As a military veteran, I’ve always believed that the mission comes first. You judge a person by how well they do their job, not by their background, skin color, or who they love. In the military, if you can’t do your job, people get hurt—or worse. That’s why the rise of DEI—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—has me concerned, and I’m not alone.
Victor Davis Hanson recently laid it out plain and simple: DEI is becoming a cover for people who aren’t up to the task. It’s not about lifting up hard-working Americans from all walks of life. It’s being used as a shield for incompetence. When you put someone in a critical position not because they’re the best, but because they check a box, you’re playing with fire. That kind of thinking would never fly in the military—and it shouldn’t fly in the civilian world either.
Take Karine Jean-Pierre, the former White House press secretary. She was praised not for her skill, but for being the “first black, gay, immigrant woman” in the job. That’s fine—diversity is great when it comes with quality. But when you watched her at the podium, it was clear she was in over her head. She didn’t answer questions. She contradicted herself. And whenever she got pressed by someone like Peter Doocy, she’d shut down or throw a fit.
Compare her to someone like Jen Psaki, who at least knew how to bob and weave when the pressure was on. You didn’t have to agree with Psaki, but she came prepared. That’s what matters in any serious role—preparation and performance. Not identity politics.
The sad part is, DEI doesn’t help the truly talented people of color who’ve worked hard and earned their way. It actually hurts them. Because now, when someone who’s black or Latino or any minority gets a job, people might wonder, “Did they earn it? Or was it just DEI?” That’s a slap in the face to those who’ve actually busted their tails to succeed.
Michelle Obama has also been playing the victim card again lately, saying it was hard for her and Barack in the White House because they were black. Let’s be real—Barack Obama won more white votes in 2008 than John Kerry did in 2004. America wasn’t holding him back because of his race. In fact, his race probably helped him in many ways. People were eager to vote for the first black president, hoping it would bring the country together.
And yet, here we are, still being told America is hopelessly racist. That’s not just false—it’s divisive. When 96% of black voters support Obama, but only around 50% of white voters do, who’s voting along racial lines? If anything, that shows white Americans gave Obama a fair shot.
Out here in California, we’ve had to watch Gavin Newsom and Barack Obama pop up on TV, pushing their latest campaigns and ballot propositions. It’s tiresome. These are the same people who pushed DEI into every corner of government, education, and even the military. And now we’re seeing the results: lowered standards, less accountability, and more division.
We need to get back to judging people by what they can do—not what they look like or who they are. That’s how we build strong teams, strong institutions, and a strong country. That’s how the military works, and that’s how America should work too.
DEI might sound good on paper, but in practice, it’s become a tool for the incompetent to dodge responsibility. We need to stop pretending otherwise. It’s time to put merit first again.
