Statement to DACODAI by Garry McAvoy, USMA ’85
Dear Sir/Madam:
Thank you for allowing me to have my voice heard on the topic of DEl in the military.
My name is Garry McAvoy. I served in the US Army from 1985-1990 and received an honorable discharge. I practiced law for 20 years after leaving the service and am now retired.
Recently I joined the MacArthur Society of West Point Graduates due to what I see as the one sided politicization of our military, our government and our educational system, from grade school on up through college.
Below are my personal opinions regarding the push for DEl in the US Military. I believe many voices on this topic are being silenced and censored and that more who oppose DEl need to speak out against it publicly without fear of retribution.
I view the DEl push in the military and elsewhere in American society as both toxic and politically driven by the progressive Left. At its core, DEl serves to divide people by race and gender ideology and also by political beliefs.
In the DEl world, generally, adherents are deemed as “good citizens” while those who oppose or question it are often derided as racist, uneducated and bigoted despite their good faith objections to DEI.
Why inject this type of divisive toxicity into our military? It caters to one side of the political spectrum in a deeply divided country. I fear the outcome of this push will be disastrous for the military as we know it.
DEl itself is an Orwellian term. In fact, those who push DEl initiatives do not want diversity in thought. They want conformity with their views, which promote a decidedly Leftist agenda.
The DEI agenda itself is inherently racist because it divides people by race, yet those who argue against DEl are labeled racist and bigoted by many DEl advocates.
I have witnessed this myself when I challenged the DEI push at one of my son’s colleges. I was told by staff at his college that I should reeducate myself on the history of racism and gender equality in this country for questioning their policies. School staff implied that I am racist and bigoted simply for raising questions about their DEl agenda.
Here is a challenge for those in the military who promote this push for DEI: name one (or more) conservative person you know who supports DEl in the military?
If you have a hard time naming any, then ask yourself this: what percentage of the soldiers and sailors joining the military lean conservative? I venture it is pretty high.
And I venture that most of them do not support this DEl push and view it as divisive and political and not part of their essential mission to defend the United States.
And I venture that you’re losing a large number of recruits because they view the DEI ideology as antithetical to their core beliefs.
Who would want to fight for a country that pushes this stuff? It’s a serious question deserving of serious analysis.
DEl is “crazy” to many normal Americans whom I know. Many are waking up to it and pushing back, thankfully.
It has no place in a society that seeks to treat all Americans equally. And it certainly has no place in our military.
Respectfully, thank you for hearing my opinions on this topic.
Garry McAvoy
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