Racist messages found at Air Force Academy Preparatory School

ucbalumnus · September 2017

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/09/28/air-force-investigating-racist-graffiti-academy-prep-school.html

Oriana Pawlyk on military.com wrote:

Air Force officials are investigating the use of racial slurs written on a dormitory white board at the Air Force Academy Preparatory School.

doschicos · September 2017

What's equally disturbing as these incidents are some of the comments on this article targeted to military personnel.

simba9 · September 2017

I don't think one incident is a big deal. Likely just a stupid prank. If it happens repeatedly, then it's something to be concerned about.

PetraMC · September 2017

Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria's response is what leadership looks like (scroll to end):

http://www.kktv.com/content/news/AFA-investigating-after-racial-slurs-are-written-on-cadet-candidates-dorms-448486363.html

garland · September 2017

^^I don't think using the N word is ever "just a stupid prank."

sciencenerd · September 2017

I don't think one incident is a big deal. Likely just a stupid prank. If it happens repeatedly, then it's something to be concerned about.

@simba
I'm assuming you're not a part of any minority groups.

But guess what? Words hurt too. Sorry that minorities have feelings.

No it is not ok.

doschicos · September 2017

^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ =D> =D> to Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria's forceful and articulate response. True leadership that should be emulated. Not too hard to do when you are on the right side - the only side - of this issue.

simba9 · September 2017

@simba I'm assuming you're not a part of any minority groups.

I'm Jewish. I don't flip out or overreact every time I see a swastika.

OHMomof2 · September 2017

@simba9 is it cool if your fellow military students put a swastika on your dorm door?

I wouldn't be cool with it but I guess feelings vary.

simba9 · September 2017

@OHMomof2, I was in the Air Force, and nobody I knew would have done something like that. Every so often I'd hear someone say something along the lines of, "My landlord Jewed me," or Jews would be going to hell because they don't accept Christ as their savior. When I reminded or informed the person that I was Jewish, they'd get very embarrassed and apologize. They were saying things out of ignorance, not out of hatred. How people treated me was more important than what people said, and nobody ever treated me differently once they learned I was Jewish.

The military doesn't exactly attract a lot of deep thinkers, so you're going to hear stupid opinions on pretty much every topic. No race, ethnicity or religion was immune from being the target of a stupid opinion. It doesn't mean the institution as a whole has a major problem. While not perfect, the US military is one of the best integrated organizations in the country.

MYOS1634 · September 2017

^except it wasn't a racist sentence like "another lazy negro" that the affected student could correct directly to the person who said it thoughtlessly and stupidly. And it would not excuse what was said in any way, that the speaker was thoughtless and stupid. (Being stupid and thoughtless isn't an excuse. I don't believe you think it'd fly in our Armed Forces.)

Here, it was a slur, written deliberately where the African American cadets lived. It was not something that comes out of the mouth of someone ignorant and thoughtless while chatting. It was premeditated and it was a threat.

In addition, you say "nobody ever treated me differently once they learned I was Jewish".... can you see the difference with what happened here? That is pretty much the OPPOSITE of what happened.

Have you listened to the Lt. Gal's response?

simba9 · September 2017

Sorry, but I still think it was a stupid prank and that people are over-reacting. Honestly, these days you can't even be sure that the supposed victims didn't do it themselves just to rile everyone up.

HarvestMoon1 · September 2017

My thinking is that you can't afford to minimize things like this - these are not minor issues. Clearly Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria was quick and forceful in his response. He doesn't seem to me to be the type of individual that over-reacts. We need more like him in Washington.

I believe you also have to nip anti-semitism in the bud. One would have to have their head in the sand to not notice the increase in public displays of anti-semitism in the last 2 years. For someone as mainstream and politically connected as Valerie Plame to feel comfortable tweeting out an article on Rosh Hashanah written by an anti-semite and calling it "thoughtful," you know there is a problem. Although I am no fan, I thought Alan Dershowitz's published response to her was right on target. The fallout just cost her a board seat.

garland · September 2017

^I will reiterate--no one living in this country can possibly be so dense that they "don't know" that using that slur isn't deeply, unforgiveably offensive.

And to say that the A-A cadets might have done it themselves? That too is deeply offensive.

roethlisburger · September 2017

The military takes this very seriously. The cadets will likely be expelled, assuming they can identify who did it.

simba9 · September 2017

I expect they will be expelled if discovered. In any event, anyone who actually makes it into the military and continuously exhibits racist behavior isn't going to last long, if only because their fellow soldiers, sailors and airman won't put up with it.

Racist messages found at Air Force Academy Preparatory School

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