Military officials are looking into footage of Army cadets and Navy midshipmen making a hand gesture before Saturday’s Army-Navy football game that has been associated with white supremacy by some organizations.
The Southern Poverty Law Center deemed this year that the hand signal, formerly known as the “OK” signal, was aligned with racism and white power as it involved shaping “the thumb and forefinger joined together in a circle” to look like the letters w and p.
The reason behind the cadets’ gesture was not immediately clear. Both the military as well as West Point and the Naval Academy have vowed to investigate the matter.
“West Point is looking into it and we do not know the intent of the cadets,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Ophardt, director of public affairs for the storied military academy.
“We are aware and will be looking into it,” Cmdr. Alana Garas, a spokeswoman for the Naval Academy, added.
— Looky Yonder (@YonderLooky) December 14, 2019
President Trump attended the game and was greeted with a round of applause from spectators.
The director of player development for Army West Point football, Lawrence Scott, defended the cadets on Twitter late Saturday night, telling people not to “assume the worst of our best.”
“I have the privilege of working with some of the best and brightest young men in our nation, who are destined for great futures. I know first hand that they live in a vacuum. In other words, if it’s not happening immediately around them, they are not aware of it,” Scott said at the beginning of a thread shielding the students from criticism.
I have the privilege of working with some of the best and brightest young men in our nation, who are destined for great futures. I know first hand that they live in a vacuum. In other words, if it’s not happening immediately around them, they are not aware of it. (thread)
— Lawrence Scott (@LawrenceRScott) December 15, 2019
“It’s a game these students play, white and black alike. I see it almost every day,” Scott said. “They’ve even gotten me with it before… as I mentioned, it’s the little things that offer a little joy and excitement. Don’t assume the worst of our best.”
It’s a game these students play, white and black alike. I see it almost every day. They’ve even gotten me with it before… as I mentioned, it’s the little things that offer a little joy and excitement. Don’t assume the worst of our best.
(thread)— Lawrence Scott (@LawrenceRScott) December 15, 2019
