I just read the best description of this I've seen so far, in a World magazine story. My first thought was how odd it is that the Democrats, while attacking Bush so unfairly and weakly on lots of issues, have neglected a real scandal such as why the military, very likely under political pressure, recruited chaplains who were obviously possible traitors, and then didn't even watch them very carefully. Then I realized that the reason President Bush made this bad decision was no doubt as a favor to American Muslim voters, and that is the same reason why the Democrats won't criticize him for it. Anyway, here are some excerpts:
...
The Yee case caused a ruckus on Capitol Hill, where Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and
Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) for months had been calling for a review of how the Pentagon picks
chaplains, especially in light of national security concerns.
The Pentagon said no such
review was necessary.
...
"The Pentagon's uncritical commitment to multiculturalism has led to this problem,"
declared James Hutchens, a retired Army general and former deputy chief chaplain who now
is a Presbyterian pastor in Arlington. "They've created a double standard, with looser
chaplaincy requirements for some faith groups but not for others."
He and other chaplains argued that Muslims, Mormons (whom the Pentagon consigns to
Protestant chapels), Christian Science adherents, and other non-traditional, non-
trinitarian groups (including "witch"-oriented Wicca) are getting a free pass. The
"equivalency" alternative, which doesn't necessarily require an advanced theological
degree or even formal ordination, was created to accommodate such groups.
...
The multiculturalism also has led to disproportionate representation. For example, the
12 Muslim chaplains (seven Army, three Navy, and two Air Force) serve a constituency
numbering fewer than 4,300-- a ratio of one chaplain for less than 400 constituents.
Catholic and Protestant chaplains have much higher ratios.
...
Several also expressed concern about the growing number of foreign priests the Catholic
Church is importing to fill shortages in the chaplaincy ranks. Here, too, they said, the
Pentagon has lowered standards and compounded the double-standard problem.
In interviews, some veteran military chaplains, both active and retired, raised
additional questions: Why did Syria allow someone from West Point to spend four years
there, apparently unsupervised? How could Capt. Yee pass the security check required of
all U.S. military officers, given his sojourn in Syria and marriage to a foreigner?
So look out for some Catholic traitors too--maybe some priests bribed by foreign powers
to collect intelligence. And hope that we never go to war with Utah.
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