CENTRAL VIEW for Monday, July 1, 2024

A satirical look at Special Classes

During World War II, this statement was attributed to Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall: "I want an officer for a secret and dangerous mission. I want a West Point football player."

Did General Marshall’s request imply that only West Point football players have the strength, leadership, and determination to satisfy General Marshall’s request? Surely, that was not the idea that Marshall meant to convey. But, to some of Marshall’s subordinates down the chain-of-command, it might be taken to suggest that, say, an officer who played football at some other institution or even not at all would be unsuitable.

Just for the purpose of this column, let’s amend Marshall’s statement to read: "I want an officer for a secret and dangerous mission. I want a West Point Gymnast."

Some subordinates, who happened to have a former West Point Gymnast under their command might think it would please the Army’s top general -- and enhance their chance of promotion -- to give that officer a maximum score on his Officer Efficiency Report (OER). Carried to its logical, but comical, conclusion, West Point Gymnasts could become a proud special class within the Army’s ranks. No career-oriented rating officer would dare give low OER marks to a member of the protected class.

Consequently, the members of the protected class would rise in rank faster than those who are not in the protected class, resulting in an entire General Officer Corps of former West Point Gymnasts back flipping their way through the corridors of the Pentagon. As Professor Robert B. Coalmine wrote in his classic Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, "Like selects like."

Actually, this Army ROTC graduate’s two best Army buddies at Ft. Benning were Army Gymnast and High Platform Diver, the late "Duke" Gerhardt and Heisman Trophy Winner, Pete Dawkins. I was best man at Duke’s Jewish wedding. Pete and I served together at Ft. Benning, briefly in Vietnam, in the Pentagon. And later. I was his principal assistant on Wall Street. Colin Powell was also a Ft. Benning classmate. Colin and I stayed in e-mail contact almost until his death. Ergo: I cannot be accused of not liking West Point athletes, or Jews, or Blacks..

But should we celebrate a West Point Gymnast Month? Should Army posts fly a special Gymnast pride flag because the post has a West Point Gymnast on staff? Should those who played no sports at civilian universities be pressured to salute that special pride flag?

What if some soldier refuses to salute the flag of that special protected class? Should they be punished? Should their efficiency reports be marked down? Banned from the Internet?

Astute readers can see where this column is going. Special protected classes lead to quotas. Should businesses that do not meet their quotas of a certain race, gender, or sexual orientation. be boycotted? Should they be ineligible for government grants or other funding? Should they be subjected to fire bombings or other violence?

While the civil rights legislation of the 1960s was a step in the right direction. the establishment of racial quotas became problematic, causing Professor Thomas Sowell to opine that quotas based on race were counterproductive for African-Americans. We live and learn.

©2024. William Hamilton .

Dr. Hamilton can be contacted at:

Email: william@central-view.com