Unless you have been living under a rock, you may have heard that Caleb Campbell was selected by the Detroit Lions in last week’s NFL draft. At his selection, the crowd chanted USA, he was in uniform, and everyone in attendance (including the talking heads) agreed that this was great for the country.

However, these people are COMPLETE IDIOTS AND ABSOLUTELY WRONG.

Caleb Campbell attends the United States Military Academy (aka West Point). As you know, West Point prides itself on producing fine leaders for the military and the nation in general. Most people have heard of West Point’s motto, “Duty, Honor, Country.” This mantra is supposed to remind cadets of their loyalties.

Just recently, it was revealed that West Point is allowing certain students to forgo active duty if they are selected for professional sports. There are, of course, some problems with this “policy.” First, it is not in accordance with a Department of Defense directive requiring active duty for military academy graduates. Second, both Navy and Air Force require two years of active duty prior to applying for a reserve duty which would allow an individual to pursue professional sports. Third, the policy is written in a way that anyone could attempt to benefit, but it is only applied to professional sports. If a cadet is accepted by Johns Hopkins medical school, I would hope that West Point allows that person to pursue their medical degree.

So, Caleb Campbell, a seventh round pick for a shitty NFL team, will have more advantages than some other guys you may have heard of (Roger Staubach and David Robinson). He will serve his country by being a recruiter on Tuesdays in the Detroit area while his classmates are serving their country in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Keep in mind that no one forced Cadet Campbell to go to West Point. In fact, he may have taken the spot of someone that would have actually honored his commitment to serve in the armed forces and, thus, not cheated taxpayers out of a free education. This misguided and irreparably harmful policy lends further credence to the idea that West Point has lost its way and no longer produces the type of individual worthy of being considered a leader.

So, when the Turk comes calling and you are cut, Caleb, I hope you are finally forced to serve the country.