Another year, another investigation of the Air Force Academy.
A task force will investigate the religious climate at the Air Force Academy after reports of intolerance, including incidents of anti-Semitism, officials said today. It will assess Air Force policy and guidance when it comes to religious respect and tolerance, acting Secretary of the Air Force Michael L. Dominguez said in a statement. The task force also will look into practices by commanders "that either enhance or detract from a climate that respects both the free exercise of religion and the establishment clauses of the First Amendment." A preliminary assessment is due by May 23, officials said.
The creation of the task force comes after complaints that evangelical Christians wield so much influence at the school that anti-Semitism and other forms of religious harassment have become pervasive. Last week, Americans United for Separation of Church and State sent Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld a 14-page report based on a two-month investigation. The group said it talked with about 15 cadets and staff. The report concluded that students, faculty, staff and members of the chaplains' office frequently pressured cadets to attend chapel and receive religious instruction. Others said prayers were frequently conducted before official events....
I will admit that I am surprised that religious instruction is even an option at a state supported academy. It certainly shouldn't be, unless it's handled off-campus, preferably by people not affiliated with the academy.
One thing I do wonder is what makes Air Force so unique among the military academies. You don't hear of this sort of thing at West Point or Annapolis. Is it that Air Force really attracts a different sort of person, or is it that Army and Navy are better at keeping this sort of thing quiet than Air Force is? Or maybe even that Army and Navy have commanders who have better sense than to let this sort of thing get so very out of hand? Who can say?
One does wonder, though, if we looked at the other academies, what exactly we would find.
Posted by iain at May 03, 2005 04:40 PM
