A SOLDIER'S PERSPECTIVE
THE WEB'S LEADING MILITARY BLOG SINCE 2004
[CJ Note: This is a very serious subject and one that many will find uncomfortable. Perhaps that is also part of the problem - we feel uncomfortable questioning a program that is supposed to promulgate equal opportunity "regardless of race, color, creed" and such. Keep in mind that all posts are the content and opinions of the respective authors. I urge everyone to read this with an open and objective mind. "White" people should put themselves in "minority" shoes and "minorities" should likewise place themselves in "white" shoes on these issues. It's a serious conversation that really needs to be had, especially within the Army. Art speaks from his personal experiences, not because he's some white hooded Klansman! And isn't that also a problem when a "white" person speaks out about inequality that he is automatically labeled a racist? Please read on...this is an open discussion. However, I won't tolerate hate speech in here either way.]
Today my brigade EO Advisor held a large-scale EO class in one of the base gyms. The theme of the EO class: White people are the root of all evil and minorities are God’s chosen people. OK that was a bit exaggerated. Or was it?
In any case, the EO Advisor presented numerous vignettes that the class had to determine if the vignettes contained EO violations. As I suspected, every one of the vignettes dealt with white Soldiers as the adversary and minority Soldiers as their victims. In my 15+ year military career, without exception, I have never had an EO class present vignettes that dealt with white Soldiers as victims of an EO violation. But then again, the Army’s definition of racism is written in such a way that only white Soldiers can be racist anyway. So it makes perfect sense.
This EO Advisor loves to pat himself on the back as he enlightens me about his quest for diversity and EO issues. I told him on several occasions that he should diversify his training by including some minority on majority examples of racism but he refused to do it as demonstrated by his class today.
If the Army’s EO Program focuses so much attention on teaching minority Soldiers that they are powerless victims of racism at the hands of white Soldiers, then this becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. I feel this is exactly what the Army’s EO Program wants. Over a year ago I had two black Soldiers in my shop that would complain whenever it was their turn to vacuum the office floor. A common complaint I heard from them was, “I have to vacuum the floor because I am black.†They failed to realize that all the other Soldiers in the office shared the responsibility. They failed to see this because the Army’s EO Program teaches them that they are victims. I am sure that the NCOIC would have fried if the two black Soldiers made an EO complaint about vacuuming the floor.
How are white Soldiers affected by this self fulfilling prophecy? Many white Soldiers start to believe that they are the root to all evil and all minority deviant behavior is actually caused by whites. A white Soldier once said in an EO class, “I wish I can take off my white skin and give it to the black Soldiers in the class.” I am sure the EO Advisor running the class was very proud to know that his tactic is working. I brought this theory of mine up to my brigade EO Advisor and all he could say was, “White Privilege.†So therefore, the Army’s EO Program is the antidote for white privilege.
Where does the Army EO Program get the idea of white privilege? Where does the Army EO Program get this twisted form of minority victimhood? Where does the Army EO Program get the idea that only whites can be racist? Does it come from the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI)? DEOMI is the institution where the Army’s EO Advisors become qualified to be EO Advisors. Earlier this year, DEOMI invited me to their 7th Biennial Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Culture Research Symposium to speak about the Army’s Un-Equal Opportunity Program. I thought the school and attendees of the symposium was set out to tar and feather me for speaking so harshly about their beloved EO Program. But that was not the case. DEOMI and all but one attendee were very receptive. One of the instructors told me he understood my frustrations with the Army EO Program but he insured me that DEOMI does not teach the idea that only whites can be racist. I tend to believe him. Maybe I am suffering from a form of Stockholm Syndrome.
Is the Army EO Program the antidote to white privilege? What are your thoughts?
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Lisa: I also met him on Are You Interested... and got the poems :-) If
SSG M
***This article addresses only one aspect of the EO program (race) and as such I will comment only on that aspect to keep from breaking subject***
I do believe that the perception (and in the EO program, perception is everything) is that racial EO issues are instigated by the majorities upon the minorities. I have seen cases where a minority soldier complained to her EOR when none of her race was present for a certain award. The basis of the complaint was that the commander, CG and all others present where racist because they did not ensure equal representation. Is this right? Should I, as an NCO, refrain from awarding soldiers until I can find one soldier of every race worthy of an award? Should my minority soldiers have a better chance of passing a promotion board because the Army has race quotas for promotions to “ensure impartiality?” Do minorities require special treatment because of the risk of racist accusations? My upbringing had taught me to always view people as people, no matter their skin color, religion, or social status. In my tenure in the Army, I have had to change my perspective. I have learned that if you “see no color” you are bound to run into someone who thinks that he or she deserves special treatment not because of merit, actions, and achievements, but because of the color of their skin.
In closing, the Army EO program has caused me to see the world “in color” and recognize more things as possible racial issues than I ever had before. It is saddens me to realize that I cannot always view everyone the same due to the fact that a few would scrutinize my every action to determine if I was treating them according to the privilege they assumed they where entitled to.
Beatrice
My husband attempted to correct a lower-ranking soldier on a military issue. The soldier, a hispanic, did not want to admit to being wrong and, to deflect the spotlight from himself, falsely accused my husband of uttering a racial slur.
Given the fact that we have quite a few non-whites in our immediate family, the charge is ludicrous. The accuser, a captain, convinced his NCO to support his lies. A Lieutenant Colonel heard the exchange and testified that no racial comment had been made. Despite all this,the Lieutenant General who reviewed the case decided to err on the side of caution and my husband now has a Letter of Reprimand, is being held back from deployment until the issue is resolved, and has already been tried and hung by the court of public opinion. His honorable,quarter-century military career is in danger.
Yes, my husband is a blue-eyed Caucasian male. His ancestors fought on the right side of the Civil War. I am also white- a recent immigrant whose ancestors did not oppress anyone but were themselves oppressed.
How is this justice? How is this enforcing Army values? How is this protecting the oppressed? Or has the army gone too far and worships the EO gods to protect its own interests? I wish someone could explain it all to me, explain why my husband was not even allowed to defend himself, his only sin being his skin color!
Amanda
They need to have an EO program that states to be the antidote for Black Privilages. I actually got out of the Army for that reason. Maybe this would be a little more appropriate 60 years ago, but now days caucasions ca NOT express anything without being accussed of being racist. I have been all over the world and every single unit I have been in was never a white EOR. The new Army is now based on Masons, and Eastern Stars; who every single time get there way. I just left a unit where the leadership brought in their ceremony robes to work in front of everyone. Seriously? If that is the professionalism of leadership, they can have it. They even went as far as trying to make EO complaints against me saying I was racist. The Army is in no way “Army Strong” the motto should be Army Stars, because there isn NOT one Mason or Eastern Star that gets in trouble over anything. Army Policy: It’s all about who you know, or who you blow!
By the way, I don’t like Blacks, I love’em since I happened to be married to one! Holla
windward
The army dose not hire people to bring their negative views twoards others into the army and use it to protray others negativly so your race can advance. The army hires people to train and fight wars. it it beyond stupid to say that there should be an EEO class concerning white discrimination at the hands of blacks. There is no statistical evidence to show that whites lags behind whites in the army in promotions or in disiplinary action. There is however evidence that shows whites are given preferrential treatment over blacks which lead to lesser qualified people being placed into positions and a decline in the ability of the army in the future.