Dithering on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

One of the biggest topics of the public interest dealing with the national government today is the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy in affect in the military. The editorial published "Dithering on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell'" questions why this law is still in effect, and covers the recent rulings by Judge Virginia Phillips. Judge Phillips ruled the law is “unconstitutional because it infringes the due process and free speech rights of gay service members.” She also stated that “the original premises for the policy have been proved wrong”, which was to enhance military preparedness.  She encourages the military to stop the law immediately, as well as “drop any investigation or discharge proceeding mounted under the law against any gay service member.” Although because congress has not repealed the law, changes are still not in effect yet.
    Once again, I could not find who wrote the editorial on the website other the “Editorial Board”, so I am not able to properly and accurately evaluate the authors credibility. The author has all of their facts straight about the recent events, and made very few arguments in some of their statements, which were properly thought out and reasoned.
    The author’s intended audience for this editorial are those that are interested in the events concerning the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ law. The author’s main intention is not persuade anybody either against the law or for the law. Instead, the editorial mainly just discusses the most current events with the law. The only persuasion that takes place in the editorial is that the law should be repealed, but there is very little actual persuasion. We only get this idea from the author from their tone, and a few short sentences simply stating that the law is wrong. Because this is so minimal throughout the editorial, the author’s main audience is not for people against the law, just those interested in the events concerning the law.
    Although most of the editorial is about the recent events with the law, the author’s main argument is that the law is wrong, and should be repealed. This stand point is evident throughout the entire article because it has a tone in favor with the Judge Phillip’s decisions and rulings, most notably when the author calls the law “odious and misguided” . The author also states that they “believe[ed] the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell” law was wrong from the day it passed 17 years ago.”