tags: Université Pédagogique National


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City officials intend to start from scratch in the search for a restaurant to fill the Scotty's Burger Joint space in The Commons.
Mayor Kristen Brown and City Attorney Kelly Benjamin explained to the Columbus City Council on Monday night that the leaseholder for the space in The Commons breached its contract with the city when the restaurant operator ended its relationship with the Scotty's franchise.
Based on Benjamin's advice and a discussion with the State Board of Accounts, unless that breach is repaired, the city is obligated to go through a bidding process to find the next tenant for The Commons. Under the contract with the city, the only way to fix that breach would be to bring back a Scotty's restaurant, Benjamin said.
"The lease was very specific," Brown said. "The lease was for one and only one use — a Scotty's restaurant."
Brown said the previous city administration, which made the deal for the restaurant, specifically sought the Scotty's franchise because the restaurateur was expected to provide a regional draw to downtown Columbus.
The lease holder, Greenhouse Restaurants Inc., will receive a letter explaining the breach during Thursday night's Redevelopment Commission meeting, which will start a bid-seeking process to fill the space, Benjamin said. Based on timelines under state law, the process must take a minimum of 39 days but would likely take at least two months, Benjamin said.
Benjamin said the State Board of Accounts could not advise the city on whether or not a breach occurred — that was up to the city to determine. However in the event of a breach, the state agency advised that the city has several steps it must take including a 15-day window for the leaseholder to fix the problem. The way to do that would be to bring back a Scotty's franchise.
Benjamin said she spoke Monday with Scott Wise, the principal behind the Scotty's restaurants, and was told it was unlikely that the relationship between Wise's company and the leaseholder could be repaired.
After the 15 days, the city must then decide on the requirements it expects from submitted bids, seek those bids by advertising twice for at least 10 days each and then receive approval from public boards, Benjamin said.
Brown will ask the Commons Board to decide the parameters of what should go into that restaurant space. The Redevelopment Commission then will recommend which of the bidders best meets that criteria. Final approval would need to be given by the City Council, because under state law a contract for more than $25,000 a year needs City Council approval, Benjamin said.
Under Mayor Fred Armstrong, the lease was negotiated by Columbus Downtown Inc., a not-for-profit corporation set up by city officials to negotiate leases and deals without having to go through the state-mandated approval process. That meant much of the negotiation and approval for a Scotty's franchise happened outside of the public eye. Brown said the process outlined by Benjamin is the same process the city should have initially followed, without the CDI detour.
The entire chain of events was sparked when MSCB Group, the owners of Greenhouse Restaurants, terminated its agreement Dec. 19 with A Pots & Pans Production, the company which franchises Scotty's restaurants. A Pots & Pans Production closed the restaurant as a Scotty's Dec. 31.
Greenhouse Restaurants came back to the city last week with an emergency request before the Redevelopment Commission to alter the lease, allowing them to operate a Detour American Grille instead of a Scotty's Burger Joint. That request was not acted on, and another Redevelopment Commission meeting was scheduled for Thursday to address the request.
Mark Maddox, one of the co-owners of MSCB Group, told the Redevelopment Commission last week that if the city didn't approve the request to change to a Detour American Grill, the city would be putting at risk the jobs of about 70 employees. The company initially planned to continue training employees for the anticipated restaurant change, and Maddox last week said they planned to reopen the day after approval from the Redevelopment Commission.
Early last week, there was a banner in front of the restaurant saying it would reopen this week. Brown said the company had to take down the sign because it violated the city's sign ordinance and was not approved by the city, which owns the building.
Benjamin and Brown spoke to the attorney for MSCB Group LLC, the owners of Greenhouse Restaurants, following Monday's City Council meeting, informing him of the city's findings and intentions
Brown said MSCB Group would be welcome to submit a proposal as a bidder for the new lease.
Councilman Frank Jerome, who also serves on the Columbus Redevelopment Commission, said he had concerns that the city would be portrayed as driving out the restaurant. But by dropping Scotty's, Jerome said the company set itself on this path.
