After_II 16_MC Years_NNT2 ,_, "_" Do_VD0 n't_XX Ask_VV0 ,_, Do_VD0 n't_XX Tell_NP1 "_" Deserves_VVZ to_TO Die_VV0 Our_APPGE view_NN1 on_II gays_NN2 in_II the_AT military_JJ :_: After_II 16_MC years_NNT2 ,_, 'do_NN1 n't_XX ask_VV0 ,_, do_VD0 n't_XX tell'_VVI deserves_VVZ to_TO die_VVI It_PPH1 's_VBZ time_NNT1 to_TO ditch_VVI prejudicial_JJ policy_NN1 that_CST hurts_VVZ military_JJ readiness_NN1 ._. 
Just_RR days_NNT2 after_CS he_PPHS1 took_VVD office_NN1 in_II 1993_MC ,_, President_NNB Clinton_NP1 tried_VVD to_TO deliver_VVI on_II a_AT1 campaign_NN1 promise_NN1 to_TO overturn_VVI the_AT ban_NN1 against_II gays_NN2 in_II the_AT military_JJ ._. 
He_PPHS1 failed_VVD abysmally_RR ._. 
The_AT military_JJ brass_NN1 opposed_VVD him_PPHO1 ._. 
The_AT public_NN1 opposed_VVD him_PPHO1 ._. 
Congressional_JJ Republicans_NN2 opposed_VVD him_PPHO1 ._. 
Even_RR some_DD otherwise_RR thoughtful_JJ senators_NN2 from_II his_APPGE own_DA party_NN1 shot_VVD him_PPHO1 down_RP ._. 
And_CC the_AT nation_NN1 ended_VVD up_RP stuck_VVD with_IW the_AT firestorm_NN1 's_GE convoluted_JJ legacy_NN1 --_NN1 a_AT1 compromise_NN1 known_VVN as_II "_" do_VD0 n't_XX ask_VVI ,_, do_VD0 n't_XX tell_VVI "_" that_CST deftly_RR combines_VVZ pure_JJ prejudice_NN1 with_IW blatant_JJ hypocrisy_NN1 ._. 
Recruits_NN2 are_VBR n't_XX asked_VVN about_II sexual_JJ orientation_NN1 (_( do_VD0 n't_XX ask_VVI )_) but_CCB are_VBR discharged_VVN if_CS they_PPHS2 engage_VV0 in_II homosexual_JJ conduct_NN1 or_CC admit_VV0 to_II being_VBG gay_JJ (_( do_VD0 n't_XX tell_VVI )_) ._. 
Now_RT ,_, 16_MC years_NNT2 later_RRR ,_, the_AT nation_NN1 has_VHZ another_DD1 new_JJ Democratic_JJ president_NN1 who_PNQS vowed_VVD during_II his_APPGE campaign_NN1 to_TO overturn_VVI this_DD1 American_JJ embarrassment_NN1 ._. 
Given_VVN the_AT political_JJ history_NN1 ,_, the_AT issue_NN1 's_GE sensitivity_NN1 and_CC the_AT crises_NN2 President_NNB Obama_NP1 has_VHZ faced_VVN ,_, it_PPH1 's_VBZ understandable_JJ that_CST this_DD1 was_VBDZ not_XX his_APPGE out-of-the-gate_JJ priority_NN1 ._. 
But_CCB six_MC months_NNT2 into_II his_APPGE presidency_NN1 --_NN1 when_CS the_AT nation_NN1 is_VBZ at_II war_NN1 and_CC the_AT military_NN1 remains_VVZ overstretched_JJ --_NN1 the_AT time_NNT1 to_TO move_VVI toward_II repeal_NN1 is_VBZ quickly_RR arriving_VVG ._. 
If_CS anything_PN1 ,_, the_AT case_NN1 against_II discrimination_NN1 is_VBZ stronger_JJR today_RT than_CSN it_PPH1 was_VBDZ when_RRQ "_" do_VD0 n't_XX ask_VVI ,_, do_VD0 n't_XX tell_VVI "_" was_VBDZ enacted_VVN ._. 
The_AT country_NN1 's_GE views_NN2 of_IO gay_JJ men_NN2 and_CC lesbians_NN2 have_VH0 changed_VVN drastically_RR since_II 1993_MC ,_, when_CS only_RR 40%_NNU favored_JJ homosexuals_NN2 serving_VVG openly_RR in_II the_AT military_JJ ._. 
A_ZZ1 USA_NP1 TODAY/Gallup_FU Poll_NN1 in_II May_NPM1 found_VVD that_CST 69%_NNU of_IO adults_NN2 favor_VV0 open_JJ service_NN1 for_IF gay_JJ men_NN2 and_CC lesbians_NN2 --_NN1 including_II 58%_NNU of_IO self-described_JJ conservatives_NN2 ._. 
