My Country – Eisenhower Upped the Ante
Justice Douglas argues that the severity of the Truman order could not compare to Eisenhower’s. Under Eisenhower, an suspected person was at once suspended in the interest of national security. The reasons included:
- sedition,
- espionage.
- communism
- association with a subversive group
- immoral conduct or
- sexual perversion.
This last point became known as the Lavender Scare.
To become reinstated, a person needed to prove a negative. “I am NOT a subversive.” “I am NOT a communist.” “I am NOT a homosexual.” But even then, the government could still not reinstate them.
Many dared to not fight the charges or smears as men and women were discharged mainly for being a liberal or Jew or opposition.
Lavender Scare
President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10450 on April 27, 1953. The order revoked the loyalty programs of Executive Order 9835. Instead, the heads of the federal agencies and the Office of Personnel Management (with help from the FBI) would investigate federal employees considered security risks.
Journalists were the first to complain. “Joseph and Stewart Alsop charged that the State Department scoured the files of employees who happened to be resigning for bits of derogatory information so that their resignations could be added to the total number of security ousters. ‘In short, there was not a single case of actual subversion in all the State Department’s security firings – and it is doubtful if there was one such case throughout the Government.” (The Lavender Scare: The Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government, David K. Johnson
“People were subjected to grueling interrogation: “Who do you live with? Who are your friends? What bars do you frequent? Would you like us to call your family back home and ask these questions?” People were ordered to give up the names of their gay and lesbian friends. Most chose to resign immediately, rather than face continued pressure or further scrutiny.” Over 10,000 gay and lesbian employees were forced out of their jobs during the 1950s and 60s as a result of the Lavender Scare.
Recent Events
In 1995, President Clinton officially rescinded the policy that had been put in place by President Eisenhower in 1953.
With ten days before the end of the Obama Administration, Secretary John Kerry apologized for the Lavender Scare. “In the past—as far back as the 1940s, but continuing for decades—the Department of State was among many public and private employers that discriminated against employees and job applicants on the basis of perceived sexual orientation, forcing some employees to resign or refusing to hire certain applicants in the first place… These actions were wrong then, just as they would be wrong today.”
The Trump administration removed the apology from their website. Hopefully a new Lavender Scare will not occur.
Daily Briefing
- My dad used to deliver mail to the Sears complex. The idea that Sears could fade from existence truly points to the end of retail as we know it.
- Democratts, keep in mind what the Gorsuch hearings need to accomplish.
- Allegedly, Jeffrey Epstein, a disgusting billionaire, sexually abused 40 girls. An investigation currently is looking at how the US Attorneys office dealt with this case. Epstein pleaded guilty to a Florida state charge of felony solicitation of underage girls in 2008 and served a 13-month jail sentence. The US Attorney in Miama is current nominee for the Department of Labor, Alexander Acosta. If only Jared from Subway lived in Miami.
- Colin Kaepernick, a former 49ers quarterback, got on the bad side of conservatives. Now, they cheer if he cannot get a job. But they sure hate when people tell “coal miners” they should not have work. Hypocrisy must be Trump’s true middle name.
- Manafort lost his job with Trump when the Russian ties first made national news. But the ties were already bound. Again, it does not matter to conservatives who want their Supreme Court justice and rich white guy tax cuts.
- Conservatives hate handouts, unless that handout is nepotism.
- Rex Tillerson does not want to be Secretary of State. He does not understand diplomacy and already seems tired. I also hate anyone who says, “I told you God’s not through with you.”
- Shockingly, all of Trump’s business partners are excited by the idea of making more money off of this Presidency. Who would have thought this possible? Everyone who has half a brain.
- A loose cannon.
- I don’t know of that person, says man leading investigation into those people. Rep. Devin Nunes needs some fixing.
Daily Distraction
I have gone back and forth between depression and just sadness for the past few months. Some of it related to politics. Some of it related to work. But mainly, life has not been working out like I hoped. Don’t get me wrong – happy relationship, happy life, happy dog. But the middle of my day and the world surrounding me do not inspire hope. And that makes a day to day blog rough. But I continue to learn things about the country and about my beliefs as I write.
Additionally, it gives me a little time to reflect on what I want out of life. I get to spend time cooking and listening to podcasts. I enjoy grabbing my comic books and picking up a novel. And most of all, I read a lot of news to write about current events here. We have been running to get some exercise in. And it all helps.
But I hate complacency and also disenchantment. I love positivity and connections. And I need to find that again. So, if you read this and I know not that many people do, send some positive energy this way.
One Sentence Story
As a reward, how about a chai?