"It is not our position to bail them out," Jerome said.
"I think the important thing to remember here is that we did not terminate the agreement; we did not breach the agreement," Brown said. "They had a Scotty's restaurant here that lasted for 13 months."
Mert Shipman and Maddox, the co-owners of MSCB Group, could not be reached for comment following Monday night's council meeting.
October 2012: Mert Shipman, holder of the lease for The Commons space, said the Fourth Street construction project was costing him $20,000 a week in reduced restaurant receipts.
November 2012: Shipman said the city owed him $25,521 for extra construction costs for the space in The Commons. The city said Shipman owed $28,762.44 for unpaid electric, water and sewer bills and had yet to reassign his lease from CDI to the Redevelopment Commission. The city gave Shipman 15 days to comply or face eviction.
Dec. 17, 2012: The lease for the Scotty's space in The Commons was reassigned to the Redevelopment Commission.
Dec. 19, 2012: Shipman severs the management agreement with A Pots & Pans Production to operate the Columbus Scotty's restaurant.
Dec. 31: Scotty's Burger Joint closes.
Jan. 2: New plans were presented to the Columbus Redevelopment Commission for the former Scotty's Burger Joint. The lease-holder wishes to reopen the restaurant space with a Detour American Grille franchise. Commission takes no action because of unanswered questions.
Monday: The city attorney and State Board of Accounts agree that the lease for the restaurant space in The Commons must be opened up to a competitive bidding process after the city declares a breach in the contract.
11:30 a.m. Wednesday: The Commons Board will meet at the Xenia Miller Room in The Commons. The board has been assigned to come up with the requirements for proposals for the restaurant space.
6 p.m. Thursday: Next Columbus Redevelopment Commission meeting in the City Council chambers at City Hall, 123 Washington St. The city will present the leaseholders with a letter declaring them in breach of their lease.


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Command and Conquer 3: The Forgotten aims to bring back and tell the story of a fascinating faction. The Forgotten, featured in Tiberian Sun and Firestorm, are an ever-growing group of individuals afflicted with Tiberium-based illnesses. Detested, marginalized, and oppressed by the three superpowers, The Forgotten have begun to rally against GDI, Nod, and the Scrin. Since their story is not featured in C&C 3, the mod aims to tell it in a compelling fashion, through a deep singleplayer campaign, unique faction composition, and engaging gameplay. The Forgotten is also the only mod to feature high-definition Full Motion Videos, just like real C&C games, that advance the story.
One of the best mods for CNC 3! Just like most modders for CNC games, they aim to bring back things that Westwood put into the games. And so far, they are doing an amazing job. Keep up the good work!
The mod adds the Forgotten as a new faction and shows their storyline in the Third Tiberium War. The mod adds great stuff for the Forgotten in a pretty balanced way. I suggest you try the Sidewinders and Bulldozers, they own.
While The Forgotten is a wonderful mod, the Forgotten faction themselves seems to have a lot of extra units. For example, the Fissure Tank. It has no usage beyond killing Infantry that the Slicer and Mortar Teams cannot fill more successfully. Though, the person who voiced it is wonderful, and is in fact the reason I build them.
When it comes to infantry, the Forgotten have amazing infantry that are powerful but not overpowering. Their vehicles meanwhile are weaker than the opposing versions, but not to the point of being useless. Their air power seems roughly on par with GDI's, with a bit more versatility. Their support powers are very odd, and some could be seen as very niche powers. This is both a blessing and a curse, as the powers are not as useful all around as the other factions but can be a life saver in some situations, like evacuating a captured enemy MCV by using the Arteries of Assault power.
Overall, the mod is a wonderful experience that has just a few things that cause confusion.
The Forgotten brings an totally new side into the game: The Mutants.
Mutants have their own unique arsenal that consists from units like Tiberian Fiend herders and Jeeps,Tick Tanks,Suicide Drones,an VTOL with gas duster and so on. This arsenal is supported by an entire selection of support powers and upgrades. Their Superweapon is the Veinhole Monster. New music and sound is also added.
