As If It Would Even Need Saying -- I Trust Well-Vetted Individualized Reviews, And Objective Standards....

I trust the process of military selection, one that has worked for decades, now -- in individualized case-reviews, using proven methods -- to sort out which brave Americans are best suited for which roles, in active duty operations.

Boot camp, aptitude and psychological testing handles all of that well, at present. Some soldiers will be better at backup ops. support, IT roles, or non-combat roles. That is a fact of biology -- and life-experience. Some will be better in combat roles.

Lest my masthead today be misunderstood -- I simply reject categorical bans -- as un-American, illogical and against decades of careful and successful individualized metrics. And almost incidentally (as an afterthought, really), it is an unconstitutional taking of a right -- a right to serve -- and defend their nation, that Mr. Trump overnight tries to work, by Tweet, no less. [And, the economic argument he (oh, clue free pumpkin!) offers -- is preposterous on its face, as we spend ten times as much in military insurance payments for Viagra (for God's sake!) than we do, for all T- services, combined.]

The (clearly winning) lawsuits will file as soon as the ink dries on an actual executive order. [He hasn't dared do that yet -- sign any order.] But I will say no more, on it today -- as it is largely a smoke-screen to draw attention away from AG Session's rightful distancing of himself from Mr. Trump's ham-handed, but ultimately ineffectual attempts to obstruct justice, and even menance independent investigators. On Russia and on his conflicted business interests around the globe. Let us impeach this tin-pot despot -- and let us do so with all due haste. Please Mr. Mueller make your findings both thorough -- and swift. He destroys the fabric of our "out of many. . . one" society, with each passing day.

Whether you were born a man or born a woman -- and whether that is still how you self-identify, or not -- I support your right to serve and protect this great nation. I sleep better at night knowing that all colors, kinds and manners of diverse human-beings (female and male) provide my blanket of national and international security -- for it is in our very "different-nesses" that we find strength. Like rather brittle iron, only when alloyed to another metal, molybdenum -- do we bring forth, from the blast-furnace. . . strong stainless. . . steel. So, it goes. We, as the volunteer lawyers of the ACLU -- we will stand with you.

Update: an elite service-member, who holds both a Purple Heart, and the Medal of Valor, and who (irrelevantly, actually -- to this record of distinction, in battle) self-identifies as "T-" has offered to meet with Mr.Trump face to face -- to be told why 45 no longer wants. . . . that protection. The warrior I describe is. . . a member of SEAL Team 6. Trump is too much a coward to take that meeting. I guarantee it. And yet, while the Trump DoJ just took a position in federal court that LGBT people are not protected classes of employees, under long standing federal law -- that odious argument will never win the day.

As proof, this afternoon, 45's own Joint Chiefs just reconfirmed that all Americans are still welcome in our armed services.

नमस्ते