Not just anyone can become a West Point graduate. To even be admitted into the U.S. Military Academy is such a high honor. One cannot simply send in an application; you must be nominated by a member of Congress to even apply for admission. Then you must have a handwritten letter from Jesus, complete 200 pushups in 11 seconds and leap tall buildings in a single bound. Graduates of West Point automatically become Army officers after four years of physical, mental and academic training. They are some of the toughest, most patriotic men and women in America.
Shockingly, it seems many of them aren’t that offended when people kneel, even during the playing of the national anthem.
However, the New York Post is reporting that the U.S. Army has opened an investigation and condemned the actions of Army officer and West Point graduate 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone for showing support on Twitter for Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL quarterback who started kneeling during the playing of the national anthem before football games to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
Rapone has tweeted pictures, like the one below, showing his support for protesters in general, offending many nonmilitary snitches who are butt-hurt about NFL players protesting injustice.
After people reported 2nd Lt. Rapone’s tweets, Army officials issued a statement (pdf) saying:
The U.S. Military Academy strives to develop leaders who internalize the academy’s motto of Duty, Honor, Country, and who live the Army values. Second Lieutenant Rapone’s actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army.
As figures of public trust, members of the military must exhibit exemplary conduct, and are prohibited from engaging in certain expressions of political speech in uniform. Second Lieutenant Rapone’s chain of command is aware of his actions and is looking into the matter. The academy is prepared to assist the officer’s chain of command as required.
But Rapone isn’t the only soldier expressing such opinions. All over social media, military vets are speaking out about protesters’ right to exercise their First Amendment right to freedom of speech. The hashtag #VeteransForKaepernick has gone viral after military veterans across the world have shown support for the NFL players who have used their platform to speak out against inequality and state violence.
Perhaps the most inspiring message of them all was shared by Brennan Gilmore, who awoke to this picture from his 97-year-old grandfather:
You will notice that these men are not black; are they millionaires. Perhaps they know, more than the draft-dodging commander in chief, what the Constitution means. Maybe they know for whom and what that star-spangled banner yet waves more than a billionaire trust-fund baby.
Maybe they are real Americans.
To see some of the brave men and women who support the First Amendment right to protest on Twitter, click here.
Read more at the New York Post.