For God and Country
I was watching CBS NEWS last evening on the new diversity of West Point, I thought it a pretty fair interview from a progressive standpoint, but I still struggle with merit promotions standards verses being all inclusive.
I ask myself, why can’t we have both, being that all peoples are seen as equal, even despite their physical make up (gender) or ethnic origin? When I started in my military career in the U.S.C.G. we all had to learn how to swim effectively involving the rescue of others and ourselves. These were the so-called standards at the time. Yet I have noticed over the years that politically correct diversity has taken center stage. When I worked in Army watercraft (across from the Coast Guard Yard) in Baltimore, I read a pamphlet stating that the Coast Guard was no longer focused upon the “old” level of training they once provided, but rather diversification in the ranks.
This troubled me, as again I thought; “why can’t they make sure that the newer more diversified Coat Guard do both”? Would we pay a “substandard” surgeon to operate on us, or would we expect that surgeon to have the best skills and training required?
The answer should be obvious to anyone with a grain of common sense! Yet I have noticed that the progressive movement likes to use semanticist phrases; like we need to change the standards, but not lower them. Short of technological advancements in lieu of human strength, that makes little sense to me. Specifically, what does that mean?
It all gets down to performance in any given task, does it not? Or, in simplified terms, can you do the job or not? If the quality of “all types of peoples” are all up to speed so to speak, then why do we need to focus on being diversified; it should be like the blind justice symbol in weighing the actions of the individual, should it not?
Changing a standard verse keeping a standard are at odds with each other, and to say we are changing the standards, yet not lowering them are nonsensical. It really gets down to what are the standards for all peoples involved. As you cannot have one set of standards for one group, and a different set of standards for another; and if you do we call that injustice, which no free society can enforce and expect to remain healthy.
It is my belief that everything will fall to the lowest common denominator, and a level of degradation will be the result for all: should we not expect the highest performance and ethical levels out of all people. It is much easier to spiral downwards and fall behind as a nation in the interest of all being equal; than it is to expect everyone to carry their portion of responsibility as a united people.
So, a clear-cut standard should exist for all to attempt to uphold, and should one fall short of doing so, then others can help that individual be lifted up, rather than us all spiraling downward. The freedom to excel is what makes a nation collectively strong, but sluggishness in the interest of “being fair” will only lead to ruin!
The big question to me is: how can we have pure multiculturalism, yet expect to keep the same standards for all our citizens?
Happy Memorial Day!
An opinion piece; written by a former Equal Opportunity Representative, and street minister.
Lightship Ministries 