<p>How many democrats are there (percentage) at the academy and how are they treated? Also, is the religious intolerence at the academy overrated? I’m a democractic Muslim who wants to go to the academy (ironic eh) more than anything but all ive heard from everybody (media and cadets) is how USAFA is one of the more close minded institutions in the country to religions besides christianity and minority political views ( liberals like me). I dont want to go somewhere that I have to hide my political and religious beliefs from others and act like they arent an important part of me. That being said I realize it is a military academy and am not an idiot, i have common sense…Im not going to go around making fun of bush or something or saying im going to heaven and your going to hell (those are the type of people i am worried about, not the type of person i am). Please comment and tell it like it is. dont sugercoat it like any representatives of the academy would.</p>
<p>for example…
<a href=“http://www.cccafa.org/[/url]”>http://www.cccafa.org/</a> (Campus Crusade for Christ at the Air Force Academy)… those are the type of people I feel like i would feel uncomfortable around… the crusades were one of the worst times in the worlds history and sensical people accept it as that. Lets not forget we are fighting religious fanatics abroad… we should not foster such movements domestically. Click on the Christinaity and Islam liink and it takes you to a site that tells of a muslim convert and explains all the negative aspects of islam instead of shining light on the simliarties between the two monothesitic religions that are incredibly similar. The focus should be being the best officers they can be , not converting people on campus.</p>
<p>i hope nobody is offended by this message (and if any1 has a estimate on % of democrats at the acadmy holler, i know it is 93% christian though)</p>
<p>You won't be the only muslim or democrat at USAFA. I don't have numbers, but I'd guess there's no shortage of democrats there--or republicans. Cadets aren't generally surveyed about their political leanings--at least not that I'm aware of.</p>
<p>USAFA is a fairly conservative place. That should come as no surprise to anyone. But, it's a remarkably (and surprisingly) diverse place as well, with (by law) cadets from every state in the nation and many foreign countries. </p>
<p>Will you face cadets who aren't tolerant of your beliefs sometime during your cadet time? Probably. Might this occur at a civilian college? Certainly. Do you have recourse at USAFA if you feel you're discriminated against unfairly or harrassed? Yes--and it's backed by the full power of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.</p>
<p>USAFA has been in the spotlight on this issue lately. One thing I can say for certain is that the administration takes this issue VERY seriously and has taken serious, concrete steps to improve the climate and make all cadets feel like a full part of the Cadet Wing.</p>
<p>If you want to serve in the Air Force and receive a great education with tremendous opportunities, USAFA is STILL the best choice for you, regardless of religion, sex, or race. We expect cadets and officers to "support and defend the Constitution of the US, against all enemies foreign and domestic." If you can take that oath and live up to it, then we would welcome you to join the Long Blue Line.</p>
<p>from a previous post on the cc afa forum titled "religious intolerence"</p>
<p>"
As comes from my older brother (a former cadet) he said evangelicals and protestants are pretty much the norm, cathoilcs fit in pretty well. They say other than that you are prone to harassement especially if you are muslim, you are barely tolerated. Same thing goes with hindus as well. Pertaining to the other two posters you guys have to notice the military can promote all it wants, however if the laedership does nothing about the religious intolerance among most of the cadet population what the hell can you do?</p>
<p>PS I've heard horror stories</p>
<p>"</p>
<p>horror stories, barely tolereated? I guess my real quesiton is whether the current reforms are just for show if they are truly being reinforced on campus? I would imagine that intimadation would be used a major factor in preventing cadets from reporting hate crimes of any sort.</p>
<p>I've NEVER heard of anything approaching a "hate crime" at USAFA. USAFA has started a sincere, open, and serious training program on religious tolerance. I'd be surprised if many other schools in the country have such a program. It's a serious issue. I take it seriously and am involved peripherally in the subject--strongly in favor of promoting tolerance.</p>
<p>I've heard some horror stories, too, but they don't involve violence of any sort and I do honestly believe they're being addressed. Unfortunately, there is a small subset of the cadet wing and the military that consider christianity as a necessary and sufficient condition for patriotism and service. That is not the official or prevailing view at USAFA, and it's being confronted by well-meaning people doing the right thing.</p>
<p>I ask you to keep an open mind here, too. (I won't let this thread degenerate into a religious discussion, folks). If you want to serve and go to USAFA, then you can go there and be part of the solution if you choose to. Or, you can avoid any possibility of controversy and discomfort (generally impossible to do anywhere) and go somewhere else.</p>
<p>im not gonna hide . i hvnt hid from it my entire life and never will, im gonan do eveyrhting i can to get in but nevertheless its a subject towards which the academy should continue to work to improve (as they have) for obvious reasons.</p>
<p>"Minority students say they've been subjected to verbal abuse and made to feel like second-class citizens. Curtis Weinstein said he experienced this on the softball field from a cadet whose name he didn't know. "He knew I was Jewish and referred to myself and my religion using the f-word, calling me, like, an f-ing Jew, and blaming me for killing Jesus," Weinstein said."</p>
<p>DocFrance - there may not be violence here but it sure comes close to being a hate crime. I do hope that the Air Force is taking the kinds of real steps you mention to combat this kind of stupidity. Personally, I would require that the offending cadet in the incident above be required to stand guard at a U.S. Military Cemetery near Normandy Beach and that he be posted next to graves with Stars of David and Crescents above them. Maybe it would give him time to think, as I'm sure you agree, that we're all in this together and that America, while founded on religious principles is open to all faiths. The United States Army, since being desegregated in 1948 by Truman, has been one of the true forces for good and equality. </p>
<p>What's most disturbing to me is that our airmen and soldiers need to count on their comrades. If you were Curtis Weintstein, how would you feel if your life depended on the offender cited above?</p>
<p>AFalcon10 - I hope you'll follow Doc France's advice - go to the USAFA and be part of the solution.</p>
<p>AFalcon10 - I hope you will remember that diversity works both ways. While you will undoubtedly be in the minority at USAFA, those in the majority also deserve tolerance. </p>
<p>For example, Campus Crusade for Christ is a religious organization that students have a right to belong to. It's not an official AF organization; it's a religious organization with permission to hold meetings on campus (I presume). Their beliefs do not agree with yours. They believe in evangelism. Evangelism is not usually hate speech. ( This is a wild guess on my part, but I'm just betting the guy who made the anti-Jew slams was not attending CCCAFA meetings. That kind of thing would be severely condemned by an organization such as CCC.) In the same way that most Muslims are not terrorists, most Christians aren't "haters".</p>
<p>And just a little aside, most evangelical Christians today understand the folly of the Crusades during the middle-ages. Most Christian organizations with "crusade" in their name have had those names for many years. Most Americans don't really connect the word "crusade" with the Crusades against the Muslim people. It usually has the connotation of "mission" or "quest"</p>
<p>Anyway, I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to engage those of different faiths and learn from them and that they also will learn from you. If there is not already a Muslim organization on campus, maybe you can be the one to get a chapter started. That would provide a means for you to spend some time with cadets of your faith where you could draw encouragement from one another.</p>
<p>In my mind, all crime is "hate" crime--displaying a level of disrespect for another person (the victim) for any variety of reasons. What's described above is probably better described as "hate speech." Your suggested punishment sounds appropriate, too, but I'd rather just vote for disenrollment in this case... I've been to Normandy. The guy/gal mentioned wouldn't appreciate it.</p>
<p>Thanks for the comments folks--all timely and appropriate.</p>