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THIS is going too far. Do they really expect us to sit by and allow unelected activist judges to force female perverts on our boys in uniform? 
Federal judge orders lesbian reinstated to Air Force
TACOMA, Wash. — A decorated lesbian Air
Force flight nurse says she can't wait to get
back to her unit after a federal judge Friday
ruled that she should get her job back as soon
as possible in the latest legal setback to the
military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
"I'm ready whenever they are," Maj. Margaret
Witt said in a live interview on msnbc's "The
Rachel Maddow Show." "I can’t wait to get back
to my unit, to be with my incredible unit
members; they're a wonderful group," she told
Maddow.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Ronald
Leighton came in a closely watched case as a
tense debate has been playing out over the
policy. Senate Republicans blocked an effort to
lift the ban this week, but Leighton is now the
second federal judge this month to deem the
policy unconstitutional.
Witt was suspended in 2004 and subsequently
discharged under the "don't ask, don't tell"
policy after the Air Force learned she had been
in a long-term relationship with a civilian
woman. She sued to get her job back.
Barring an appeal, Witt will now be able to
serve despite being openly gay. A federal judge
in California earlier this month ruled the law
unconstitutional and is considering whether to
immediately halt the ban. While such an
injunction would prevent openly gay service
members from being discharged going
forward, it wouldn't do anything for those who
have already been dismissed.
'Highly charged civil rights movement'
Leighton hailed her as a "central figure in a
long-term, highly charged civil rights
movement." Tears streaked down Witt's
cheeks and she hugged her parents, her
partner and supporters following the ruling.
"Today you have won a victory in that struggle,
the depth and duration of which will be
determined by other judicial officers and
hopefully soon the political branches of
government," the judge told her, choking up as
he recalled Witt's dramatic testimony about
her struggles.
Witt, who has been working at a veterans
hospital, told Maddow that she was surprised
that "the judge spoke to me personally."
She said Leighton "really gets" the impact her
firing had on everyone, particularly her family,
and the support they gave her.
Witt called the ordeal over "don't ask, don't
tell", especially the notion that she could be
outed by a third party, "very enlightening."
"I was aware I wasn’t going to tell; they weren’t
supposed to ask me," she said.
Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, a fighter pilot who
is also fighting dismissal after an 18-year Air
Force career, appeared with Witt on Maddow's
show. He told Maddow that Witt's case gives
him hope that he may prevail.
Leighton determined after a six-day trial that
Witt's discharge advanced no legitimate
military interest. To the contrary, her dismissal
hurt morale in her unit and weakened the
squadron's ability to carry out its mission, he
ruled.
"If you pull me out of my unit, it's going to
harm that unit ... it affects the morale of my
unit," Fehrenbach told Maddow.
TACOMA, Wash. — A decorated lesbian Air
Force flight nurse says she can't wait to get
back to her unit after a federal judge Friday
ruled that she should get her job back as soon
as possible in the latest legal setback to the
military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
"I'm ready whenever they are," Maj. Margaret
Witt said in a live interview on msnbc's "The
Rachel Maddow Show." "I can’t wait to get back
to my unit, to be with my incredible unit
members; they're a wonderful group," she told
Maddow.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Ronald
Leighton came in a closely watched case as a
tense debate has been playing out over the
policy. Senate Republicans blocked an effort to
lift the ban this week, but Leighton is now the
second federal judge this month to deem the
policy unconstitutional.
Witt was suspended in 2004 and subsequently
discharged under the "don't ask, don't tell"
policy after the Air Force learned she had been
in a long-term relationship with a civilian
woman. She sued to get her job back.
Barring an appeal, Witt will now be able to
serve despite being openly gay. A federal judge
in California earlier this month ruled the law
unconstitutional and is considering whether to
immediately halt the ban. While such an
injunction would prevent openly gay service
members from being discharged going
forward, it wouldn't do anything for those who
have already been dismissed.
'Highly charged civil rights movement'
Leighton hailed her as a "central figure in a
long-term, highly charged civil rights
movement." Tears streaked down Witt's
cheeks and she hugged her parents, her
partner and supporters following the ruling.
"Today you have won a victory in that struggle,
the depth and duration of which will be
determined by other judicial officers and
hopefully soon the political branches of
government," the judge told her, choking up as
he recalled Witt's dramatic testimony about
her struggles.
Witt, who has been working at a veterans
hospital, told Maddow that she was surprised
that "the judge spoke to me personally."
She said Leighton "really gets" the impact her
firing had on everyone, particularly her family,
and the support they gave her.
Witt called the ordeal over "don't ask, don't
tell", especially the notion that she could be
outed by a third party, "very enlightening."
"I was aware I wasn’t going to tell; they weren’t
supposed to ask me," she said.
Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, a fighter pilot who
is also fighting dismissal after an 18-year Air
Force career, appeared with Witt on Maddow's
show. He told Maddow that Witt's case gives
him hope that he may prevail.
Leighton determined after a six-day trial that
Witt's discharge advanced no legitimate
military interest. To the contrary, her dismissal
hurt morale in her unit and weakened the
squadron's ability to carry out its mission, he
ruled.
"If you pull me out of my unit, it's going to
harm that unit ... it affects the morale of my
unit," Fehrenbach told Maddow.
I think I'd be putting in an emergency call to the pastors if my husband tried to do such a thing!
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