A cadet representing other (all) graduating cadets approaches the Superintendent of West Point with this question:
Sir, the West Point Honor Code, the backbone of our service, says A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.
The President has lied, cheated, and stolen. Wouldn't shaking hands with him on a public stage mean that we were tolerating his behavior? We can't do it.
And the Superintendent and FFOTUS's minions decide that there will be no handshakes at all.
Obviously, the minions thought the President snubbed the cadets was a better sound bite than the cadets snubbed the President.
It's not a good look when those you command refuse to touch you.
If this is the way it really went, I'm feeling awfully good about those young people right now.
Did this really happen? Or is it wishful thinking?
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, it's scuttlebutt among the services.
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I saw this story, which is unfortunately categorized by Snopes as Satire.
ReplyDeleteI came across it from a very reliable source, but it was 3rd hand so who knows. I'm believing it bc I want to believe it.
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Unfortunately, the guy who posted this story originally just told Snopes that it was satire. Here is the Snopes entry a little whle ago:
ReplyDeleteHowever, searches of Bing, DuckDuckGo, Google and Yahoo found no news media outlets credibly reporting that West Point cadets organized to refuse to shake Trump's hand. After the initial publishing of this Snopes article, Hawks addressed Snopes in a new post (archived), saying their story amounted to "satire, pure and unadulterated."
At this point, I wouldn't be surprised at anything. This is not too surreptitiously discussed among active duty, high ranking people across a broad range of services (this is a fact), people who are regularly reminded and who regularly remind others of the proper procedure when confronted with an illegal order. They are not all aligned with FFOTUS's agenda.
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Then there is the Army's behavior at the 250th Anniversary parade. The guy in the White House thought it was a birthday party for him, but the military had other ideas. I loved it.
DeleteIf it truly was satire, then what's the explanation for his departure from West Point immediately following his speech without shaking the hands of cadets? The President shaking the hands of graduating cadets is a long tradition at West Point.
ReplyDeleteHe is a germophobe and the thought of touching the great unwashed masses makes sense, too.
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I’m reading E. Jean’s new book, and I would wish his germophobia extended to his unsolicited, criminal attacks on women. Such perversion.
ReplyDeleteHe shook hands at USAFA in 2019. Then again, six years ago, he may not have been as mentally degraded.
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