When the right things are done for the wrong reasons

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

If the right thing is done, but for the wrong reason - should it still considered a victory? If it is, then why do I feel so damn insulted?

Two recent examples are the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act and a letter that was sent to President Obama today.

The Matthew Shepard Act was a badly needed legislative order that should have been passed over a decade ago. The 21 year old Matthew Shepard was violently beaten to death on October 7, 1998. Many small towns across America simply don't have the training and resources to properly handle a murder investigation. The Act provides the funding and support to investigate and prosecute these crimes. Another important benefit allows federal authorities to initiate an investigation, even if the local authorities refuse to conduct one.

It took over a decade for this Act to pass, and the only reason it passed was because they attached it to another bill. It should have been passed in the interest of justice, not just because it was attached to a bill that no one would vote against.

Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sent a letter to President Obama and to Department of Defense Secretary Gates, in which he reiterated his support for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

SLDN.org reports:
Although President Obama repeatedly spoke of his support for open service as a candidate, he has been nearly silent on the issue since becoming president. As Commander in Chief, President Obama is in the best position to bring about repeal. As the Majority Leader said in his letter, while Congress works on enacting repeal, it would be extremely helpful to hear from both the President and Defense Secretary that, as we fight two wars, the administration understands the need to fix this broken law and strengthen our military.

Why do I feel like this has nothing to do with equal rights, and everything to do with the fact the military is now so desperate for people?

As I asked before, If the right thing is done, but for the wrong reason - should it still considered a victory?

-- Gary Wright II

For more information, please visit The Matthew Shepard Foundation:
MatthewShepard.org

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN):
SLDN.org

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