Title: 'You Should Be Outraged,' Air Force Academy Head Tells Cadets About Racism On Campus (embrace race & gender diversity, or GET OUT!) Source:
NPR URL Source:http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo- ... s-cadets-about-racism-on-campu Published:Sep 30, 2017 Author:Bill Chappell Post Date:2017-09-30 19:49:55 by Hondo68 Keywords:Power of Diversity Views:1582 Comments:7
After racial slurs were scrawled outside black students' doors at the U.S. Air Force Academy's preparatory school, Superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria gathered all 4,000 cadets in a hall Thursday so they could hear one message: Treat people with dignity and respect — or get out.
"That kind of behavior has no place at the prep school, it has no place at USAFA, and it has no place in the United States Air Force," Silveria said, in a speech that has found an enthusiastic reception after it was recorded and published online. "You should be outraged not only as an airman, but as a human being."
Speaking to a crowd of some 5,500 people that included faculty, coaches, airstrip personnel and senior officers and staff of the 10th Air Base Wing that includes the academy, Silveria urged them not to let their institution be taken away from them.
"The appropriate response for horrible language and horrible ideas — the appropriate response is a better idea," Silveria said. "So that's why I'm here. That's why all these people are here."
Both the academy and the Air Force amplified Silveria's message through videos and tweets drawing on his speech.
The academy is investigating an incident involving the N-word from earlier this week, when, as local newspaper The Gazette reports, "five black students woke up Tuesday to find 'Go Home' followed by the epithet scrawled on message boards outside their rooms."
The Gazette, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., south of the school's base, adds, "Sources at the academy said there appeared to be a single vandal involved, judging by the handwriting."
While acknowledging that the academy isn't a perfect institution, Silveria said it would be naive not to speak about racism — and that it would be tone-deaf not to do so in the current climate in America, including racist demonstrations in Charlottesville, Va., and elsewhere.
The Air Force Academy draws people from all races, the superintendent said, and from all walks of life, all parts of the country, all genders and upbringings.
"The power of that diversity comes together and makes us that much more powerful," Silveria said. "That's a much better idea than small thinking and horrible ideas."
Toward the end of his address, Silveria said:
"Just in case you're unclear on where I stand on this topic, I'm going to leave you my most important thought today: If you can't treat someone with dignity and respect, then you need to get out. If you can't treat someone from another gender, whether that's a man or a woman, with dignity and respect, then you need to get out. If you demean someone in any way, then you need to get out. And if you can't treat someone from another race, or different color skin, with dignity and respect, then you need to get out."
Those in the room listened in silence. To make sure his message was received and taken away, Silveria told cadets and others present to get out their phones and record it. Citing the need for the group to have moral courage and protect their institution's values, he then repeated his message: "If you can't treat someone with dignity and respect, then get out."
Poster Comment:
Ferguson, Charlottesville, NFL protests.... an Air Force SJW three star.
What is that creature standing behind him, and where have all the blacks gone?
We must embrace diversity because someone wrote the N-word, or get out! /s
This is not the academy itself, nor the academy's high school nor elementary school.
Wiki:
The United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School (usually referred to as the "Prep School") is a program offered to selected individuals who were not able to obtain appointments directly to the Academy. The program involves intense academic preparation (particularly in English, math and science), along with athletic and military training, meant to prepare the students for appointment to the Academy. A high percentage of USAFA Preparatory School students (known as "Preppies") earn appointments to the Academy following their year at the Prep School.
This is some kind of remedial progam to help its students improve their scores enough to be admitted to the Academy. It is likely susceptible to influence and contains a lot of sons of Air Force officers and some minorities that they want in the Academy to improve their affirmative action profile.
This prep school seems to be for kids 18-19 that have already graduated from a high school but who failed to qualify for the Academy. It amounts to a fifth year of high school and a second chance at admission to the Academy.
The academy Prep Schools are often a place to spin up talented athletes lacking in brainpower. Also, enlisted guys who qualify in brainpower for officer status but have been a few years out of school. Back in the day we called them poopsters.
Since this supposedly was about the N word, you have to wonder if it might be connected to the current racist meltdown of the NFL. Given the reputation of the various academies and the military's officers corps toward racial slurs, this had to be exceptional. Everyone knows military officers don't allow themselves to use slurs of any kind. You really don't belong at any of the academies to train (for free) as an officer if you can't respect that rule.
I guess I would agree with the superintendent overall.
OTOH, I have to wonder if the black students themselves might have hate-crimed themselves, perhaps because they're washing out of the prep school. By committing a self-hate crime, they could stall or end any termination from the prep school for cause.
We know committing self-hate crimes is pretty common. The Academy is not immune.
I watched about 50 secs of the video. My first thought was that the janitor did it.
In our day the janitors were called barracks police, or BPs for short.
Herbie used to slam down our 24" metal trash can at 7 a.m. - just to be sure we weren't napping. Our duty was to place it in the hallway and he emptied it and tormented us. Sweet memories...
