The Military's Purging of Principle

 

I'll keep this short with just a couple of observations and thoughts.

1. While it is my view that the First Amendment does not protect the right of service members to have religious accommodations, the fact is that Congress passed laws and the Supreme Court has upheld those laws, recognizing that our military is to provide religious accommodation when an impact to national security by such an accommodation can be mitigated.  I think it's unquestionably the case that those religiously opposed to the vaccine can be accommodated as such.
   
2. In our current culture, principle and moral courage are a rarity.  While the number of people who accept a free meal for simply wearing a uniform is high, the number of people with actual principle and integrity is, in my experience, exceedingly low and especially in the officer ranks.  Whether one agrees with the religious principles of those in the shoes of the F-16 student pilot in this podcast or not, the mere fact that he is willing to risk a life's dream and his career (as the podcast host did with remarkable principle) demonstrates not only a valuable character trait necessary for public service, but one that is lacking to the point of being itself a national security issue.
3. The host's indication that these policies appear to be intentional to destroy the military are spot on.  There is zero chance that what we are witnessing in our military is the product of incompetence.  It is the intentional destruction of America's military capability coinciding with the intentional destruction of America's economy and social structure.
4. I would like to know more about the O-6 A-10 pilot who requested retirement and was denied, only to be later given an order to take the vaccine under threat of separation without retirement benefits.  While this makes my blood boil either way as a phenomenal slap in the face to a service member and a grave injustice, I would also like to know if she has a service commitment.  Without a service commitment, the threat to separate her is inexcusable on every level.
   
5. While I have yet to verify the claim (that the current vaccines were developed using cells taken from humans inside the womb, without anesthesia, to harvest fully functional kidneys), if that claim is true, it is beyond appalling and it shouldn't be only religious people who object to the vaccine but all people.