Retired Air Force Col. David Antoon has written a powerful piece about the evangelical Christian takeover of the military at Truthdig. His piece is especially meaningful to me as I remember visiting the Pentagon a year ago and being astonished by the camoflage covered bible and the literature pertaining to ‘how to survive in the military as a Christian’. At the time I wondered at the impact of these items on Jewish members of the military, or muslims, or buddhists for surely the military has such members. Additionally, there is the Christian Embassy which promotes and prosletyzes within the walls of the Pentagon!
The Christian supremacist fascism first reported at the Air Force Academy is endemic throughout the military. From the top down, there has been a complete repudiation of constitutional values and time-honored codes of ethics and honor codes in favor of religious ideology. And we now have a revolving door between Blackwater USA, which is Bush’s Praetorian Guard, and the U.S. military at every level. The citizen-soldier military dictated by our founding fathers has been replaced with professional and mercenary right-wing Christian crusaders in control of the world’s most powerful military. The risks to our democratic form of government cannot be overstated.
This evangelical Christian supremacist fascism within our military and government is a cancer. Officers, especially commanders, who violate the original code of ethics, must be rooted out of the military. The undermining of the Constitution, especially by senior military officers, must end.
Many, my son included hoped and believed they were fighting for their country, defending their constitution but have come to realize that they were fighting for no such thing. For some the realization takes years while for others like Army Lt Watada, the epiphany comes early in their career. Nevertheless, Col Antoon’s words below are powerful and welcome and more and more of our highly trained officers are coming to the same conclusion and speaking out, refusing orders and leading their comrades in arms to truely defend our constitution.
As I look back at my 30 years as an active-duty officer, two combat tours in Vietnam, decorations including air medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross, I realize that not once was my service in support or defense of the Constitution. For the very first time, I am upholding my oath of office.
Thank you, Colonel!
