The criteria for serving one's country should be competence

The great stateswoman Dianne Feinstein, whose voice carried both reason and compassion, once declared: “The criteria for serving one’s country should be competence, courage and willingness to serve. When we deny people the chance to serve because of their sexual orientation, we deprive them of their rights of citizenship, and we deprive our armed forces the service of willing and capable Americans.” In these words, she spoke not only of military justice, but of the eternal dignity of the human spirit. For she reminds us that service to one’s country is not a privilege of the few, but the birthright of all who are brave enough to defend it.

The origin of this wisdom lies in the heart of America’s long and painful struggle with equality. For centuries, many were told that their love, their gender, their color, or their identity made them unfit to serve the nation they loved. Yet Feinstein, like a voice from the ancient councils of justice, rose to say that worthiness is not born of conformity, but of character. She stood against the tide of prejudice that sought to divide soldiers not by skill or valor, but by difference. Her words are a call to return to the sacred principles of liberty — that in the defense of freedom, all who are willing and capable must be free to serve.

In speaking of competence, courage, and willingness, Feinstein evokes the very virtues that have guided heroes throughout time. Competence — the mastery of one’s craft; Courage — the strength to face death and danger; and Willingness — the pure devotion to something greater than oneself. These are the true marks of a warrior, whether upon the ancient battlefields of Greece or in the modern skies of America. To deny service to those who embody these virtues simply because of whom they love is to blind justice herself. For the gods of valor and honor care not for the boundaries of mortal prejudice; they reward only the heart that dares to serve.

History bears witness to the harm of such denial. In the time of World War II, the famed mathematician Alan Turing cracked the Nazi code and hastened the victory of the Allies, saving countless lives. Yet, for his service, he was later condemned and destroyed by the very nation he had saved — because of his sexual orientation. His story stands as both triumph and tragedy: triumph of intellect and courage, tragedy of human injustice. Had the world heeded Feinstein’s truth then, Turing might have lived to see the freedom he helped preserve. Thus, her words are not mere policy; they are a moral compass pointing toward redemption — that we might never again turn brilliance and bravery into shame.

The armed forces of any nation are mirrors of its soul. When they are inclusive, they reflect courage that is boundless; when they exclude, they reflect fear disguised as righteousness. Feinstein’s vision was one of wholeness — a nation strong not because it is uniform, but because it is united. To bar citizens from service is to wound the very ideal they seek to defend: liberty itself. It is to rob the nation of its full strength, for every act of discrimination weakens the chain of unity. A people divided by ignorance cannot stand in the face of danger, but a people bound by respect can withstand any storm.

And yet, Feinstein’s teaching extends beyond the battlefield. Her wisdom applies to every realm of life — in workplaces, in communities, in homes. She calls upon all generations to judge by merit, not by prejudice; to see the light of courage in all hearts, no matter how different. For when we uplift the capable and the willing, regardless of identity, we move closer to the divine ideal of justice that all wise civilizations have sought since time began.

Let the lesson be written as law in every heart: Equality is strength. Prejudice is weakness. When we build walls of exclusion, we shrink the soul of our nation; but when we open the gates of opportunity to all who would serve with honor, we expand its greatness. Let every citizen remember that the defense of freedom is not the duty of the favored few, but the right of all who love the land they call home.

Thus, as the ancients might proclaim, remember the words of Dianne Feinstein — that courage, not conformity, defines a patriot. Strive, then, to see others not as strangers, but as allies in the eternal work of justice. Protect those who would protect you. Honor those who serve, no matter who they are. And in doing so, you will preserve not only your country, but the noblest part of your humanity.