General George Casey Jr., the Army chief of staff, said on Sunday that he was concerned that speculation about the religious beliefs of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, accused of killing 12 fellow soldiers and one civilian and wounding dozens of others in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, could “cause a backlash against some of our Muslim soldiers.
Army Chief Concerned for Muslim Troops - NYTimes.com
This is progress. In ‘41 we would have kicked them all out of the Army. In ‘09 we talk about preserving our diversity. This is progress.
(via mikehudack)
Does it still count as progress if it’s only civilians discussing kicking them out and not the military establishment? Because I’ve read more than a few pieces across the web where citizens of the United States are calling for all members of a specific religion to be barred from serving in the military of a country whose bill of rights begins with a clause allowing freedom of religion. I applaud the official stance as progress, but don’t wonder if we’re backsliding where it really matters: the populace. I don’t find it surprising at all that there’s a perception we’re fighting a holy war when our own citizens feel that one’s religion - despite the very foundations of our country being against this sort of thought - should qualify a person for either positive or negative special treatment.
Also, not to bring a tangent into the discussion, but I find it…interesting…that they discuss protecting “our Muslim soldiers” from backlash while simultaneously discharging gay soldiers. Religion trumps humanity again, it seems.
Source: mikehudack
