Uncle Sam’s new message to young #BlackAmericans: I don’t want you
Opinion by Phillip E. Thompson, a fmr judge advocate in the Marine Corps & lawyer in Virginia.
“I am a proud Marine #veteran w/deep ties to #military service. My wife served in the #AirForce, my father fought with the #Marines in WWII, & my grandfather served in the #Army in WWI.
#USpol #hate #discrimination #bigotry #racism #WhiteSupremacy
https://wapo.st/3Hd4MZq
“I’ve spent much of my life surrounded by fellow #veterans, bonded by sacrifice, stories & a belief in the ideals the #military represents. My car boasts a #MarineCorps decal, & my sense of identity has been forever shaped by the uniform I once wore.
#USpol #hate #discrimination #bigotry #racism #WhiteSupremacy
“But as I look at today’s political environment — at President Donald #Trump, his allies & #Defense Secy #PeteHegseth — I’m forced to ask a question I never thought I’d have to pose: Should young #BlackAmericans serve in a #military led by people who seem openly hostile to them & the legacy of those who came before them?”
#USpol #hate #discrimination #bigotry #racism #WhiteSupremacy
“My father & grandfather served in segregated units during the World Wars. They fought for #democracy abroad while being denied it at home. When my grandfather returned to Mississippi from WWI, he was forced to flee the state by #WhiteSupremacists who saw his service in France — as a #Black man in an unsegregated society — as a threat. My father returned from WWII only to be treated like a #SecondClassCitizen, denied certain #veterans #benefits & rights under #JimCrow.
The short answer I would give as a Lilly white person is, “hell no.
The US military cannot be combat ready without the participation of minority groups. The military was not making its recruitment goals before 47..
The only hitch in this is a military consisting only of racist asshats. But I don’t know if participating would make it any better. The entire command structure is being taken over by incompetent racist white men chosen simply for their identity politics.
@GhostOnTheHalfShell @Nonilex Steve Bannon was quite candid in 2017, speaking at a conservative conference, that picks for high office had been chosen specifically for their unique unsuitability for the roles, saying the objective was "deconstruction" of the federal government.
The universal dysfunction they're causing isn't an accident, it's the objective. Trump and his team may all be staggeringly incompetent, but the shady figures pulling their strings have been planning this for years.
“When I served in the 1980s & ’90s, #racism still existed in the ranks. But many of us believed we could overcome it through dedication & excellence. We saw leaders like Gen #ColinPowell rise to the top. My wife earned senior enlisted status in the #AirForce. I was quoted in a 1991 Newsweek article, ‘The Battle for Respect,’ about #inequality in the #military. Speaking that truth came at a cost to my career, but I stood by it then—& still do.
“Through it all, I remained proud of my service & the progress we were making.
“Under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton & George W. Bush, #Black #ServiceMembers weren’t always treated fairly—but we were not treated as enemies of the institution. Today, it appears that’s no longer the case.
#Trump #military #USpol #hate #discrimination #bigotry #racism #WhiteSupremacy
“Under #Trump & #Hegseth, the environment for #Black #ServiceMembers is deteriorating. To my eyes, the campaign against ‘wokeism’ is not about #military readiness or discipline. It’s a thinly veiled attack on diversity, equity & inclusion — values that reflect both the reality of the #American people & the strength of a united fighting force.”
#USpol #hate #discrimination #bigotry #racism #WhiteSupremacy
