Diversity and Patriotism

Recently, Army General Casey commented that ‘…diversity is our strength,’ when discussing the murder of thirteen brave Americans by Army Psychiatrist, Major Hasan. His comment and President Obama’s ‘don’t jump to conclusions’ comment made me wonder who is choreographing their speeches. Here you have an Islamic extremist killing American troops in their home base and the head military official and our president spouting politically correct psychobabble. What a horrible insult to the lives of the brave men and women who were murdered as well as to the intelligence of brave Americans who have fought and died for this country!

While diversity may be part of our strength, patriotism is the DNA that gives us the resolve to fight and keep this country free. Imagine, if you will, a big boat floating in dangerous waters. While some are paddling and trying to keep the vessel afloat, others are boring holes in the bottom of the boat trying to sink it. When someone makes the captain aware of these folk, he dismisses it as their right to express their diversity. This story is about as ridiculous as the comments made by General Casey and President Obama! Even the most open minded demagogue would conclude that Major Hasan was motivated by views alien to our strategic aims.

Patriotism seems out of vogue today. Yet I was raised to love this country and believe that anyone desiring to destroy it, should be stopped. While an American patriot does not support, in lockstep, everything we do, patriots hold deeply held beliefs in the tenets of our constitution. Major Hasan should have repeated a similar oath as the one taken from “army.mil” before starting his stint in the Army:

The wordings of the current oath of enlistment and oath for commissioned officers are as follows:

"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).

"I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God." (DA Form 71, 1 August 1959, for officers.)

These words should only be spoken by true patriots because only they will do all they can to make sure they are speaking the truth. If Major Hasan spoke these words, did he really mean what he said? Have we become so diverse that we can withstand men like him who would destroy our brightest and best? Knowing what we know now, why didn’t someone stop this monster?