16 West Point cadets cadets in raised-fist photo won't be punished

holy righteous indignation batman, lol

some have the right fist up, others the left. some are smiling. some look really tired/bored

what is the big deal ?

a reply to: TinfoilTP

Uphold their oaths?

I, _____, having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."

Link

This oath supersedes any and all. They are, in this manner, doing precisely that. You don't agree? Too bad. The Army doesn't see a real issue.

But as I said above, not to worry, this will undoubtedly come back at them further down the road. Promotion boards are very political, and I'm sure some of them will lose their careers because someone didn't like this picture. So, no worries.

originally posted by: introvert
a reply to: Bedlam

Sad, if true.

Free speech, but only if we like it.

If you wanted free speech, you could have done so out of uniform. You are not free to act a clown in your cadet grays.

Consider - if you worked for, say, Apple, and were in Apple clothing, and got on TV and started supporting someone moderately offensive, let's say you went a-Trumping on national TV in your Apple work duds and were shouting 'Apple employees for Trump!', you'd be canned in a blink.

Because you are representing yourself as Apple. Like it or not.

Thus, it is inappropriate to obviously espouse a political viewpoint in uniform. Because politically motivated military are what you get in the third world.

This is among the stupidest manufactured outrage to ever cross my eyes.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Gee, that's what I said too...

Only in a lot more words. I like your version better.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
This is among the stupidest manufactured outrage to ever cross my eyes.

outrage over seemingly nothing is whats 'trending' on twitter right now... this will go on until someone tells people to bluntly f'off and have some cheese with their wine...

a reply to: Bedlam

Actually, that's a good point.

I can agree.

a reply to: Substracto

Maybe if people who spoke about white pride weren't the same ones lynching people of other races and calling for segregation there wouldn't be that issue. Hmmm

a reply to: syrinx high priest

Don't you know. The big deal is they are leftist scumbag communist violent extremists snowflakes. That's what the sentiment seems to be.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

On point BFFT. Unarmed citizens are being shot by police daily and someone's angry because cadets showed pride for their accomplishment.

a reply to: Bedlam

That was not my experience growing up in rural Georgia with the possible exception of the Dukes of Hazzard.

originally posted by: Bedlam

originally posted by: introvert
a reply to: Bedlam

Sad, if true.

Free speech, but only if we like it.

If you wanted free speech, you could have done so out of uniform. You are not free to act a clown in your cadet grays.

Consider - if you worked for, say, Apple, and were in Apple clothing, and got on TV and started supporting someone moderately offensive, let's say you went a-Trumping on national TV in your Apple work duds and were shouting 'Apple employees for Trump!', you'd be canned in a blink.

Because you are representing yourself as Apple. Like it or not.

Thus, it is inappropriate to obviously espouse a political viewpoint in uniform. Because politically motivated military are what you get in the third world.

i agree. and i hope those excellent remarks and observations should be valid for any other groups supporting any other ideologies, not just them.

originally posted by: introvert
a reply to: Bedlam

Actually, that's a good point.

I can agree.

From a military viewpoint, it's really the only 'outrage' part of their behavior. Had they all done this in tshirts and jeans and not identified as Pointers no one would have given a damn.

But the military is supposed to be officially neutral about civilian politics, and that's a GOOD thing. You WANT that.

originally posted by: theantediluvian
a reply to: Bedlam

That was not my experience growing up in rural Georgia with the possible exception of the Dukes of Hazzard.

That's the point.

originally posted by: Joecanada11
a reply to: syrinx high priest

Don't you know. The big deal is they are leftist scumbag communist violent extremists snowflakes. That's what the sentiment seems to be.

oh, of course, lol

I think you left out ungrateful and lazy

in the fwiw catagory

Two female West Point alumnae are defending the students, saying the raised their fists are meant to convey pride in their achievement of graduating from West Point, which has an overwhelmingly white and male student body. Black female students made up just 1.7% of the graduating class this year.

Brenda Sue Fulton, a West Point alumni from 1980 and now chairwoman of the US Military Academy’s Board of Visitors, told VICE News, “They’re celebrating the completion of a very difficult course of study. The pride and sense of triumph that cadets feel as they set out on their army careers. There was nothing political about this photo.” “These ladies weren’t raising their fist to say Black Panthers. They were raising it to say Beyoncé,” Mary Tobin, a 2003 graduate of West Point, told The New York Times. “For them it’s not a sign of allegiance to a movement, it’s a sign that means unity and pride and sisterhood,” she added.

The raised fist has had many meanings throughout history, including solidarity among workers’ rights groups. More recently, it was used by Beyoncé in the choreography to her song “Formation” in the Super Bowl half-time show this year.

And it is, of course, frequently thrown into the air in the service of good, old-fashioned pride and celebration.

The power of the image is context.

Sixteen people who I would trust with my life. As others will have to.

Sixteen people I would not want to fight. As others will have to.

Sixteen people who look quite capable of defending the Constitution. Some of whom may die doing so.

Sixteen people who don't deserve meaningless armchair pontification.

originally posted by: Martin75
Black Panthers HATE group

At least let it be the same for Everyone!!!!!! How about we all stop with the hate!

Now now, it's NOT hate if it's a brown person doing the hating!!!

Only WHITE PEOPLE hate...don't you know? Did you pay your official "I'm White therefore I'm guilty from Birth!" dues?


Whoa there, pardner! Are you WHITE and a MALE? Oh my are you SCREWED.....

Bend over, please.....

originally posted by: draoicht
The power of the image is context.

Sixteen people who I would trust with my life. As others will have to.

Sixteen people I would not want to fight. As others will have to.

Sixteen people who look quite capable of defending the Constitution. Some of whom may die doing so.

Sixteen people who don't deserve meaningless armchair pontification.

I see sixteen young women who have made it into a prestigious university....and are *knowingly* invoking the sign of a hate group....



Sorry. Expel them. If they were already enlisted, I'd say court martial their asses.

I see sixteen people who don't even deserve the air we all share.