Once again our sacred American courts have told our prejudiced president, "NO, YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" SLAP SLAP!  A ruling went on for some seventy eight pages telling him that discrimination against people due to their religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity is unconstitutional and cannot be a reason for canceling their freedom, again.  Then, he denounced the courts and judges, again.  Does the word 'dictator' come to mind?  His pusillanimous party partisans pretend that there is no issue with his daily and hourly contempt for the Constitution.  For the few who dare to speak out, harakiri is required to humbly demonstrate sincere integrity.  So, they denounce the dictator and then fall on their swords to show that they mean it.  Once they speak out, they become party pariahs, excommunicated, unfunded, as good as dead.  Welcome to medieval America.

In case you've been living under a rock, the current occupant proclaimed by tweet and decree that Transgender American patriotic volunteers may not serve in our armed forces in any way, period.  He then directed the Pentagon to carry out his personal prejudiced policy.  Serious adults sued and the courts rolled their eyes and ruled that 'No, he can't do that!'  It isn't over, of course.  It could drag on all the way to the Supreme Court.

Last year, President Obama crafted a policy to integrate transgender American patriots into our armed forces, bringing America up to date with almost all of our allied nations that have had open transgender service since the mid 1990s.  Out of vicious mean spirited racial hatred, the current president has sought to cancel every element of equality and progress implemented by President Obama and all who came before him.  The above is my own bitter personal perspective.

Below are the observations of the nation's two leading LGBT veterans organizations.
LTC Steve Loomis, USA Ret., President of American Veteran For Equal Rights, made the following extensive observations about the court ruling blocking the ban on transgender service:

On 30-October-2017, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia found the administration’s justification for the ban on Transgender service, which was set to take effect in March 2018, to be suspect and likely unconstitutional. She ruled that the military’s current policy should remain in place pending review by higher courts.

The balance of power between Executive, Legislative, and Judicial continues to stand the test of time.  American Veterans for Equal Rights applauds Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly for her actions and upholding the constitution of the United States
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We are moving forward. AVER will follow and support this case as it progresses.  Sadly, the policy to bar essential health services to transgender service members still remains.

The administration’s attempt to ban Transgender service is clearly a political ploy for his base at the expense of Transgender service member’s rights.  18 of our allies including England, Canada and Israel have found that Transgender service has no effect on “Mission Readiness”
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As with the campaign to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) American Veterans for Equal Rights along with it’s allies will continue the campaign for Transgender equal rights until all service members can server proudly and openly.

We must not stand by and watch another’s civil rights violated and do nothing, lest we make it more likely our rights will be violated.  (www.aver.us)

Evan Young, MAJ, USA, Ret., President of Transgender American Veterans Association, commented:

"The ruling for transgender service members was no surprise. The  ban against transgender military members on the surface seemed unconstitutional. The judge found that the current administrations justification for the ban against persons who merely want to serve their country was suspect and likely unconstitutional. Patriotic American service members can now rest a little easier, knowing that their careers are not in the balance. I'm happy to see our justice system working as intended."  (www.transveteran.org)

Simply put, discrimination has no place in America in 2017.  And yet, trying to cancel our right to choose to patriotically serve in our nation's armed forces isn't the only form of fowl discrimination emanating from the White House currently.  In October he coldly insulted a gold star wife and mother!  He pretended to perform a presidential duty by telephoning the young pregnant wife of a freshly killed American soldier.  He didn't do it because he thought it was the right thing to do; he did it so he could brag about doing something that he said President Obama didn't do, a lie of course.  Being a racist and half assed, he phoned forgetting the slain soldier's name.  And then, imagining he was being comforting, made the widow cry when he callously said, "Well, he knew what he was getting into...."  What a dumb un-presidential ignorant utterance!  And then, of course, he lied and denied doing what he did.  Then he attacked the poor wife and her US Representative, both minority women, which is his standard form of misogyny and racism.

So, what's the point of this rant?  Discrimination against American minorities matters.  Our patriotism matters.  Our lives matter.  But not, it seems, to our mean spirited leader who only seems to care about scoring points against American freedom and values.