[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11872]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  IN SUPPORT OF THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, recent reports paint an unfair picture of 
the United States Air Force Academy. It has been characterized as a 
place where religious intolerance is the norm. As someone who has spent 
considerable time with Air Force personnel and cadets, I know that the 
academy has always been a place that has indeed taught religious 
tolerance.
  After discovering perceptions of religious bias during a survey in 
2004, the academy made considerable efforts to address issues of 
religious intolerance and has implemented a proactive plan to address 
this very issue. The academy leadership instituted a new training 
program for all cadets, staff, and faculty to address the diversity of 
the Air Force and the need for each person to respect others, 
regardless of their beliefs or faith.
  Like any other university, cases of perceived religious intolerance 
do occur. But any attempt to brand the academy as a place where 
intolerance is accepted is just plain false. I applaud the United 
States Air Force for taking the proper steps to investigate and correct 
any problems regarding allegations of religious intolerance.

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