State Rep. Bud Hulsey (R-Tenn.) has filed a decision condemning the Related Press (AP) for reporting on allegations of racism within the navy.
Hulsey's Home joint decision, filed January 20, was in response to a Might 2021 AP article titled "Deep-rooted racism, discrimination permeate US navy."
The AP story interviewed "present and former enlistees and officers in practically each department of the armed providers" who "described a deep-rooted tradition of racism and discrimination." It talked about that the navy processed over 750 complaints of racism in addition to 1,250 complaints of racial and color-based discrimination from civilians working for the navy.
"These [750] complaints symbolize solely 0.058 % of all active-duty service members," Hulsey's decision states. "Among the many roughly 425,000 members of the active-duty navy who're members of a racial minority, solely 0.18 % reported discrimination in 2020."
Thus, Hulsey wrote, it is "grossly incorrect to state that the U.S. navy is permeated with 'deep-seated racism' and fosters a 'tradition of discrimination.'"
"The information means that the AP article is figuring out an issue that doesn't exist," the decision continues, calling the article "an insult to the courageous women and men who fight racism and discrimination at dwelling and across the globe."
"In making these allegations, the AP has engaged within the lowest type of yellow journalism and must be held accountable by the American public and their elected officers," the decision added.
The decision, the primary of its variety within the Tennessee Home, has solely been launched. So as to be formally handed, it should be reviewed by a Home standing committee and be launched to a committee consisting of the speaker, majority chief and minority chief, in accordance with WJHL.
In response to the decision, Kat Stafford, one of many AP reporters who authored the article, defended her four-person workforce's work.
"Racism and extremism throughout the navy has been properly documented over a number of many years," Stafford wrote in a tweet. "Numerous research have been achieved — and the navy itself has acknowledged the issue."
"My colleagues and I spent practically a yr interviewing dozens of service members and consultants — a few of whom couldn't communicate publicly out of worry of retribution," she continued. "We poured over copious paperwork & FOIAs [Freedom of Information Act requests]. We did our homework. Regardless of how a lot one tries deny it, racism does exist."
Racism and extremism throughout the navy has been properly documented over a number of many years. Numerous research have been achieved — and the navy itself has acknowledged the issue. We informed a lot of our sequence by the views and experiences of service members and veterans.
— Kat Stafford (@kat__stafford) January 21, 2022
A 2019 Army Occasions ballot of active-duty service members discovered that over 30 % of white service members had personally witnessed examples of white nationalism. The situations included white supremacist tattoos and Nazi-style salutes by fellow service members.
Over 50 % of non-white service members polled had personally witnessed examples of white nationalism or ideological-driven racism. The ballot's percentages had been greater than comparable polls carried out by Army Occasions in 2017 and 2018.
On February 5, 2021, Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin directed navy commanding officers and supervisors in any respect ranges to conduct a one-day "stand down" to handle right-wing extremism within the ranks, which included white supremacy and white nationalism.
Nonetheless, a one-day stand down is not sufficient to handle the problem, in accordance with Dov Zakheim, a former undersecretary of Protection comptroller, chief monetary officer for the Division of Protection and a deputy undersecretary of Protection.
The AP article wrote that the navy's efforts to handle racism are insufficient. The insurance policies do not constantly implement penalties for members who categorical racist views and do not tackle the shortage of racial variety among the many navy's commanding ranks.
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