Naval Academy Will Continue to Say Grace

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/31/AR2005083100611.html


Meanwhile it appears the Air Force will condone public prayer during "extraordinary circumstances."

http://www.af.mil/library/guidelines.pdf

 

While this practice poses a problem for Wisconsin Synod or ELS middies (if any), I see no particular reason to discontinue it. A Confucian respect for rite and tradition ain't a bad thing. Our boys can sit there respectfully while it goes on. Too many people are too touchy about too much--and anybody who reads my stuff knows I'm a zealot on separation of church and state. Let it alone.

 

airtorn,

Promotion ceremonies, change-of-command ceremonies, formal dinners, etc. are covered in the next paragraph.

http://www.af.mil/library/guidelines.pdf

 

Thanks - For some reason, I am having trouble accessing ".af.mil" sites from home tonight.

 

I'm about as flaming liberal as flaming liberals get, and I honestly don't have the problem with this that I probably should be having. What janko said, I guess. What can I say.

 

Re: Re: Naval Academy Will Continue to Say Grace

Learner
-------------
Liberalism is a mental disorder
and the enemy within.
Flaming liberal - is a liberal with fried brains.

 

Re: Re: Re: Naval Academy Will Continue to Say Grace

Oooh. Ouch.

 

Lerner the Bulvon

Aw, go join the Moldovan navy and leave ours alone. Your "liberal" comments are offensive. And I'm no liberal.

 

Re: Lerner the Bulvon

Um... the above was aimed at Lerner, everyone. Just makin' sure that was clear.

 

Re: Lerner the Bulvon

Well actually why going to Moldova or Russia
We have plenty of comunists here, the liberals are comunists
and distroying our country - USA

Loud and clear

 

Deity OK. Therapist, not OK.

Very depressing article in this week's Chronicle of Higher Education, by a Naval Academy faculty member, on how the Naval Academy admits students of demonstrated inferior academic ability, because of their athletic skill, skin color, or political and military connections—and then does not permit them to be counseled when they are failing, because seeing a counselor looks bad on the military record, nd failure is always a matter of insufficient motivation (thus, it follows, poor teaching).

The article begins:

The Naval Academy's Dangerous Dogma
By BRUCE FLEMING

At the U.S. Naval Academy, as I discovered by serving a year as a faculty member on the admissions board, we go out of our way to take in a surprising number of weak students in preference to stronger ones in the pursuit of our various ideological hobbyhorses: affirmative action for sports, selected racial minorities, and blatantly pro-military activities in high school. The academy also seems to be ideologically committed to the power of the individual to overcome all odds. In the academy's conservative, military mind-set, everything is a "choice," and motivation alone decides whether you succeed or fail. The only reason the Naval Academy can accept to explain why a student is failing is that he or she isn't trying hard enough. Any other factors are irrelevant, and in any case are ruled out of court. The academy just doesn't want to hear about them.

http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i02/02b00901.htm

 

Re: Deity OK. Therapist, not OK.

Is the failure rate as great as at public colleges with similar policies?

 

Whatever.

According to US News & World Report the Naval Academy has one of the highest graduation rates.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/webex/higrad_brief.php


The Naval Academy's newest Mid's appear to be an impressive bunch.

http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/classprofile.htm

Bruce Fleming is a prolific writer. To get a feel for his worldview I suggest "Why I love conservatives", The Antioch Review, Spring 2004, in which he tells us,

And of course, Dr. Fleming has a new book, Annapolis Autumn: Life, Death, and Literature at the U.S. Naval Academy.

 

Reaction a Proceedings article

Anger over admissions Academy professor gets deluge of e-mail after blasting policy

Anger over admissions
Academy professor gets deluge of e-mail after blasting policy
Navy Times
March 21, 2005
Author: Christopher Munsey

 

Naval Academy denies professor on-site book signing

http://www.marinetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1173669.php

 

Up until this thread, I was unaware that the Naval Academy had international students. I am assuming that the other service Academies do the same thing.

So when these students graduate, are they commissioned in the US Navy and serve a hitch, or do they go back home and are commissioned and serve a hitch in their respective Navies?

 

They go home....

They go home. What they do there is up to their home country.

 

As a military person...

I do not have a problem with set asides in the academies. It takes more than an elite brain to be a good leader and often a super intellect can sometimes get in the way of ones ability to make a decision. Having an inclusive military is essential in a multi-ethnic society like ours.

Does this mean I advocate just letting everyone in? No, one does have to have an above average intelligence to have the knowledge necessary to make a good decision. However, you do not necessarily need to be in the ultra-top echelons IQ wise...

 

Re: Re: Naval Academy Will Continue to Say Grace

Isn't it part of the essence of prayer that it be voluntary and sincere? Is it even possible for prayer to be mandatory, or would that turn prayer into something else, empty words or magical formulae (where proper performance is more important than true motivation)?

Would our Christians retain their placid equanimity if the mealtime prayers were led by a Muslim Imam occasionally, or perhaps by a Hindu Swami from time to time?

In other words, if the non-Christians out there are supposed to take collective group prayers to another religion's deity with placid good humor, then I would expect all the Christians, no matter how evangelical or Biblical, to be able to do the same thing.