Now Hear This: In Striving for Diversity, Don't Forget Muslims

There is an urgent call for the immediate and full implementation of diversity throughout the military. Apparently, not only is the diversification of our ranks a moral, legal, and ethical imperative, but we also are told that it is both edifying and an inescapable necessity if we are to ensure sufficient end-strength in the future.

Still, the military is a historically reactionary organization, and this thrust toward diversification has only achieved a sort of critical mass in recent years. Whether it was African-Americans, women, or now, gays, acceptance only occurred when a sufficient and persistent external pressure was applied. Until forced, the military resisted, convinced that these inclusions would disrupt combat efficiency. Regardless of the motive force, though, the military does not do things in half-measures, and today there is an almost religious zealotry attached to the implementation of diversity.