Thread: 16 Female Westpoint Cadets Under Investigation For Black Power Salute

Te Confederate uniforms don't really help. Especially with Earl joining the fray with his tub thumping supremacist rhetoric.

Originally Posted by taxexile

in these hypersensitive times, where any opinion or gesture can be open to myriad interpretations, those in the public eye should be careful of inflaming the sensitivities of others. it is a sad reflection of the times we live in.

i believe these girls could have, if they so desired, easily found another way of expressing their joy, but purposely chose to attract attention to themselves in this way and cause some offence to the overtly sensitive, not a great offence by any means, but they knew what they were doing.

I generally agree. However, given that there are few female West Point graduates, and far fewer black ones, and given that they will be serving in an army with very, very few black female officers, I think they can be forgiven a perhaps not fully thought out expression of pride in what they have accomplished.

I'm not sure that all of them are women.

Originally Posted by Luigi

I'm not sure that all of them are women.

Taste test? Kitchen thread or short time room?

3 point turn and reverse parking test.

Originally Posted by chassamui

Te Confederate uniforms don't really help.

Don't think so. Think that is the standard West Point cadet uniform:




However, I will go with the side that say this was disrespectful to the uniform they were wearing.

The only salute they should be using is the one appropriate to that uniform.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

Don't think so. Think that is the standard West Point cadet uniform:

Based on Confederate colour, style and accoutrements. Perhaps I should have used a wink or a roll eyes?

Originally Posted by nidhogg

Don't think so. Think that is the standard West Point cadet uniform:

It's not. It is an old-fashioned ceremonial dress uniform used for specific occasions. In this case, a staged photo op in front of Nininger Hall, which dates from the late-1800's. Thus the use of the old uniform style, the sepia photo style, and the lack of smiles - few people smiled in old pictures - they generally looked quite grim.

^ and ^^ I stand doubly corrected.

The designer of the chin straps needs a decent talking to.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

^ and ^^ I stand doubly corrected.

No worries I'm sure

I had more than a bit of an edge, having lived there for a number of years.

Originally Posted by Storekeeper

Yes, it's still the "Black Power" symbol but in this scenario I see it as a positive. They're saying, "Look at what is possible if you apply yourself".

Looks like a Communist salute to me

Any better ?

White A*se Power salutes rule!

Humm ... maybe Buzz was trying to tell us something all those years ago.

None of the 16 graduating seniors in the photo will face disciplinary action. This was the result of a military internal investigation, which concluded no rules were broken.

I e-mailed three West Point graduates, all of whom have PHD's and have returned during their careers to teach at West Point. I expected all of them to agree with me.

None did. They all thought that the salute, taken on a military base while in uniform, should result in disciplinary action - although none recommended serious punishment.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

None of the 16 graduating seniors in the photo will face disciplinary action. This was the result of a military internal investigation, which concluded no rules were broken.

A sensible solution.

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

They all thought that the salute, taken on a military base while in uniform, should result in disciplinary action - although none recommended serious punishment.

I tend to agree, but the very fact that these ladies were investigated is possibly enough of a 'warning for them.'

^I doubt any of them will be raising clenched fists at graduation next month.

West Point clears black cadets over raised-fists photo

(CNN)The 16 female, African-American cadets who appeared in a photograph with raised fists in uniform will not be punished for their controversial "Old Corps Photo."

The U.S. Military Academy announced Tuesday that no punitive action will be taken against the cadets, according to a school press release.

The official inquiry concluded the photograph did not violate any Army or Department of Defense regulations and was only intended to demonstrate unity and pride.

"As members of the Profession of Arms, we are held to a high standard, where our actions are constantly observed and scrutinized in the public domain," said academy superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., in a letter.

In addition to finding no official violations, the findings stated that no one in the photo intended to show support for a political movement, said the release.

"We all must understand that a symbol or gesture that one group of people may find harmless may offend others. As Army officers, we are not afforded the luxury of a lack of awareness of how we are perceived," Caslen said.

The photo first circulated when John Burk, a blogger popular among some in the military, wrote about it after receiving the photograph from multiple cadets.

In his blog posts and Facebook page, Burk described the image as a "completely unprofessional" reference to the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Facebook post ultimately drew thousands of likes and hundreds of comments.

The "Old Corps Photo" under scrutiny is a graduation tradition at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

According to tradition, graduating seniors in small groups don their ceremonial high-collared uniforms and pose for a photo in front of historic Nininger Hall.

CNN's David Shortell contributed to this report.

West Point clears black cadets over raised-fists photo - CNN.com

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Nininger Hall

Racist I tell ya!

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^I doubt any of them will be raising clenched fists at graduation next month.

They should not be at graduation next month. They should be expelled exactly the same way White males would be for engaging in such behavior in uniform.

So, what exactly would be so much more wrong with white males doing this?

Originally Posted by stroller

So, what exactly would be so much more wrong with white males doing this?

I could imagine that there might be a longer tradition of a bonding White Aryan class at Westpoint, being an historically white American establishment institution.

Their attention seeking causes wouldn't be noticed in the majority.

Originally Posted by BobR

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

^I doubt any of them will be raising clenched fists at graduation next month.

They should not be at graduation next month. They should be expelled exactly the same way White males would be for engaging in such behavior in uniform.

Once again, an amazingly stupid and uninformed post.