Ken Peterson

During the 2020 BLM riots, I wrote this response to a retired 3 star general in charge of the West Point Association of Graduates. In it, I support regaining the moral high ground & returning to our American tradition of merit & excellence, while he condemns non existent "racism" I shared it widely, but privately. Now posting it publicly because life is too short to and I love my country and my God too much. ------ LTG (R) DeFrancisco, After reading your email sent on 15 June titled “Racism is Inconsistent With Our Mission and Antithetical to our Values,” I have taken some time to allow heated events to cool off and have also abstained from reading the news for three weeks. I created this time and distance gap very purposefully so I could be certain I was not caught up in reactionary or emotional currents that our society has become so deluged in over the last few decades. So now I can be certain that I offer you honesty and objectivity with my reply. While it appears that your email was sent with positive intent, your message was quite negative towards West Point’s values and towards a (silent and cowed) majority of AOG members. Your lack of a positive message and definition of what values AOG stands for and your use of weak and politically toxic language (institutional racism) accelerates a very dangerous trend for the future of West Point and AOG – not to mention our nation. The timing of your email (in the wake of mob violence and witch hunts from which even Martin Luther King Jr. is not safe) strongly suggests your courage has failed and you have caved to pressure from whoever can shriek the loudest and cry victim. As strongly as I can, I encourage you, and support you, in restoring traditional values, strength, and the moral high ground to West Point, AOG, and our nation. West Point and AOG must prioritize high standards and excellence above all else. Up front I can tell you that I know many AOG members who completely disagree with the “diversity as a value” stance AOG has taken in recent years. This silent majority of graduates share my views but fears reprisal for voicing its opposition. The graduates in this majority fear job loss and social repercussions if someone were to label them. Let us be clear here, no one I know, or with whom I attended USMA, supports “racism.” As a white male cadet for 47 months, I never once heard or saw anything anti-black from any white, Hispanic, or Asian cadets. In fact, as I regularly see in the rest of society, I noticed kind, but also intimidated, white cadets making every effort to be sensitive and inoffensive – often to the point of self-deprecation. In fact, I also cannot recall a single negative act from a black cadet towards a cadet of another race because of their race. Sure, black cadets often sat by other black cadets at non-mandatory meals, and we had The Kim Club (essentially a club for Korean-descended cadets) and other groups based around race, language, or culture, but when it came time to work together on an academic project or training or a mission, cadets of all backgrounds worked together quite professionally. Conversely, I saw many acts of discrimination against white cadets by Academy leadership. These were not instances of active discrimination towards white cadets, but rather were instances of passive discrimination that often came as a result of choosing the “more diverse” cadet for a position, rank, or opportunity. Objectively more qualified white cadets were passed over for position, rank, or opportunity in favor of non-white cadets so The Academy could make a fashion statement on the cover of West Point Magazine. Next, diversity is not a value. You will not find it in The Constitution, The Bible, or anything else of prominence until quite recently. You will find things like duty, honor, integrity, loyalty, humility etc. – but not diversity. Diversity is not a personal trait you can develop to make you a more mature person. To be clear, diversity can be valuable (and a detriment) at times, but we would be foolish to call it a timeless virtue or value. Diversity is a measure, an adjective, and nothing more. Effective leaders – those who inspire others and build institutions – define, in a positive manner, what they and their organization represent. They positively assert who they are and what they stand for. Your email denounced a lot of things and referenced the values of AOG. From the AOG website: “Its [AOG’s] mission is to serve West Point and its graduates; its purpose is to further the ideals and promote the welfare of the USMA. WPAOG's vision is to be the most highly connected alumni body in the world.” This is best I could find for AOG’s values or mission on the AOG website. Next, I pulled some more quotes from westpoint.edu for accuracy: The U.S. Military Academy at West Point's mission is "to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army." The emphasis on personal character is to support the West Point Motto - "Duty, Honor, Country" - and the ideals of the seven Army Values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. Is diversity listed as a value or part of the mission at West Point? Did Thayer, Lee, Cullum or any of West Point’s great superintendents elevate diversity to the level of Duty, Honor, Country? Why did MacArthur leave Diversity out of his historic speech? Herein lies the danger to West Point, AOG, and the nation. You, and other recent leadership, have supported diversity over excellence. You have failed to inspire with a positive vision for the future of AOG. There can only be one overarching priority. Something must be at the top of the list. Sure, you could have a more diverse AOG leadership AND it could be filled with only the most excellent available candidates. But that is not what the current AOG and West Point priorities have led to or lead to in the future. I can name more than one instance where more qualified white applicants were passed over for admission to West Point. At the same time, we have seen reports from faculty of a decline in academic standards to fill Academy sports teams or fill racial quotas. How “diverse” is enough? Any good military commander sets specific objectives for victory. What is yours in relation to diversity? When will the job be done? How can West Point -and AOG by extension – promote professional excellence when it knowingly and deliberately selects less qualified candidates for any reason? Excellence is built one excellent decision at a time. Sacrificing the most qualified candidates in the name of diversity, even once, dooms us to less than excellent outcomes and puts the future of West Point at risk. How long until Washington himself is torn down and defaced? Because I, and a great majority of graduates, share a deep respect for West Point and our nation, I implore you to stand firmly against the witch hunt and slide toward mediocrity in the name of equality of outcome. We can recognize the adversity faced by old graduates in previous generations without caving to the mob. We can honor all graduates most effectively by refusing to give into those who whine, complain, and manipulate others over decades and centuries old grievances. We can ensure West Point’s future as an institution of excellence only by admitting, hiring, and promoting those who are most qualified and holding to the highest standards. For years I have struggled to donate to AOG due to its slide into mediocrity and surrendering of the moral high ground but have still donated out of loyalty. Your latest email has now put even small tokens of my support in conflict with my integrity. Until I see significant directional changes I can get behind, I will no longer be donating to AOG. Sincerely, Kenneth Peterson USMA 2007 (Sent July 17 2020) LTG (R) DeFrancisco's original email copied below.

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