Someone told the truth on a U.S. Army base, and folks (Army leadership) are not happy about it!
As CNN reports, a graphic was distributed at an Army base in Alabama this week describing Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again” as a form of “covert white supremacy.” The handout—a set of slides—was distributed by officials to personnel at Redstone Arsenal, near Huntsville, Ala.
In a statement, Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said the handout “included two unapproved pages that were sent out in error and immediately recalled.”
My personal favorite part about this is that the slides are tied to a new initiative called “Project Inclusion,” which is aimed at improving diversity and racial inclusion across the armed forces. The handout was part of a “listening tour,” according to CNN:
The graphic shown on one of the slides includes a pyramid graphic sourced from Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence that states blackface, swastikas and racist jokes are forms of “overt white supremacy.” The graphic includes “MAGA,” the “celebration of Columbus Day” and “All Lives Matter” as types of socially acceptable or “covert white supremacy.”
“The slides—copied from a non-government website—included a word cloud with phrases that were intended to spark conversation; however, the document was predecisional and inappropriate for the discussion. The unapproved pages were in no way used as part of the ‘Your Voice Matters’ listening tour sessions,” Smith said.
Naturally, the army is investigating how this unintended sliver of truth got slipped into a presentation that was intended to talk about racism, but not in any substantial way.
If you want to get one more little chuckle, Smith added that the Army “is and will continue to remain an apolitical organization.”
Apolitical? The same armed forces that have been dispatched against Black Lives Matter protesters across the country? The same organization that specifically targets young Black and Latinx folks for recruitment, promising adventure, education, and a steady paycheck (never mind the PTSD, or the racial discrimination and sexual abuse that runs rampant through its ranks)? The same military historically used to dominate and kill people of color in “developing” nations? That US military?
That’s news to me!