The Air Force panel set up to investigate the "religious climate" at the Air Force Academy came back with a big smiley face on the cover. At the press conference the tone was a determined "we want credit for even looking at the problem." From the NYT:
An Air Force panel sent to investigate the religious climate at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs found evidence that officers and faculty members periodically used their positions to promote their Christian beliefs and failed to accommodate the religious needs of non-Christian cadets, its leader said Wednesday.
But the panel said it had found no "overt religious discrimination" - only "insensitivity" - and praised the academy leadership for working aggressively to confront religious problems in the last two years.
Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) gets it:
Representative Steve Israel, a New York Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said he wanted President Bush to create a commission on religion in the military.
"They go to excruciating pains to attempt to acknowledge a problem, but not acknowledge it too much," Mr. Israel said of the task force. "Is it a whitewash? No. But it does resemble milquetoast."
Read about Captain MeLinda Morton, who is not interested in happy faces and giving credit where none is due here.
"I don't have a drinking problem. I can quit whenever I want to."
Time for an intervention.
Posted by: Rob | June 25, 2005 at 04:06 PM