Army-Navy game: White Power hand symbol appears to be used during pregame broadcast

A1Janitor said:
LOL on the other hand, he got America to look at the circle! For the win.
Click to expand...

Very subtle and well done… Unfortunately, I didn’t see the other hand [emoji6]
 
  • Like
Reactions: rjb
For anyone who believes that white power groups haven't infiltrated the military, start with Googling Cory Reeves and this article: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/...emains-a-problem-for-the-military-poll-shows/.
White Nationalism exists in the general public (and the administration apparently: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino...-nationalist-views-outed-latinos-ask-n1096071), so it's only logical that it will seep into the military, though hopefully only among a stupid few who will then be exposed.
As for the sign, it has in fact been hijacked by White Nationalist groups. Even my high school kid knows that.
As for the intent of the students, who knows? I'm betting there are cadets who "think" they support White Nationalist ideas and think it's funny to slip in the hand symbol on national TV (visions of Beavis and Butthead and, "he said anus" come to mind). It seems more plausible than college students still playing a middle school gotcha game where the symbol is supposed to be below the waist to count, and what's the point of doing it to a television audience when you won't be able to go and punch every viewer in the shoulder.
In the end, the Academies are right to look into this.
 
I was at the College Gameday broadcast. It was a blast and so much fun with the competing cheering and signs and the entire broadcast. To think that someone would hijack that moment, that atmosphere and claim there was white supremacy activity going on. Just seems ridiculous and really unfortunate. I'm not a boomer but am surely getting old and this type of stuff just makes me worry about where our society is headed.
 
jl123 said:
By the way in the 1980's a German waiter asked me how the Jaeger Schnitzel was and I smiled and gave him the OK sign. The person I was dining with told me I just called the waiter an A-hole. Afterwards I made exclusive use of the thumbs up sign.
Click to expand...
Careful using that in Australia, Greece, or the Middle East - it means "up yours." :)
 
You can stop reading the first article when you see paragraphs like this:

“I had no idea so much hatred was present in our country (and military) before this president was elected; it's horrifying.”

President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that he opposes racism in all forms, but he has come under criticism from liberal groups for focusing more on immigration issues than domestic terror groups.

And NBC with this:

Miller is the architect of President Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies that have separated children from parents, forced people seeking asylum in the U.S. to wait in Mexico under squalid conditions, instituted the Muslim ban and poured money from the military into border wall construction. The administration is currently under fire for the deaths of migrant children and teens who have died while in government custody.

Those policies were in place before this President.
 
A1Janitor said:
You can stop reading the first article when you see paragraphs like this:

“I had no idea so much hatred was present in our country (and military) before this president was elected; it's horrifying.”
Click to expand...
But that was a comment from a survey respondent, not from the author. These are readers of the Military Times. And no one is saying its pervasive, but to claim that White Nationalism or racism does not exist in the military is naive.
 
unkown1961 said:
But that was a comment from a survey respondent, not from the author. These are readers of the Military Times. And no one is saying its pervasive, but to claim that White Nationalism or racism does not exist in the military is naive.
Click to expand...

The first paragraph, yes. But what it is saying is there was very bad racism before this president took office ... and indicates somehow the President is responsible for the prior racism or making it come out more now somehow.

The second paragraph no. What liberal groups say about this president isn’t meaningful in this context. Especially in light of his accomplishments for minorities.

Not trying to be disagreeable here.
 
A1Janitor said:
The first paragraph, yes. But what it is saying is there was very bad racism before this president took office ... and indicates somehow the President is responsible for the prior racism or making it come out more now somehow.

The second paragraph no. What liberal groups say about this president isn’t meaningful in this context. Especially in light of his accomplishments for minorities.

Not trying to be disagreeable here.
Click to expand...
Understood, and I didn't think you were. My point was that claims of no racism in the military or that White Nationalists aren't serving is off base.
But I also wasn't trying to bring Trump himself into the coversation, just the info on Miller given his uncovered emails and other things that have come to light.
 
unkown1961 said:
Understood, and I didn't think you were. My point was that claims of no racism in the military or that White Nationalists aren't serving is off base.
But I also wasn't trying to bring Trump himself into the coversation, just the info on Miller given his uncovered emails and other things that have come to light.
Click to expand...

Sadly there is racism all around. I have stood up whenever I see it or hear it. I have told friends and clients that I don’t approve of racist language.

The worst example off the top of my head ... a former boss stood up at a Rotary meeting and said we cannot allow a black gynecologist into our community. My wife was pregnant with my daughter, who is three years older than DS.

I confronted him at the office ... and he asked me if I would let my wife go to a black gynecologist. I said I would be livid if my wife did not go to a gynecologist because of the color of his skin. Almost came to blows.

Fast forward to the delivery ... 80 hours. This black man was one of the two partners that oversaw the delivery. He didn’t perform the c section because it was the other guy’s turn.

The very next day I was walking in early ... he saw me and said he saw my baby. Hugged me and said she was the best looking baby he ever saw.

I looked for another job and left shortly thereafter. Nicest, sweetest, best bed side manners. How dare anyone treat this man this way.

There is racism everywhere. No matter the race. Even in the military.

