It has been a couple of years since we last checked in on the United States Coast Guard Academy. Read that link, and the DivThu in 2017 when we looked again at the USCG's sad decline into official sectarianism. There is a trend line.

At one time the USCG Academy was a rare light where everyone was on an equal footing. There was no discrimination based on race, creed, color, or national origin.

As we covered in 2010, that changed and nothing has been done since to bring the USCGA back to centerline.

Buried in the annual Coast Guard authorization act passed this week by Congress is wording that would strike from the U.S. Code the statement that all appointments to the Coast Guard Academy "shall be made without regard to the sex, race, color or religious beliefs of an applicant."

Under current federal law the academy is "race neutral," but the change would put it on the same footing as other colleges and universities in balancing its enrollment by admitting students from specific groups.