Besides that giant addition to multiplayer this mod also comes with an new campaign thats storyline is evolving around the mutant faction which includes amazing missions that have even cutscenes. Some new multi maps are also included in the mod.
This mod is very well designed. It plays well, and offers a very interesting line of new objects to use.
I give it an 8/10. There were a few very noticeable errors (missing text fields) and graphics issues, but other than those, it plays well.
Keep up the good work! looking forward to the next version.
one of the best mods i've ever played!
I play the MOD almost constantly.
Between this and Tiberium Essences I play nothing else.
I can't fault this MOD.
I liked the campaign, well planned out.
I like the units and the structures.
Good artwork all round.
great mod , love the units/structures
It's a great mod!! Except I'm gonna rate it 9/10 mainly because in the forgotten campaign, It doesn't show where the objective is
Real life action movies as cutscenes and a whole new Faction.
I mean
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The "C" word
posted 7/21/2007 11:21:31 PM |
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I've dealt with this word many times in my lifetime. It's nothing new. You hear it on the news or tv daily, see it in the papers. But until the word is spoken to you, as in you may possibly have cancer, you have no idea the impact it will have on you, your family and even your friends and coworkers. As some of you know I recently had to have biopsies done on my cervix and uterus. The week of waiting for the results was nearly unbearable. Only to be told that the samples taken were too small and didn't survive the testing, so they can't rule out cancer and they can't tell what stage it is in. So therefore Monday morning I go back in for yet more snipping. It all started when I went for my yearly exam. By yearly, yes I go every single year, without fail. I've always felt it was far too important to pass on. This year I was told that it showed some abnormal cells, some atypical squamous cells. Now I had this once years ago, it was an abnormal pap smear, the Dr. merely had me come back in three months and retest. No big deal, every thing was fine. This time I wasn't given the three month reprieve, I was told to come back in less than a week and have another check up. This one involved cameras, solutions that the Dr. swore were made of common vinegar and I swore they were acid. The procedure itself was not that painful but the after effects were hell. Severe cramping for days upon days. And then there is the waiting. Waiting. Jumping every time the phone rings, only to see that it's not the Dr. office calling with results. You finally give up and call them when it's been a week and they tell you to keep waiting. Then they finally call and tell you that you have to go through it all over again! But I think that the hardest part of all is how your family and friends react. This is when you find out who really cares about you. So many of you on here have been so supportive and it is appreciated, more than you will ever know. For there are many that you know in "real life" that simply say "oh no, you're gonna be fine, it's nothing at all" or they simply tell you they are sorry to hear it and turn away from you, or say nothing at all. I think that hurts the most of all, that people that are supposed to love you and care about you, can simply walk away when the "c" word is spoken out loud. It's one word that strikes fear, loathing and pity all in one fell swoop.
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read more blogs!
Blogs by ladybootscooter:
Meaningless Information
Stupid is as Stupid does........Forrest Gump
Keeping your story straight........
Bad Boys don't whine!!
Would you fuck a sheep???
How the fight really started..........
Shopping Trip
Grumpy Cheap Old Men
The "C" word
Old Habits Die Hard
Work Regulations or A Day in the Life of a Busy Sexetary
The AMD Clique does it, or doesn't it exist?
The love story of Ralph and Edna
Old Goats
Romper Room
Am I the only one that's noticed this?
If You Had Called Yesterday........
Does anyone ever read the comments on blogs???
post a comment!
Jul 21 @ 11:26PM
OH Jinglin Jebus.. so they have to do the whole thing over again? Darlin I AM sorry.. ignant culls.
Yer still on the prayer list so.. that's a lil something anyway. HUGS.. and still awaiting the all's clear.
Jul 21 @ 11:28PM
Stormy, you and I have talked about this of course your scared, hell i would be too and have been being diagnosed several times with precancer cells and having to have D&C's time and time again. And i wont tell you not to worry, I am worried for you also. My mother use to say dont borrow trouble, but sometimes we rent a little. So this is what I am going to tell you, You have become a really good friend of mind, and I am here for you no matter what the results and I will not walk away for any reason you need me im here. People are scared of that C word (hell you know what i thought this blog was about when i saw that dont you
) they are afraid they may catch someone else's bad luck. But i am here whenever you need me for support for friendship to rant at I am here. And i share your worry.
