The photo shows students marching with the flags of the nations from which they or their families came. In many cases, these people left to escape persecution, oppression, poverty, and government corruption. In all cases, they came because they believed America was a better place to live. So why do they parade with the flags of other nations? Yes, they represent “diversity.” But do they represent loyal citizens of a constitutional republic?
● Malik Hasan trained as an Army psychiatrist at taxpayers’ expense. He repeatedly ranted about the superiority of Islam, going so far as preaching to patients – a serious boundary violation. Nevertheless, Hasan was promoted to major and assigned to Fort Hood, where he demonstrated his devotion to duty by shooting up the place, killing 14. (Not 13 as the media report ‒ one victim was pregnant.) Eventually he was shot and disabled by civilian police.
Hasan saw his duty as jihad, not as fulfilling his oath as a commissioned officer. When questioned as to how this obvious troublemaker could have remained in the Army ‒ and even been promoted and considered for deployment to the Middle East ‒ Gen. George Casey, Army Chief of Staff, declared, “Our diversity, not only in our Army, but in our country, is a strength. And as horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that’s worse.”
Worse than what? Worse than 14 deaths? Worse than commissioned officers who despise the country whose uniform they wear? The general didn’t say. Of course, he didn’t work at Fort Hood.
● Aaron Alexis, a civilian contractor, told police he was hearing voices, people were stalking him, and the microwave was controlling his body. The police reported these classic symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia to the Navy, but nothing was done. No one risked being accused of racism or bias against the mentally handicapped.
So Alexis was able to enter Washington Navy Yard and kill 12 people before being killed by civilian police. When asked how someone with blatant mental illness could retain a Secret clearance, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dempsey opined that people with mental-health problems should be able to get treatment “without being stigmatized.”
The problem wasn’t getting access to treatment. The problem was a florid paranoid schizophrenic armed with a Secret clearance and a shotgun getting access to a sensitive but gun-free installation. Luckily for Gen. Dempsey, it wasn’t one where Dempsey worked. Then he might have thought twice about dangers of being “stigmatized” versus the dangers of being shot dead.
● Sayfullo Saipov is an Uzbek who was admitted under the Diversity Lottery Visa program. Now that’s really diverse. He demonstrated his contribution to diversity by renting a truck, then running over New York bicyclists, killing 8 and injuring a dozen. Previously he had jumped bail on safety-related traffic citations, which didn’t prevent him from becoming an Uber driver.
So we must ask: Diversity? Diversity of what?
● Diversity of race and ethnic background? Of course.
● Diversity of religion? Yes, so long as that person’s conception of religion does not include making war on all “infidels” and imposing his beliefs on everyone by force.
● Diversity of gender? Yes, so long as physical and other standards are not lowered to include candidates who are unable to perform the duties of that job safely and effectively.
● Diversity of political belief? Yes, so long as that belief does not include living by foreign laws and customs, while ignoring our laws and customs.
● Diversity of mental health? Only if the problem is mild. But blatant paranoid schizophrenia? Obviously not. Someone you would not hire as a dishwasher was allowed to continue working in a sensitive installation using a Secret clearance.
● But diversity of loyalty? Absolutely not. A nation, and especially its armed forces, cannot survive if some members are loyal to it and its ideals, while other members are loyal to other nations and very different ideals.
Would we order a dish in a restaurant if the menu described its ingredients merely as “diverse”? Of course not. The dish might include ingredients that were disgusting or even toxic. Then why do we tolerate so-called leaders who advocate “diversity” – without a full explanation of what that diversity includes?
Of course, neither Gen. Dempsey nor Gen. Casey ‒ nor any other high-ranking officer ‒ dared to suggest that service members should be allowed to carry firearms on military bases. No, that would be entirely too diverse. Fort Hood? Washington Navy Yard? What, me worry? Political correctness and careerism win every time.
Provide sufficient military police to patrol all military installations? Allow commissioned officers and senior noncoms to keep weapons secured in their offices? Oh no, just wait for civilian police to arrive. Yes, that would be much more politically correct.
When seconds count, the police are just minutes away. It takes only seconds to call the police – waiting for them to arrive could take the rest of your life. This brings us to the ultimate diversity: some people alive, some people dead.
A nation composed of people with diverse interests, diverse world-views, diverse beliefs, diverse values, and diverse loyalties could surely be called “diverse.” But could it truthfully be called a nation? Or is it merely a geographical area where a wide variety of incompatible, irreconcilable, mutually antagonistic groups happen to be living at the moment?
We are in the process of finding out.
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Contact: dstol@prodigy.net. You are welcome to publish or post these articles, provided that you cite the author and website.