Just Obeying (Politically Correct) Orders

“But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.” - John Adams

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” - John Adams

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I spent a good portion of my life wearing the uniform of the United States Navy: four years as a Midshipman at the U. S. Naval Academy; 12 years as a regular Navy officer; and then 15 years as an officer in the Naval Reserve. It wasn't always a bed of roses, but I wouldn't trade a minute of it for anything else. As you might expect, out of this experience I developed tremendous respect for those who serve our country and willingly risk their lives so we can enjoy the freedoms enumerated by our Constitution. And keep in mind, when they enlist, it is that Constitution the members of our military swear to "support and defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic...[and] bear true faith and allegiance to the same." In that same oath of allegiance the enlisted service member also agrees to obey the orders of the President and superior officers, but always "according to the regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice." Commissioned officers take a similar oath, in which they too swear to "support and defend the Constitution." In other words, the Constitution and the law demand first allegiance, the orders of people second. As John Adams reminded his countrymen we are “a government of laws, and not of men.” (Click here to read the oaths administered to enlisted service members and military officers.)

This is why I am more than disturbed by the rapidly spreading plague of political correctness that has infected our military in recent years. Not only is this infection destroying morale, it is also destroying readiness, something about which we should all be worried. Every segment of the military is being restructured by the social engineers of the left who could not care less about the role of the military as guardians of our national security. Achieving their ideological ends trumps everything else, including our survival as a free nation. Indeed, freedom and that pesky Constitution are abhorrent to them because these are the most obvious barriers to their plans. 

The military is, of course, an easy target for a Commander-in-Chief who can order his compliant service secretaries, chiefs of staff, and other senior officers to obey his commands. It began during the Clinton presidency but has been rapidly advanced by the current administration's social engineers determined to transform a military manned by warriors into an army committed to radical cultural change. Feminism, LGBT radicalism, multiculturalism, enforced atheism, sensitivity training, and a host of other touchy-feely theories have been dumped into a cauldron of weirdness from which the troops are required to feed. Although every service has been infected, the Army has perhaps suffered the most. Of one thing you can be sure: the Army that Norman Schwarzkopf led to rapid victory in 1991 no longer exists.

Sometimes this political correctness is so bizarre it's hard to believe. For example, at Arizona State University, Army ROTC male cadets were allegedly pressured by leadership to walk around in high heels to "raise awareness of sexual violence against women." I suspect it did nothing but humiliate the cadets and destroy what little morale they might have had.

And just this past week we saw the video of retired Air Force Senior Master Sergeant Oscar Rodriguez, who had been asked to speak during the flag-folding ceremony at the retirement of another master sergeant. When Rodriguez mentioned God in his comments he was physically dragged from the retirement ceremony by several enlisted members of the command who were following the orders of their commanding officer, Lt. Col. Michael Sovitsky. And this is especially disturbing because retirement ceremonies are very personal affairs and what is said during the flag-folding is up to the retiree, not the Air Force. Oh, yes, when you read those oaths of office you'll notice the last four words in each: "So help me God." Don't you just love the hypocrisy inherent in political correctness?

I've included a video about Oscar Rodriguez below.

These are not isolated incidents but just two of thousands of similar events in which the PC is forced down the throats of our military. But perhaps my greatest concern is the silence of our senior officer corps, a cowardly bunch concerned more with their perks and retirement than with the nation's security and the welfare of their troops. Their excuse? "Oh, I can do more by working quietly behind the scenes doing what I can to obstruct the most egregious changes." This is, of course, garbage because they have done absolutely nothing. "By their fruits you will know them." 

Perhaps what we need is the mass resignation of a few dozen flag officers. That just might wake up the nation.

Pray for the United States of America and pray for all who serve our country in the military.