Luvs ya sweetie.
Jul 21 @ 11:29PM
Yes you are right I think it is probably the scariest word in the English language. And platitudes from people how ever well meant don't help. It wont be all right until you know the results.
Is there any way when the test is redone on monday you can ask for them to expediate the results the amount of time you are waiting seems extreme to me. Back in Australia when they diagnosed my abnormal cells they did the test and I was in surgery for the removal of my uterus with in 3 days. I don't understand the delay with you.
Try as hard as you can to push for faster results especially based on how long you have waited now.
Love you girl and I will help you and talk anytime you need to rant or cry or whatever..... Kimmie.
Jul 21 @ 11:32PM
fuckin doctors...........
i got another friend on here........dealin with this thing too........
i think the hard part for family n friends is the inability to do ANYTHING
Jul 21 @ 11:37PM
You know what I went through.....not easy bein' a woman is it??
Try your best to stay positive....I know it's scary....
Jul 21 @ 11:43PM
AWWWWW Sweetie... C'mere and have a seat next to me. I will hold your hand while you wait for the results and if they are positive we can be chemo buddies and yell and scream together.
Nobody *wants* to hear the C word... It's the scariest word on the planet next to the word death and many people simply don't know what to say or how to react when they hear the news.
My family and friends here in the "real" world have circled the wagons and are driving me absolutely INSANE smothering me in concern.
Thank GOD for the sane folks around here who treat me like a NORMAL person. I would probably flip completely out and start killing people in their sleep if it wasn't for the people who care enough to be concerned without smothering me and who care enough to treat me the same way that they did *before* they found out about the cancer.
I'm here if you need me.
Jul 21 @ 11:44PM
Thanks ya'll, for the prayers, the thoughts, the words of encouragement.
This is the reason that no matter how tired I was last night I had to go to the Relay for Life walk. The reason that I pounded the concrete for nearly 9 straight hours, standing by only to cheer on the survivors during their lap! There was no way I could stay home last night, I had to be there to show my support and to help raise more money for the cure. I'm a part of it every year and this year was not going to be any different!
Jul 21 @ 11:48PM
being a 2 time cancer survivor...i know exactly how you feel. 1999, I had stage 1 Pappilary Thyroid Cancer...removed Thyroid, had 2 huge doses of Radiation Therapy. 2000, i found out i had Stage 3 Dysplasia...last stage wouldv'e been full blown Cervical Cancer...i had laser surgery to remove all the bad cells, every 3 months for 1 year of Pap Tests. Wasnt enjoyable...but i am still here.
It is the hardest word to hear. But thankfully i found out early enough with both..I have been cancer free since.
Call call call and keep them on the phone...or better yet. Just go to the office and demand some answers. Prayers are with you.
Jul 22 @ 12:01AM
scooter the worst part is not knowing............sometimes my patience is about as long as.......well you know........
and let's say i won't be drilling for oil anytime soon........
so just know i am doing all i can in the thoughts and prayers catagory.......
Jul 22 @ 12:06AM
I am sorry to read what you are experiencing. I will hold you in my thoughts in the upcoming week.
Jul 22 @ 12:13AM
Stormy, you are on my mind and in my prayers,Sweetie. If you need to rant or talk, I'm right here. I know how long that wait period is......every hour seems like 6 at least. Sending hugs to you...........
