US service academies say hand gestures at Army-Navy game were a game and not racist

[Dennis Donovan]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/20/politics/naval-academy-hand-gesture/index.html

(CNN)The US Naval Academy and US Military Academy at West Point said Friday that the hand gesture some cadets and midshipmen were seen making on camera was part of a game known as the "circle game" and not a white supremacist symbol.

The circle game is commonly played when a person forms an "OK" with their hand below their waist to trick a second person into looking at it. If the second person is caught looking at the hand gesture, that person is then punched by the person who made the gesture.

The academies were investigating to see if the cadets and midshipmen were making a sign that can be associated with white nationalism, which is someone forming the "OK" sign with their fingers and thumb to symbolize the letters "WP" -- which stands for white power.

"We are confident the hand gestures used were not intended to be racist in any way. However, we are disappointed by the immature behavior of the two Fourth Class Midshipmen, and their actions will be appropriately addressed," Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Sean Buck said in a written statement. "The Naval Academy is fully committed to preparing young men and women to become professional officers of competence, character, and compassion in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps; in this case, we recognize there is more work to be done."

"We investigated this matter thoroughly," Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams, 60th superintendent of the US Military Academy said in a separate written statement. "Last Saturday we had reason to believe these actions were an innocent game and not linked to extremism, but we must take allegations such as these very seriously. We are disappointed by the immature behavior of the cadets."

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I'm calling bullshit. The circle game needs 2 people to play it, since the object of the game is to get someone to look down at the gesture so you can hit the person looking at it in the arm. Who were they playing "the Circle Game" with? The television viewing audience (who they can't hit in the arm)??

On edit: This also happened yesterday: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212802840 Senate Quietly Cut Term 'White Nationalists' From Measure to Screen Military Recruits

[FakeNoose]

1. That's BS - they got caught and now they're trying to weasel out of it

Is anyone surprised by this?

[Boomerproud]

2. Not surprised in the least.

Rocks, paper, scissors. anyone. Keep bowing at their feet CBS.

[Initech]

3. Weaseling out of things is important, it's what separates us from the animals! Except the weasel.

[Initech]

4. I'm not at all shocked that this would be the conclusion they would reach.

[C_U_L8R]

5. Circle game? Well here's a stick game for these racist jerks...

[FakeNoose]

6. +1 LOL!!

[maxrandb]

7. Ok Boomer

[PCIntern]

8. Oh I get it:

So if I go into a classroom with all women and whip it out of my pants then I’m just playing charades where the word I’m looking for is “penal”.

[crickets]

9. And guess who wins "the game" when they get everyone to call it that:

White supremacists do. smh.

[Wednesdays]

10. Yeah, okay, sure. And we're all retarded.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

11. kids in elementary school can look up excuses on the Internet

These recruits and the "investigators" should be able to outdo little kids.

So the gesture that was held horizontal at eye level was part of "the circle game"? How does that work?