Doesn't look as bad as I thought it would but I still don't approve.
When you start making exceptions for one, you're on the road to making exceptions for all. What happens when someone decides that his membership in the Satanic Church should be as protected as everyone else therefore making his religious symbol (lets say its a witches hat) something that should be allowed under freedom of religion?
How do you say no?
How do you keep a uniformed service from becoming a motley crew of individual accoutrements and style decisions?
The US military has been a melting pot because it demanded that everyone who joined meet one undeniable, unaltering standard. If you couldn't meet or chose not to meet that standard then you were either denied entry or dismissed for cause.
That meant that you had to set aside your own cultural beliefs/standards and adopt the military's way of doing things.
So many are worshipping at the altar of "being open minded" and "change" that they fail to see the danger/friction/chaos that they're inviting.
UPDATE: Putting this out there before I'm hit with it. I'm extremely impressed by the Sikh Warrior tradition. So stow the "you're a racist" comments.
UPDATE 1: I can't wait to see how the military deals with the next oppressed minority...transgendered people.