Some_DD retired_JJ officers_NN2 insist_VV0 that_CST lifting_VVG the_AT ban_NN1 on_II gays_NN2 would_VM undermine_VVI readiness_NN1 ._. 
But_CCB if_CS anything_PN1 is_VBZ hurting_VVG readiness_NN1 ,_, it_PPH1 's_VBZ this_DD1 policy_NN1 ._. 
From_II its_APPGE creation_NN1 in_II 1993_MC to_II 2007_MC ,_, the_AT armed_JJ forces_NN2 discharged_VVN more_DAR than_CSN 12,000_MC otherwise_RR qualified_JJ men_NN2 and_CC women_NN2 under_II "_" do_VD0 n't_XX ask_VVI ,_, do_VD0 n't_XX tell_VVI ._. "_" 
They_PPHS2 've_VH0 included_VVN combat_NN1 troops_NN2 ,_, code-breakers_NN2 ,_, medical_JJ and_CC intelligence_NN1 specialists_NN2 ,_, and_CC translators_NN2 fluent_JJ in_II critical_JJ languages_NN2 such_II21 as_II22 Arabic_NN1 ._. 
The_AT military_NN1 has_VHZ spent_VVN millions_NNO2 in_II tax_NN1 dollars_NNU2 to_TO train_VVI their_APPGE replacements_NN2 ._. 
No_AT less_RRR an_AT1 authority_NN1 than_CSN retired_JJ Army_NN1 general_NN1 John_NP1 Shalikashvili_NP1 ,_, a_AT1 former_DA chairman_NN1 of_IO the_AT Joint_JJ Chiefs_NN2 of_IO Staff_NN ,_, argued_VVD last_MD month_NNT1 in_II The_AT Washington_NP1 Post_II that_DD1 research_NN1 "_" shows_VVZ conclusively_RR "_" that_CST arguments_NN2 for_IF the_AT gay_JJ ban_NN1 are_VBR bunk_NN1 ._. 
And_CC Colin_NP1 Powell_NP1 ,_, who_PNQS as_II chairman_NN1 of_IO the_AT Joint_JJ Chiefs_NN2 in_II 1993_MC opposed_VVD lifting_VVG the_AT ban_NN1 ,_, said_VVD Sunday_NPD1 on_II CNN_NP1 that_CST "_" a_AT1 lot_NN1 has_VHZ changed_VVN "_" and_CC that_CST the_AT policy_NN1 should_VM be_VBI reviewed_VVN ._. 
Some_DD of_IO the_AT most_RGT convincing_JJ evidence_NN1 comes_VVZ from_II other_JJ nations_NN2 --_NN1 including_II Britain_NP1 ,_, Canada_NP1 and_CC Israel_NP1 --_NN1 that_CST have_VH0 lifted_VVN bans_NN2 ._. 
Britain_NP1 's_GE new_JJ policy_NN1 has_VHZ proved_VVN so_RG successful_JJ that_CST the_AT military_JJ now_RT actively_RR recruits_VVZ gays_NN2 and_CC offers_NN2 partner_VV0 benefits_NN2 ._. 
Ultimately_RR ,_, it_PPH1 will_VM be_VBI up_II21 to_II22 Congress_NN1 to_II right_RR this_DD1 wrong_JJ with_IW a_AT1 new_JJ law_NN1 ._. 
A_AT1 House_NN1 measure_NN1 to_TO do_VDI so_RR ,_, with_IW 150_MC sponsors_NN2 ,_, needs_NN2 and_CC deserves_VVZ Obama_NP1 's_GE vocal_JJ support_NN1 this_DD1 fall_NN1 as_CSA Congress_NN1 completes_VVZ action_NN1 on_II his_APPGE top_JJ priorities_NN2 ,_, particularly_RR a_AT1 health_NN1 care_NN1 overhaul_NN1 ._. 
Beyond_II the_AT pragmatic_JJ reasons_NN2 to_TO overturn_VVI the_AT ban_NN1 is_VBZ this_DD1 :_: The_AT policy_NN1 is_VBZ simply_RR wrong_JJ ._. 
It_PPH1 says_VVZ that_CST gay_JJ men_NN2 and_CC lesbians_NN2 may_VM serve_VVI their_APPGE country_NN1 --_NN1 and_CC even_RR die_VV0 for_IF their_APPGE country_NN1 ,_, as_CSA many_DA2 have_VH0 --_JJ only_JJ when_CS they_PPHS2 deny_VV0 who_PNQS they_PPHS2 are_VBR ._. 
If_CS the_AT truth_NN1 comes_VVZ out_RP ,_, they_PPHS2 're_VBR out_RP ,_, too_RR ._. 
That_DD1 is_VBZ neither_RR patriotic_JJ nor_CC honorable_JJ ._. 
