Rapone has complained that the military as such “reifies capitalism/imperialism with a brutally hierarchical rank structure” and said that his fellow service members “lust for war and conflict. They fetishize violence.”
The Washington Times reported a story on September 26th showing a West Point cadet in uniform displaying the inside of his hat to the cameras. Inside the hat, the graduate had written a pro-Colin Kaepernick slogan: “Communism Will Win.”
The images of US Infantry Officer Spenser Rapone reached a popular military news site on Tuesday and set off a robust debate on NFL national anthem protests. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who started it all in 2016 and the shock of seeing an unapologetic communist from the United States Military Academy at West Point is just too much for many Americans to bear.
West Point has released the following statement regarding 2nd Lt. Rapone:
STATEMENT RESPONSE TO SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS BY USMA GRADUATE – September 26, 2017, The US Military Academy strives to develop leaders who internalize the academy’s motto of Duty, Honor, Country, and who live the Army values. Second Lieutenant Rapone’s actions in no way reflect the values of the US Military Academy or the US Army. As figures of public trust, members of the military must exhibit exemplary conduct and are prohibited from engaging in certain expressions of political speech in uniform. Second Lieutenant Rapone’s chain of command is aware of his actions and is looking into the matter. The academy is prepared to assist the officer’s chain of command as required.
My wife and I are the proud parents of a West Point graduate currently serving in the US Army. I am a veteran of the US Army, and this sort of thing is utterly intolerable. In my opinion, 2nd Lt. Rapone needs to go the way of Bradley Manning and Reality Winner. This is pure “conduct unbecoming an officer,” and the Uniformed Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) should throw its full weight into this matter.
To that end, the US Army has opened an investigation into 2nd Lt. Rapone and the failure of his oath to the nation. 2nd Lt. Rapone (I hope that title doesn’t last long) is very open about his feelings. Rapone’s Twitter account has several posts by him leaving no question as to his beliefs.
Rapone has complained that the military as such “reifies capitalism/imperialism with a brutally hierarchical rank structure” and said that his fellow service members “lust for war and conflict. They fetishize violence.”
In June 2016, Rapone said that because “fascists dehumanize political opponents…Violence against the far right is resistance, not aggression.”
In a tweet from July 2016, Rapone stated: “With that speech, Trump confirms the worst suspicion: he is a fascist.”
In October 2016, Rapone said that “the GOP exists as violence against black/brown people, Muslims, LGBTQ community, yet milquetoast liberals actively donate money to it?”
Some will say he is just misguided or misunderstood or that he is just standing for his principles. Well, there is another principle that he should be standing for, and that is the oath he swore to uphold. That oath that he raised his hand and swore to uphold goes like this:
I, Spenser Rapone, after being appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated in the grade of Second Lieutenant, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same: that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion: and that I will and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter: So help me God.
Does anyone see a problem with that oath and the actions this guy has taken? Is there a break in faith?
The US military needs to take action on this quickly. After graduating from West Point in 2016, 2nd Lt. Rapone was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division and is currently attending Ranger School. He needs to be dealt with quickly before he is placed in a position of trust and leadership.
I know this is not someone I would follow, and certainly, I do not think many other soldiers would either. His actions are offensive and disrespectful to everyone serving in the military, past and present. He is exactly what is wrong with our society today. He has no loyalty to the honor bestowed on him. He has no loyalty to the oath he has taken. He has broken faith with the very nation that trusted him enough to send him to one of the most prestigious institutions of learning in the country.
If allowed to remain in service due to some idiotic political correctness effort, we will reap what we sow. He is a disaster waiting to happen
Spenser Rapone enlisted in the Army before joining the “Long Gray Line” of West Point. He wears the Combat Infantryman Badge, GWOT service medal, and Afghanistan campaign medal. But what he has done now is a disgrace. He is openly violating the UCMJ and just about every tenet and promise he ever made to this nation. He deserves to be removed from the service.
Think of the similarities with the line of recent turncoats revealing and releasing classified information. Look at our wandering deserter Bowe Bergdahl. These are examples of people who broke faith with their duty and oath. Rapone shows the same type of beliefs and feelings about regulations and rules as those who committed acts of treason.
If allowed to remain in service due to some idiotic political correctness effort, we will reap what we sow. He is a disaster waiting to happen. He is harming our military. He is harming our nation, and he needs to be separated from the service immediately.
