CNN: 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' an 'Unjust' Policy; Gays Have 'Right to Fight'

On Friday's Newsroom, CNN's Ali Velshi channeled the homosexual lobby's disappointment with the Obama administration's defense of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy: "This unjust policy has gone on far too long in America." Velshi also stated that homosexuals "have a right to serve. They have a right to fight."

The anchor criticized the Justice Department's appeal of a federal judge's Tuesday injunction halting the military from enforcing the 17-year-old policy during his regular "XYZ" commentary. After giving a brief on the judge's ruling and the Obama administration's Thursday appeal, Velshi outlined his opposition to"don't ask, don't tell:"

VELSHI: Justice delayed is not necessarily justice denied in this case, but it is justice delayed. It's time to end 'don't ask, don't tell' now. This unjust policy has gone on far too long in America. Countries around the world allow gay troops to serve openly and just because a policy has been deemed constitutional in the past doesn't actually mean it's good policy and it certainly doesn't mean it's right.

The CNN anchor continued by making the standard liberal comparison between homosexuality and race or religion: "Imagine if 'don't ask, don't tell' was in effect in your workplace. It would be illegal....Would any organization- and they can't legally- tell it's employees to 'don't ask, don't tell' about ethnicity? About religion? About political leaning?"

It's interesting that Velshi raised the religious issue, as it was CNN's founder, Ted Turner, who infamously berated Christian employees of his network as "Jesus freaks" for observing Ash Wednesday. One might surmise there was an unwritten "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding Christians working at CNN.

The CNN anchor concluded his commentary with more left-leaning talking points: "Gay men and women have served, fought and died for this country since it was founded. They have a right to serve. They have a right to fight, and, at the very least, let's give them the right to be who they are." Actually, no one has a "right" to serve in the military, as the armed forces routinely deny overweight, disabled, convicts, and others from serving.

The late Vietnam War hero, Marine Colonel John Ripley, who was awarded the Navy Cross for single-handedly destroying the Dong Ha Bridge in 1972, argued in a May 4, 1993 testimony before the House Armed Services Committee that members of the military are "simply the protectors of...freedoms and never did we have the full embodiment thereof, nor did we expect to enjoy the full embodiment of constitutional freedoms. To even think in these terms as a military man is patently ludicrous and counterproductive to the mindset of a warrior who must think only of mission accomplishment and the good of the unit." Col. Ripley later stated in his testimony that permitting open homosexuals to serve would "virtually destroy the Marine Corps by imposing on us this deviation of values which we hold dear, which we have fought for, and which we know to be proper."

Earlier in 2010, Velshi endorsed legislation that would "require school districts to have policies recognizing sexual orientation and gender identity" during his July 25 "XYZ" commentary. Overall in 2010, CNN  has actively promoted the agenda of homosexual advocacy groups. On September 27, anchor Kyra Phillips gave a ringing endorsement of televangelist Bishop Carlton Pearson's "gospel of inclusion."On August 4, the day that California's Proposition 8 was overturned, the network leaned mostly towards those who opposed the voter-approved amendment which bans same-sex "marriage." CNN's Gloria Borger gave a glowing profile of Ted Olson and David Boies, the two main attorneys who worked to overturn Prop 8 on June 16. The network also premiered their pro-homosexual parenting documentary, "Gary and Tony Have a Baby" in June and promoted it with a series of pro-homosexual agenda segments during the entire month.

The full transcript of Ali Velshi's commentary from the end of the 2 pm Eastern hour of Friday's Newsroom:

VELSHI: Time now for the 'XYZ' of it. On Tuesday, a federal judge told the U.S. military to stop enforcing its 'don't ask, don't tell' policy, which bars gays from serving openly in the military. Now, the Justice Department is pushing to keep the judge's order from going into effect, even though the Obama administration has come out against 'don't ask, don't tell.' Plus, the military's now telling troops not to alter their behavior in any way.

Look, the administration still opposes the policy, but wants it changed through an act of Congress. Justice delayed is not necessarily justice denied in this case, but it is justice delayed. It's time to end 'don't ask, don't tell' now. This unjust policy has gone on far too long in America. Countries around the world allow gay troops to serve openly and just because a policy has been deemed constitutional in the past doesn't actually mean it's good policy and it certainly doesn't mean it's right.

Imagine if 'don't ask, don't tell' was in effect in your workplace. It would be illegal. What kind of an environment would that be, and what kind of precedent would it set? Would any organization- and they can't legally- tell it's employees to 'don't ask, don't tell' about ethnicity? About religion? About political leaning?

Gay men and women have served, fought and died for this country since it was founded. They have a right to serve. They have a right to fight, and, at the very least, let's give them the right to be who they are. That's my 'XYZ.'