Dan T. Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 This was buried in another thread, but this needs to be widely seen. Someone wrote racist slurs on public message boards at the Air Force Academy Prep School. General Jay B. Silveria, Academy superintendent, called for an immediate assembly and addressed the students and faculty. Note to people in leadership positions. Here is how you respond to racist events. This man did himself, the Air Force, and the nation proud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar78 Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 Not much in terms of leadership has made me proud recently. But this was truly exceptional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsmarydu Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 I agree . Hail to the USAFA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LD0506 Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 Saw an interview w/ him yesterday, he made the point that not only did he want this tackled headon for very good reasons but he wanted to use this as a teaching moment for the cadets, to demonstrate how you lead. Thought it was a very good point, he was forceful, direct, no fine print room for interpretation in his message while at the same time took a moral and ehtical stand. Gen. Silveria deserves all the accolades he receives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 There were bad messages on many sides, on many sides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Excuses Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 Good, decent people like him are the only reason we are still functioning like a competent, polite society. This should always be the response whenever we encounter bigotry in our institutions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 I was glad to see this. There has been an ongoing problem of rape and sexual harassment of female cadets at the academy. I would have liked to see this message earlier in relation to that situation. Better late than never I suppose. Thank goodness for people like Gen. Silveria, and looking at his last name, he's a person of color. Why hasn't a European white person spoken out clearly and succinctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sisko Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 4 hours ago, Riggo-toni said: There were bad messages on many sides, on many sides. Beat me to it! ?? 3 hours ago, LadySkinsFan said: Thank goodness for people like Gen. Silveria, and looking at his last name, he's a person of color. Why hasn't a European white person spoken out clearly and succinctly. Because they're too busy being persecuted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techboy Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 6 hours ago, LadySkinsFan said: Why hasn't a European white person spoken out clearly and succinctly. Italy's not in Europe any more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearrock Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 7 hours ago, LadySkinsFan said: Thank goodness for people like Gen. Silveria, and looking at his last name, he's a person of color. Why hasn't a European white person spoken out clearly and succinctly. LadySkinsFan, I respect a lot of the things you post and your viewpoints, but the above quote bothered me to be honest. I think there have been a lot people across all racial backgrounds who have spoken forcefully and clearly against racism recently. Maybe I'm reading it wrong or overblowing it, but I think it would be wrong to suggest that some racial groups are sitting on the sidelines or being silent in the face of racism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 Well, I think that there's been lots of rambling about racial equality. What I was most impressed with was the general's repeating of the phrase "get out". I've not heard anyone else be quite so clear. Especially from the USAF. That academy I Is or at least was filled with a virulent form of right wing, militant Christianity that was racially intolerant, and the rape and sexual harassment of female cadets was routinely covered up. The general's speech brooked no misunderstanding, and I bet if they find the people who wrote that slur, they will be fired and made examples of. At least I hope so. No one I k know of has taken such a stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearrock Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 Thanks for the follow up and clarification Ladyskinsfan. I agree that more people should follow in General Silveria's footsteps and be clear and unequivocal about the consequences of racism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeesburgSkinFan Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 The whole thing was a hoax: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/11/08/a-black-student-wrote-those-racist-messages-that-shook-the-air-force-academy/?utm_term=.30ef5bfb59c9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbo Posted November 8, 2017 Share Posted November 8, 2017 Hoaxes of that nature---stoking serious social issues--- piss me off, of course, but I'd say it doesn't take any merit or value from the general's response, or even lessen its timeliness and broader appropriateness. Tangentially, I was talking with TK awhile back about this member we have who's been around a long time and once, more than a few years ago, posted particularly open anti-black racist comments one time, but couldn't find the archive then, and didn't remember whether I was a mod at the time or exactly what happened about it, if anything, afterwards. I noted that the member since then has pretty much been of sparse participation in general and more circumspect in sociopolitical topics. But he's still here, and logically would hardly be the only one harboring such thinking. So I mean to write sometime on where some people might think "all the racism went" in our society after, you know, everything was made right and settled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predicto Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 7 hours ago, LeesburgSkinFan said: The whole thing was a hoax: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/11/08/a-black-student-wrote-those-racist-messages-that-shook-the-air-force-academy/?utm_term=.30ef5bfb59c9 Great job, dude. You just fueled the fires of the "racism doesn't exist anymore it's just whining" crowd for another 5 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spjunkies Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 Guy who faked the story is a complete fool. I still have major respect for the Superintendent, that man stepped up and was an example of true leadership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 I just read the article. I see that the student responsible is no longer enrolled, so I hope they expelled him. With all the racial crap going on, we don't need people going around inciting racial crap that's false. I too, and glad the superintendent spoke out when he did. I hope there was also a mandatory gathering to say that fake stories like this won't be tolerated either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Sinister Posted November 9, 2017 Share Posted November 9, 2017 Have no idea how someone like that could find it in their brain to go through with that, especially now, of all ****ing times. Unbelievable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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