Tuesday, May 10, 2016

A Double Standard

The Los Angeles Times reports the 16 black women cadets who posed for a group photo in uniform with raised fists, have been found by West Point to have broken no rules and will not be disciplined. Most observers saw their pose as support for the Black Lives Matter movement which violates Academy rules against cadet political activity (other than voting).

Try a thought experiment. Imagine there was some equivalent gesture or salute associated with white power (I know of none). Further imagine a like sized group of white cadets had been photographed giving that suspect "salute."

Do you believe white cadets would have gotten off with no reprimand? It's likely they would have been expelled forthwith. "White privilege" means being forced to adhere to rules which others may choose to ignore.