Learning to recognize what it really is and fixing it is what we need. That’s not what is going on in this case specifically ... not what is happening in our society today.

These midshipmen are not racists because of this stupid game.

Just my opinion.
 
Folks, let's keep this thread on the topic which is the controversial aspect of the hand signs at the football game. If this drifts into political discourse, we will have problems.

Members have been recently banned for rules violations. Again, I remind everyone of the clearly stated rules:

If you are here only to start trouble, please reconsider. This is a patriotic website where we love our country and hold the members of the Armed Forces in the highest esteem. While you are free to discuss and debate policy, tactics, and trends, posts which criticize the United States in general or the Armed Forces in particular may lead to a ban if the only reason for posting them is to insult or belittle.

The purpose of this site is not to discuss politics. Political discussions should be limited in context and scope, and our nation's elected officials respected at all times.
 
I think the sign is all about context and purpose. We’re they trying to say ay-ok or playing the circle game. The hand sign has been associated with white supremacy recently and I think they should be more aware of that when showing it on national TV. They shouldn’t have done it even if there intent was good. The sign was most recently used by the new zeal as shooter. So I’m just saying they should not goofing off and showing signs they don’t know all the meanings to.285BCE6A-7198-4836-990E-A2DC4E207DEA.jpeg285BCE6A-7198-4836-990E-A2DC4E207DEA.jpeg
 
I am fairly certain that most of those cadets (not sure about the midshipman) that were present at the ESPN College Game Day broadcast were Plebes that were “tasked” with being there. At least that is how it went last year when my son was there. Lots of standing around and waiting. 18 year olds most likely trying to inject a little humor into a long, rainy day and get themselves noticed by playing a silly game. To make the jump that they are White Nationalists seems ludicrous to me. The SA’s are doing the right thing by investigating it. But my guess is that it will come out that they had no idea it would turn into such a controversy. The cadets/midshipman will likely have to learn the hard way that they are under a microscope now. For sure there will be some sort of punishment for them. The sad thing is that the media has no idea what kind of pressure these young adults are under on a daily basis. And now this. What a shame.
 
This is hilarious. The media falls for it every time. I haven't read all the other posts, but in case someone hasn't said it: This was created by a bunch of 4chan trolls who decided to make common symbols and gestures, such as the 'ok' hand signal, into 'white nationalist' gestures. The media fell for it a few years ago, and continues to fall for it apparently! The New Zealand shooter sort of ruined the meme, though.
 
2024candidate said:
This is hilarious. The media falls for it every time. I haven't read all the other posts, but in case someone hasn't said it: This was created by a bunch of 4chan trolls who decided to make common symbols and gestures, such as the 'ok' hand signal, into 'white nationalist' gestures. The media fell for it a few years ago, and continues to fall for it apparently! The New Zealand shooter sort of ruined the meme, though.
Click to expand...
You're right it was created as a hoax, but then it was hijacked: "The 4chan hoax succeeded all too well, and ceased being a hoax: Neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen and other white nationalists began using the gesture in public to signal their presence and to spot potential sympathizers and recruits. For them, the letters formed by the hand were not O and K, but W and P, for “white power.”" https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/15/us/ok-sign-white-power.html
 
unkown1961 said:
You're right it was created as a hoax, but then it was hijacked: "The 4chan hoax succeeded all too well, and ceased being a hoax: Neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen and other white nationalists began using the gesture in public to signal their presence and to spot potential sympathizers and recruits. For them, the letters formed by the hand were not O and K, but W and P, for “white power.”" https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/15/us/ok-sign-white-power.html
Click to expand...
Ah. Last year at my high school, it became a game (which to my understanding is extremely popular around the country), to make someone look at your knee with that symbol on it. If they did, you got to punch them in the shoulder as hard as you wanted. I've actually been playing this game since I was 4 years old in pre-school. It comes and goes. Last year, however, people started doing it for school photos every chance they got as a joke.. or instagram... or anywhere pictures were posted. That definitely seems like what is going on with these bored WP cadets. Does anyone actually think they are stupid enough to make a white power symbol on live television when they could easily be identified? If he were to hold it at his knee, it would out of view of the camera.
 
The above posters are correct, it was created as a hoax. Keep in mind 4 chan has a history of creating hoaxes that are taken seriously by members of the media. Another hoax was when 4chan suggested that females, during a specific time of the month, stop using any form of sanitary protection and just let things flow naturally. A group of feminists decided to do exactly that, not realizing it was a joke.

I tried to post this as delicately as possible.
 
A1Janitor said:
I would be very interested in seeing links to a concern in the military with white racist/nationalism.On the contrary, my son says the military isn’t racist at all. Everyone is his brothers and sisters.
Click to expand...

Here's at least one link..there are many....that suggests it is, has been and will be a concern. Any suggestion that somehow this is just"fabrication"or "bad reporting" or "people I know say it ain't so" is anecdotal at best:

www.militarytimes.com

Worries grow about white nationalism in the ranks

Lawmakers want to know what military officials are doing to combat the problem in the wake of new allegations of racism in the ranks.
www.militarytimes.com www.militarytimes.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top