Now, I’m one of the first people to say that I just really don’t care what people do in their personal lives but rules are rules. That being said, I also want to add that I don’t agree with DADT, but again rules are rules. Now with THAT being said, I would like to say just how much I think the following story is an utter load of yellow journalism bullshite.
Jene Newsome played by the rules as an Air Force sergeant: She never told anyone in the military she was a lesbian. The 28-year-old’s honorable discharge under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy came only after police officers in Rapid City, S.D., saw an Iowa marriage certificate in her home and told the nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Okay, let’s start right friggin’ here. What are the criteria for being discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell? They’re simple: statement, act, marriage. If you say you’re gay (you know, the “tell” part), you’re out. If you get caught doing the warm and squishy with a member of your own gender, you’re out. If you get married to a member of your own sex, you’re out. Oh, and you can’t ask if someone is gay. It’s that simple. It really is taht freaking simple. So Was Jene Newsome “[playing] by the rules”? Nope, not a bit. She got married, she broke the rules.
Newsome and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint against the western South Dakota police department, claiming the officers violated her privacy when they informed the military about her sexual orientation. The case also highlights concerns over the ability of third parties to “out” service members, especially as the Pentagon has started reviewing the 1993 “don’t ask, don’t tell” law.
“I played by ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” Newsome told The Associated Press by telephone.
No Jene, you didn’t and that’s why you’ve been discharged. The fact that the police made it known to the Air Force that you were married to another woman does not violate Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell… your marriage did that. So now you want to file suit because someone tattled on you for breaking the rules and you want people to think that your decision to break those rules is actually a violation of your privacy? Really? So if the police notified the Air Force that you were smoking pot (another UCMJ violation) would that be a violation of your privacy too, or would it just be informing the military that one of its members had gone off the reservation? What about deserters and AWOLs that get caught by police and turned over to the military? That’s simultaneously a sticky wicket and a slippery slope. If you think you’re getting away with this, think again.
You broke the rules, you got caught, suck it up.
Tags: Air Force, discharge, Don't Ask, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Don't Tell, Ellsworth AFB, gay mariage, gay marriage, Iowa, Jene Newsome, marriage, Police, Rapid City, South Dakota
Not qualified to comment because I think that the ACLU involvement makes the lady guilty by association. I don’t like the Don’t Ask idea either but i am old school and think if you are going to put 5000 men on a boat that they should all be men.
Nice Eyebrow Ring Toots. It would appear that she can’t follow ANY rule.
Body Piercing
In Uniform:
Members are prohibited from attaching, affixing or displaying objects, articles, jewelry or ornamentation to or through the ear, nose, tongue, or any exposed body part (includes visible through the uniform). EXCEPTION: Women are authorized to wear one small spherical, conservative, diamond, gold, white pearl, or silver pierced, or clip earring per earlobe and the earring worn in each earlobe must match. Earring should fit tightly without extending below the earlobe. (EXCEPTION: Connecting band on clip earrings.)
Civilian Attire:
1.Official duty: Members are prohibited from attaching, affixing or displaying objects, articles, jewelry or ornamentation to or through the ear, nose, tongue, or any exposed body part (includes visible through clothing). EXCEPTION: Women are authorized to wear one small spherical, conservative, diamond, gold, white pearl, or silver pierced, or clip earring per earlobe and the earring worn in each earlobe must match. Earring should fit tightly without extending below the earlobe. (EXCEPTION: Connecting band on clip earrings)
2.Off duty on a military installation: Members are prohibited from attaching, affixing or displaying objects, articles, jewelry or ornamentation to or through the ear, nose, tongue, or any exposed body part (includes visible through clothing). EXCEPTION: Piercing of earlobes by women is allowed, but should not be extreme or excessive. The type and style of earrings worn by women on a military installation should be conservative and kept within sensible limits.
Dumbass.
Thank you for posting that. My tenure of service was long before Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
When I first read this is USA Today, my first response was to be mildly pissed off with the local PD. Now that I understand the regulation I agree with you 100%.