West Point: Cadet photo was inappropriate, but not political. Niggers get free pass from Army cunts.

[Coon Scum]

The 16 black female cadets who posed for a photo with their
fists raised and sparked a nationwide debate will face no
punitive action, West Point officials announced Tuesday. The
women will, however, receive additional counseling prior to
graduating this month.

The image was taken April 26 during an “Old Corps” photo shoot,
a tradition where seniors strike serious poses reminiscent of
early 19th Century cadets who attended the U.S. Military Academy.

After the photo went viral online, the women faced accusations
they were trying to make a political statement in uniform and
were violating Defense Department rules. Some noted that raised
fists are associated with Black Lives Matter, the grassroots
organization that seeks to expose police brutality. Others saw
it as an imitation of Beyonce's nod to the Black Panthers during
her Super Bowl performance.

Many others vehemently defended the cadets, arguing the photo
was nothing more than a display of triumph and pride.

The academy opened an investigation on April 28 and interviewed
the cadets involved as well as the photographer. There was no
evidence these cadets intended to make a political statement,
according to a memo that summarizes the inquiry's findings. The
investigator also concluded there were no violations of Defense
Department Directive 1344.10, which spells out the rules for
service members engaging in political activities. Instead the
photo was deemed a "spur of the moment" pose with the intent,as
one cadet put it, to "showcase the awesome black women in our
class."

Even so, the photo pose was "inappropriate," according to the
major who conducted the official inquiry.

West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen agreed.

"While the inquiry did not find that these cadets violated a
policy or regulation, it did determine that they demonstrated a
lapse of awareness in how symbols and gestures can be
misinterpreted and cause division," Caslen wrote in a letter
Tuesday to the Corps of Cadets. "The impact of this photo,
regardless of its intent, is evident. It is unfortunate that
this perception brought attention to our Alma Mater for all the
wrong reasons."

Based on the inquiry, some of the cadets involved knew what they
were doing could prove incendiary.

Two cadets reportedly proposed the "raised fist" stance during
the shoot and two others immediately expressed concern,
according to the investigator. They asked, "Are we really doing
this?"

A cadet defended the photo, telling the other women, "This isn't
an [equal opportunity] violation and we won't get in trouble for
it." The cadet's name is redacted in the report.

There were nine photos taken during the shoot and three poses,
referred to as "Serious," "Raised Fist" and "Silly" in the
report.

One consequence

Prior to their graduation, all 16 cadets will receive additional
instruction from the academy's Commandant, Caslen said.

"As members of the Profession of Arms, we are held to a higher
standard, where our actions are constantly observed and
scrutinized in the public domain," he said. "We all must
understand that a symbol or gesture that one group of people may
find harmless may offend others."

Caslen did note, however, that clenched-fists have been used in
other ways at West Point in the past year as a display of pride
for the Army and nation.

"For instance, last July, the class of 2019 spontaneously raised
their fist in pride upon the playing of the Army Strong song
during the Fourth of July Concert," he wrote in his letter.
"Last December, on the night before the Army-Navy game, I joined
hundreds of staff and graduates in raising our fist in support
of the Army football team during the Army-Navy pep rally video.
The time, place and manner of a symbol can also hold significant
meaning and influence perception."

The investigator recommended no delays to the women's May 21
graduation, provided "they display an understanding of how their
actions as Cadets and future Officers were inappropriate, at the
conclusion of the instruction."

This controversy could complicate the "Old Corps" photo
tradition.

"I recommend all future 'Old Corps' photographs be reviewed by
the West Point public affairs office prior to release to any
Cadet or outside agency," the investigator wrote in his memo.

http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/2016/05/10/west-point-
cadet-photo-inappropriate-but-not-political/84196326/