Jul 22 @ 12:45AM
Your in our prayers, Ladybootscooter
Jul 22 @ 12:58AM
I too know how you feel, I've been there myself. When you hear them mention the C word you are in full dread, and have no idea what you're gonna do. At the time I heard that dreaded word I had a 5 and a 6 yr old. No one to care for them if something happened to me. I was divorced from a deadbeat dad and no grandparents to care for them. But thankfully I beat it, I'm now healthy as a horse. Prayers to you darlin, I hope you are better soon and also healthy as a horse. lol If you need a shoulder, I have some broad ones. Let me know what you need. D
Jul 22 @ 1:28AM
Jul 22 @ 1:55AM
good luck sugar
thinking of you....
if you need to scream, let us know, we will listen
Jul 22 @ 8:52AM
scooter I'm sorry to hear about what's going on ..... I will hope and pray that everything turns out ok. If yopu need an ear to sound off on I'll volunteer toi be that too .. I have seen what cancer can do ... So yes i am here if you want me
Jul 22 @ 9:14AM
oohh one last thing......as i keep positive thoughts....i wanted to remind you ....''you need to be to wrk early MONDAY for your lessons BUT i've decided to give you your rise (never knew she was lackin in that ) and your lessons are.....oh fuck it ok...FREE'' BUT ........makin the coffee is STILL your job...now .........rest up .......your gona need it" ...slurrrrps up sexratarys leg to make her think of some good stuff *
oh here's one of my super shiney special kudos for you........
Jul 22 @ 9:29AM
Be strong, keep your head up and think positive, I have worked in surgery now for 20 years and a positive attitude makes a big difference in more ways than one. And yes you find your true friends. But today's technology is amazing and there are many options. Remember ask your doc questions and do always take no for an answer. Good luck to you and you have my invisible support.
Jul 22 @ 9:51AM
It's all down to mental attitude. If you let it get to you then you will make yourself feel worse so try to remain positive and determined to beat it. I know this is easier said than done and I have lost a great deal of people I loved and respected to this disease but I have every faith that you will beat it and I hope and pray that you stay strong and I will be sending all good thoughts to help you through this difficult time.
Jul 22 @ 11:21AM
I believe in the positive attitude approach. and i'm positive things will go well.
Jul 22 @ 11:31AM
You have my thoughts and prayers... and an ear anytime you need to rant or cry!
Jul 22 @ 11:58AM
Thanks for all the words of encouragment. It helps to hear from so many survivors! Oh and Boss.........
''you need to be to wrk early MONDAY for your lessons
Did I forget to mention I'll be late for work on Monday?? Gotta go back for another snip, snip session doncha know!
Jul 22 @ 12:36PM
dayum woman I am so sorry, keep your chin up I also go every year for the crap the "C" word also runs in my family my mom has 3 sisters that lost both breasts so I try to keep up and yeah been 2 yrs since I quit smokin. If you need to hollar more I'm also available for you
Jul 22 @ 1:08PM
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The "C" word


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Since New York has implemented the Common Core Curriculum, parents and students alike have had many questions as to how to interpret test results and what these results might mean for children in lower grades going forward. For a step-by-step explanation of ELA test score results, click HERE. For a parent resource guide for all aspects of the Common Core from the engageny.org Website, click HERE.
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Tracy Morgan is start of the Emmy and Golden Glove award winning NBC series, "30 Rock." He's back to stand up so come on down and enjoy a hilarious night of comedy! Tickets must be purchased ahead of time! $45.00. $75.00 with dinner and VIP seating.
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Spotify releases new app that combines food and music, a $50 tablet is released in the UK, Android 4.4 KitKat may be dominated by the "Google Experience," and more.
5 things you missed: 10/181. Android KitKat will make an amazing Android experience for everybodyThe rumors floating around about the new Android operating system, due out the end of October, point towards a new environment for users, one that some are calling the "Google Experience."What does the "Google Experience" mean for you? For lower-end Android devices, it means that search and Google Now would be more easily accessible. For higher-end Android devices, it means that your apps will continue to be more a part ...View "5 things you missed: 10/18" on Spundge
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May 6, 2016
Staffers at Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro say some frontline workers plan to protest Wednesday.
The workers deal directly with patients with mental illnesses.
The issues workers have with management regard dangerous working conditions, forced mandatory overtime and an unfair grievance system.
The protest is scheduled to begin outside the hospital at noon.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or email@example.com.


