President Obama - DADT Repeal Act Case Study. Law Essay

President Obama – Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) Repeal Act
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President Obama – Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) Repeal Act
Introduction
Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) was a policy adopted in 1994 by the US military servicemen and women to protect the lesbians, gays, and bisexuals from discrimination either during applying to be an army person or for those already in the military camps. The policy also demanded that the gay, bisexual, and lesbians not to disclose their sexuality. Clinton's administration adopted the fact following a long history of the US military persons engaging in homosexuality dating back to the revolutionary war. The army adopted army mobilization regulations in 1942, which distinguished homosexuals from ordinary recruits for the first time. Since then, the US military has taken different policies in their efforts to discourage gay and lesbianism in the forces because they believed it is against society's morals. Different administrations also had different versions of their policies that addressed homosexual problems in the United States. The leader I have chosen for my case study is President Barack Obama on the decision he made on the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) Appeal Act.
The Situation
The DADT Act was enacted in 1994 by Clinton’s administration to allow gays, bisexuals, and lesbians to have freedom of their sexual desires but with a condition; to do it secretly. In 2008, the military fired over 12,000 forces who had openly been involved in sexual orientation against the DADT Act. This caused concern to President Obama's administration, which had to discuss it as losing a lot of Soldiers.
In December 2010, the Senate overturned the act by 65 to 31 votes. President Obama pushed for this change as he was to end Clinton's era laws by reinstating his own. Even though Obama won for the shift, lawyers argued that giving an order to the Pentagon immediately after the win would harm the troops' relationships, moral and eventually reduce the focus of the Army. Many lawyers highly questioned the order by the supreme court to implement the law as they argued that proper implementation of a statute is gradual but cannot occur overnight. Two main facts were highly questionable on how the act was passed and implemented. As earlier mentioned, the act was ordered to be implemented too quickly. Catherine Connell adds that the appeal did not take into consideration family issues, education, and housing (2017). Obama's administration was not able to ask itself of the outcomes of same-sex members who can get married in the same department as it will be still allowing marriage in the Army. This caused a lot of questions like the other transgender person married Army men and women requested to bring their families to the barracks.
Secondly, it appeared that President Obama owned a policy that he opposed. Obama was a conservative of moral and legal processes, which he highly articulated the need to observe human rights. Allowing same-sex relationships had followed the legal process but was considered immoral in the military and to society. Some looked at maintaining the status quo as the best option.
Having DADT appeal was legal, at least for now, but it exposed the weakness of the Whitehouse of rushing to make decisions without taking keen considerations. DADT appeal had been having unanswered questions to President Obama’s administration since then, which also exposed the weakness of the administration by being controlled by the influence of elite officials in the government. I hope to understand more about the appeal President Obama was able to have passed and implemented quickly and what impacts this decision has made in my case study.
Strengths and Weaknesses
President Obama's reign, which was the period between 2008 and 2016, saw many achievements and failures alike. This situation is not new. These were large because of the strengths that he had, as well as his weaknesses. According to Rooney, on Jim Collins in How the Mighty Fall, mighty people have characteristics that enable them to rise (2019). However, should they focus only on their successes, they are likely to ignore their weaknesses and, as a result, fall headlong from their lofty positions. Basing on his decisions and amendments regarding the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' (DADT) Act, which Bill Clinton's administration passed in 1994, President Obama exhibited unbeaten courage and strength (Connell, 2017). Later, however, the same decision proved to be the beginning of his weaknesses in the same path.
One of the greatest strengths of President Obama was his patience. Being patient made Obama enact health-care reforms despite the several setbacks he experienced (Connell, 2017). In times of crisis, President Obama remained calm and used wisdom to come up with long-lasting solutions. He handled issues patiently and never rushed out into making any decision. President Obama exhibited courage that few leaders of his time would have dared to show. By repealing DADT, Obama saved the American Army a great deal because the Army had no choice but to allow its members to engage in their sexual preferences. Since the number of discharged Soldiers was at a high-level, the appeal was a relief to the Army because many individuals who had to conceal their homosexuality and bisexuality could be open with their sexual preference and were able to stay in and serve their country. Similarly, the repeal was a relief to many men and women who were living in secrecy due to fear of stigma and social prohibition.
However, one of the most significant weaknesses of President Obama was his under-appreciation for the worth of the executive branch. Generally, American society considered homosexuality and bisexuality to be abominable. He neglected the executive branch agencies and departments. Therefore, for a president who seemed to uphold morality to go directly against it, was a show of his weakness as an individual and a poor influence on his subjects to others. By ordering the judiciary to implement the law as soon as it was passed was unlawful according to the American constitution. It also contradicted his stand on matters pertaining to legal procedures. President Obama learned from the mistakes of Clinton’s administration which made him have smooth White House Operations.
President Obama made a worldwide legacy in repealing a law that made many people who had been stigmatized in the United State to feel and act liberally. DADT also made the American society understand the role that it played in pinning down its fellow members. It was one of the decisions that frankly showed President Obama's strength during his reign. However, the same decision also served as a means by which many managed to know the weaknesses that President Obama had. The law was against his stand on morality because it was against the social standard of morality; and legal processes. After all, its implementation did not follow the correct legal procedures. Falling is inevitable among many great leaders, yet they can still stand and do even greater things as Barrack Obama has during his presidency.
Hubris Born of Success
There are five stages in decline after the success that follows each other in sequence. Hubris born of success is the first step in the sequence. Pride and arrogance, among other factors, easily ruin an excellent course once one sees that he or she has achieved what he or she wanted and see themselves being on the right track. Jim Collins (2009) says that a fall comes when the rhetoric of success stops us from comprehending situations. Barack Obama was a great leader who gave Americans huge hopes of change and following the rule of law. During the campaign times, Obama assured the Americans that the provision of constitution and morality would be the driving force in his administration. He, Obama, insisted that process matters, but the DADT repeal act went contrary to his promise, according to most analysts. Just like other parts of the world, Americans consider homosexuality immoral, but Obama went ahead and embraced it, no doubt against his own beliefs. The very reason why the military persons had touch policies to discourage homosexuality is that it is not in line with ...