Navy's highest-ranking officer confronts Republican critics and stresses importance of combating rac

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: CNN

racism and misinformation

The US Navy's highest-ranking officer pushed back strongly against what he called efforts by two Republican congressmen to portray the US military as "weak" and "woke" in a hearing on Tuesday.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday's comments came during a House Armed Services budget hearing as Reps. Doug Lamborn and Jim Banks questioned his recommendation of the book "How to be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi on a voluntary reading list for Navy sailors, which Gilday tied directly to efforts to combat misinformation by adversaries such as Russia and China.

Kendi argues in the book that people must actively be antiracist -- instead of being "not racist" -- to progress toward racial equality.

-snip-

Gilday's comments come as military officials have faced a chorus of GOP voices questioning the Defense Department's efforts to promote diversity and combat extremism in the ranks. He took a similar stance to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who stressed the importance of promoting diversity and inclusion when he came under a similar attack from Republican Senators at a hearing last week.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/navys-highest-ranking-officer-confronts-republican-critics-and-stresses-importance-of-combating-racism-and-misinformation/ar-AAL5gfZ?li=BBnb7Kz

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Why does the GOP hate our military.

[RainCaster]

1. Time to ban Fox from all defense installations

That hate monger has to go.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Racists are not dependable people to have at your back. Military ops require dependable people. . nt

[Red Mountain]

3. Agreed.....active is better than passive

Antiracist versus not racist.

[lark]

4. Because they hate the very idea of America

That everyone should be considered equal is anathema to them in any form. They will only accept righty mighty whitey and the teachings to reverence the rich and hate/disdain the worker/poor.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. Where's Our Sales Pitch?

Every dem should be on every show simply saying "Republicans hate our troops!"
Don't justify it. Don't rationalize it.
Say it! Put them on the defense.
They will hate it!

[riversedge]

6. Sens. Cruz and Cotton are some of your vocal critics.............

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/navys-highest-ranking-officer-confronts-republican-critics-and-stresses-importance-of-combating-racism-and-misinformation/ar-AAL5gfZ?li=BBnb7Kz
..............

.............................Cotton, criticizing military training on systemic racism, had asked Austin to respond to a series of yes or no questions about whether the US military is racist, after each of which Austin said that the answers required more context before Cotton cut him off.

"I think we need to do a bit better in terms of making sure that we're absolutely inclusive, and making sure that we create pathways, or pathways are available, for everybody that's in the ranks to achieve, to realize their full potential," said Austin when allowed to add more context to his answers by Sen. Tim Kaine.

While the military has become more diverse since World War II, minorities in the armed forces still face issues of inequality. For instance, black service members are less likely to become officers and, as a result, are more likely to be seriously injured serving their country than their white colleagues.

Republican members of Congress such as Sen. Ted Cruz have gone as far as unfavorably comparing the US military to Russia's to disparage diversity efforts by the Defense Department.

"We're seeing Democratic politicians and these woke lefty bureaucrats and lefty media reporters trying to destroy the American military, trying to turn it in, into frankly a bunch of pansies," Cruz told Fox News...................................................................................

[haele]

7. When deployed, there's nowhere for anyone to go.

You can't just go home every night, or quit or take the weekend off to let off some steam. You and up to a couple thousand others are stuck in a small, cramped space where everyone from the 18 year old E-1 to the mid 40-ish E-8, and all the Officers, are expected to be professionals -or at least grown ups on pretty near a 24/7 basis.
There is no room for any juvenile racism, sexism or any other sociopathic bullying behavior. They all have to live and work with each other as a team - or a well-oiled machine.

It's not "Woke" or politically correct - if you bully a shipmate to the point they snap, there is a risk you and others can end up mass casualties due to sabotage or small arms fire when out on the middle of nowhere.

Haele

[mahina]

8. An officer and a gentleman for sure

He should make us all proud.