Accepting incompetence and blocking Brilliance: The Real story of anti-DEI movment

 

"Ignorant desire isn't good; rushing feet make mistakes" (Proverbs 19:2 CEB)

Yesterday, the candidate for Secretary of Defense, Peter Hegseth had a congressional interview for the position.  It was clear that he is clearly unqualified for the position.  Mr. Hegseth has a history of poor leadership in businesses, disturbing ethics, and, most importantly, ignorance regarding the complexity of the Department of Defense, its mission, and the high level of skill required for international strategy, negotiations, and oversight of the massive defense complex.  Mr Hegseth has experience in the National Guard, which was activated to active duty during his tenure. However, that is a far cry from understanding the complexity of the US military. This would be like asking an autoworker who worked for Ford for 3 years on an assembly line to be the CEO of Ford.  Additionally, He has not been recommended by our current military leadership.

During the hearing, he was questioned by Illinois Senator Eric Schmitt, who bemoaned the fact that the US Military has diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in place.  He gave examples of people who are on active duty who "quit" after having to go through DEI training.  In response, Mr. Hegseth said, "First and foremost up front, you have to tear out DEI and CRT initiatives root and branch out of the institutions.". (Newsweek.com, 1/14/25)

The perspective that DEI initiatives have compromised the military is another deflection away from the problem of White supremacists and right-wing extremism that has now become mainstream. I am NOT suggesting that most people in our armed services are racist, but its presence has become normalized.  A 2021 Pentagon report to Congress recognized the presence of radicalized White supremacists within the military. It raised special concerns as they have demonstrated the capacity to engage in violent domestic terrorism.  Examples from the capital insurrection in 2020, Timothy McVeigh bombing of a Federal Building, the Wade Page attack on a Sikh temple, and dozens of former military members linked to known white supremacist organizations.  So White supremacy as well as the racist discrimination that comes with it has been documented for the last 30 years.

DEI initiatives were in response to the glaring need to stop the discriminatory behavior in the military.  It is not to elevate those who are unqualified or have not demonstrated competency, but to recognize those who are talented, qualified, and competent, but would typically be overlooked due to racial preferences.  Take a look at the graph below:

This graph shows us that African Americans are overrepresented in the Military but underrepresented in its leadership (officers).  We know that tremendously talented and industrious soldiers, sailors, and marines of all ethnicities exist. Still, interestingly, there is a reluctance to promote African Americans at the same rate as White members of the military.  So, in response to this, and to better fulfill its mission to protect the nation, the Military leadership began to take steps to identify and remove those affiliated with extremism and to encourage equitable promotions to correct the bias.

The same could be said for women in the military as well.  However, significant progress has been made, increasing the number of women in officer leadership.  It is interesting that leaders often celebrate the success in increasing the number of women in leadership but fail to acknowledge that it is a result of DEI efforts to identify high-capacity leaders, attack a misogynistic culture, and actively coach high-potential women.  There were no quotas, nor were any of the women's promotions unmerited. Yet, unmistakably, this is the fruit of DEI initiatives.

Back to Mr. Hegseth, we see a completely unqualified, incompetent candidate with a very suspect set of ethics.  His entire reason for being nominated by President-Elect Trump is his fealty to Mr. Trump and his willingness to remove the needed DEI initiatives in the military.  Removal of those initiatives simply allows the growth of extremism within the military along with its rise in domestic terrorism.  He also mentioned CRT, which has become the boogeyman to many who oppose racial justice.  If he had been informed, he would have known that CRT is not something that is taught or even influences HR policy in the military.  

Due to the immensity of the responsibility and his literal ignorance of the department, his leadership has the potential to greatly destabilize the military.

I have had the privilege of being a physician at a Military hospital and have had countless conversations with members of our armed services.  In addition, I have many close friends who are career military leaders.   What matters to most of them is not the ethnicity or gender of their fellow members but ability, dedication, and honor.  If someone on their team cannot respect members of other ethnic groups or women who they would need to work and depend upon, they put the entire team at risk.  I have seen some of the programming implemented to tighten security and identify people associated with extremism, which was largely welcomed.  I have also seen the Army's attempts to change the culture to reduce the ridiculously high rate of sexual assaults.  Most of the soldiers welcomed it.  They understand that mutual respect and support are non-negotiable as the people who are risking life and sharing life with one another. 

What we have now is the willingness to promote someone unfit for the job in order to remove the policies that are seeking to weed out extremists and reduce discrimination. Once again, the politicians are using cultural myths to avoid doing what is best for the military and the United States.  All of these myths are based upon anti-Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous ideologies.  They are versions of replacement theories, which posit that White people are the natural leaders of the world and that advances by non-White people are seen as a zero-sum game.  In other words, if African Americans gain, they are obviously taking a deserved spot from a White person.  Mass killings in Charleston, SC, in 2015, Pittsburgh in 2018, El Paso in 2019, and Buffalo in 2022 were all racially motivated and committed by adherents of replacement theories.

This is why when Vice President Kamala Harris was nominated for President, despite her impeccable credentials, some voiced that she was a DEI hire.  This was meant to be a derogatory comment that challenged her credentials, despite being Vice President, Senator of the largest State in the US, Attorney General for the same state, and Ivy League legal credentials.  This implication is that she had a position that others, namely White men, deserved.  The same process occurred with Supreme Court Justice  Ketanji Brown-Jackson.  

Politicians love to talk about "reverse racism" which is unscientific term that means that Whites are being discriminated against.  I would argue that there are a few contexts where that exists, but the vast number of times where it is cited are examples of White exceptionalism, where groups of whites (and sometimes other privileged people) feel that because someone got into the school of their choice, or got their preferred job, or obtained a coveted property in an inclusive neighborhood where they took it away from a more qualified White person.  

If you use this term, please check your privilege.  This means ask yourself if you made assumptions where you felt that you, or someone you identify with, were entitled to something where others may have been just as qualified or more qualified than you.  More importantly, in order to get rid of the effects of ongoing racism and discrimination, we must be willing to shoulder racial pain in solidarity with those who have been discriminated against.  This is an intentional decision that often has social consequences.

DEI initiatives have not been without problems. In construction, for instance, the government often sets aside contracts for minority-owned businesses. This is helpful because minority-owned businesses have a difficult time establishing themselves in markets that have been dominated by traditional construction companies.  There are often very few cases, where the minority-owned business was a subsidiary or partner with a larger, non-minority-owned business. This does not mean that we should stop trying to increase minority business opportunities but reimagine other ways that we can do that.

I desire that we look beyond the rhetoric and keep our elected representatives seeking what is best for the nation, including its vast spectrum of people who are continuing to pursue the American Creed of life, liberty, and happiness. DEI initiatives have been very effective in helping to create a nation where people, regardless of background, socioeconomic status and identity, can have equal access to opportunity.  

I also desire that we hold our civic leaders to the highest standards of character and competency.  Let's stop accepting incompetence that endorses a particular partisan vision while destroying the nation.  Let's celebrate the opportunities to pursue the American creed and carefully critique those who have the rare gifts and abilities to lead America in all of its beautiful dimensions.

I cannot conclude without a challenge to the Church:

"The community was called to resist the power of this system as well as attack its greatest power, its claims of inevitability.  In the face of political questions that are easily addressed by claims to pragmatism and realism, the church has a calling to question, resist, and offer a vision of an alternate future.  --Kaitlyn Schiess in Liturgy of Politics