Secretary of War Pete Hegseth may be an enemy of the left, but his West Point speech was being described as a “template to save lives.”
Former White House and Pentagon official Douglas MacKinnon praised the secretary’s remarks as a “desperately needed” condemnation of wokeness in the United States military. Writing for Fox News, MacKinnon pointed out what he believes are the most important parts of Hegseth’s speech.
Watch:
“The battlefield does not grade on a curve, and you can’t throw your pronouns at the enemy. Combat is the ultimate test, and our best Americans must ace it,” Hegseth proclaimed, later calling out the “woke and weak leaders” who were trying to turn the academy into “woke Princeton,” referring to his alma mater.
“They embraced the DEI craze and tried to introduce diversity and inclusion studies. They hired professors who advocated for anti-American ideologies right here in these halls…” the secretary continued.
“How correct Hegseth is. On this point, I have a personal connection with the warning the Secretary of War delivered, West Point, and the Secretary himself,” MacKinnon wrote. “Back on July 2, 2022, I was on the hallowed grounds of West Point to appear on Fox & Friends Weekend to discuss my just authored book titled: The 56 – Liberty Lessons from those who Risked all to sign The Declaration of Independence. A book I had only written to protect our Founding Fathers from the ‘Woke’ mob continually seeking to cancel them.”
“Soon after my segment finished, a senior officer at West Point quietly approached me and asked if he could speak with me in private. After we walked off to the side, he outlined in detail how West Point was not only ‘going far left but eliminating or watering down one standard and tradition after the other.’ With tears in his eyes, he begged me to get the word out,” the author continued. “To be sure, I tried, but it is a word Secretary Hegseth is much better positioned than I to amplify. As he just did so admirably.”
And Hegseth isn’t shy about his love for the military, or his anger toward those who he feels are ruining it with their inept leadership.
“Many of you, even in your short time in uniform, have endured what I call the slow slide of the U.S. Army. You’ve seen standards lowered, you’ve seen an obsession with race and gender, you’ve seen the watering down of discipline, codes weakened and traditions tossed aside in the name of political correctness, statues taken down, paintings placed in the basement…” he said.
MacKinnon also noted that such lowered standards can be seen not only in the United States military, but also in “every single occupation which ultimately holds the precious lives of American citizens in its hands.”
“Be those occupations: our police and fire departments; the health care industry; the airline and transportation industries; air traffic controllers; 911 operators; and our utilities. All in the age of Obama and Biden which have become infused with draconian DEI edicts which have dangerously watered down the quality and effectiveness of those occupations,” he wrote.
Ultimately, Americans should be able to agree that “regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, we need the best of the best to protect us. A common sense — and life saving — point every American should agree upon.”
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Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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