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I found after my recent trip to France that work issues are all the same, no matter what country you are visiting. I was invited to speak at the United States – France Chamber of Commerce. In the audience, were executives from both the public and private sector. I was surprised to see the number of organizations represented not just from France, but from several countries in Europe, the United States and India.
What fascinated me most was the Q&A that followed. With all those diverse organizations and countries represented, all of the questions on workplace issues were the same. How to attract good people? How to motivate your people? How do you engage and retain your people? All are relevant issues no matter where you are headquartered or whether your organization is a for-profit business or a government agency.
Even on the walk from my hotel to the meeting (there was a transit strike in France at the time), it was amazing to see all the diversity right there in the shops. There were shops selling Italian designed products, American designed products, French designed products, all manufactured in France, the U.S., and China. Truly global!
Here are some tips on retaining good people:
The average employee does not enter the workplace seeking to work with the same company for a lifetime, as had been the case in past generations. Many new entrants into the job market base their choices on current opportunities and objectives, or even based on geography, instead of future stability. Employees are looking for the best salary, benefits, etc. and will change job titles, companies, and even cities until they feel that their current potential has been maximized. In order to combat this changing job market, I have a few simple, but effective solutions:
Make your employees feel important every day. Today's employees know how valuable their time and skills are. Unfortunately, oftentimes after we hire someone, we soon forget to remind him or her how valuable they are to the company. Be sure to let your employees know how important their contributions are to the firm. A simple pat on the back will go a long way to boost morale and make the employee feel like an integral part of the company, thus enhancing their likelihood of staying with you for a longer period of time. Everyone likes to be appreciated!
Employee loyalty is as simple as showing them respect. Respect for their contributions and respect for their future with your company. If they feel that their career and the firm are moving forward together, I guarantee that they will be much less likely to bolt for greater compensation.


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Faculty Mentoring Program
The History Department has recently created a faculty mentoring program for undergraduates.
What is a mentor?
Faculty mentors are not intended to replace the excellent services of our Undergraduate Advisor, James Basore, who will continue to advise you about requirements, courses, preparation, and careers.
Mentors are working historians on the faculty of Indiana University to whom you can talk about your work and also about planning your program to create a more satisfying major. Some of you have already sought this kind of informal advice from faculty members. Others have felt more hesitant, so this is an opportunity for those who would like to get guidance from a faculty member to do so.
If you would like a faculty mentor, please read the following guidelines and follow the instructions:
History Department Guidelines for Mentees
1. If you would like a mentor, you may request that the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) assign you to one. You may request a specific individual, although it may not be possible to get that person. The Director of Undergraduate Studies will find out whether a specific individual you requested as a mentor is available; if not, the DUS will assign you to a mentor based on your interests (so, for example, if you are interested in the history of Asia, we will try to assign you to an Asianist). To contact the DUS, email email@example.com
2. Your mentor is there to help you get the most out of the intellectual aspects of your undergraduate education. Your mentor will be happy to discuss your intellectual interests with you and help you put together a satisfying history major. You can discuss your course selections and your mentor can give you suggestions on how to make your courses work together.
3. Your mentor may also help you with the intellectual preparation you need for graduate school. If you apply to graduate or professional school, your mentor will be happy to read your personal statement and comment on it.
4. You should make appointments to visit your mentor during his or her posted office hours; don't just drop by! Please contact your mentor only at the History Department, unless s/he gives you explicit permission to do otherwise.
5. If you wish to have a different mentor (if your interests change and/or you and your mentor do not get along well), you may request a reassignment from the DUS. The DUS will inform your mentor of this reassignment.
6. Your mentor is not intended to replace your regular instructors. If you have questions or difficulties in a particular course, you should seek help from that instructor first. While your mentor will be happy to discuss history to the extent of his or her knowledge of a particular concentration, your mentor will not become involved in your relationship with other faculty members.
7. Students who choose to work closely with a faculty mentor should also keep in contact with the History Department's Academic Advisor, James Basore. He provides additional services to students, including graduation requirements, advising and scheduling, curriculum enhancement, career counseling, academic preparedness, and general graduate school information.