Allen: Bigotry has no place in CG

2 more nooses reported found this year

Allen: Bigotry has no place in CG
By Patricia Kime - Staff Writer
Posted : Monday Oct 8, 2007 6:48:33 EDT

Racial bigotry has no place in the Coast Guard and those who commit acts of harassment will be held accountable, the service’s top officer said Thursday.

Speaking before the students and faculty at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., to address the discovery this summer of two nooses left for academy personnel, Allen said such behavior is antithetical to the service’s ethos and humanitarian mission.

“By my mere presence, you know this is important,” Allen said. “I have an obligation to make it clear to you what is acceptable and unacceptable conduct, and anybody that is involved in putting symbols of racism in anybody’s workplace or personal equipment, in my view, that is conduct unbecoming of an officer.”

The speech followed the disclosure Sept. 22 of the summer’s noose incidents. Earlier Thursday, during an appearance on CNN, Allen also disclosed that two other nooses had been found this past year in Coast Guard workspaces.

Allen offered few details about those noose findings, except to acknowledge that one of them was discovered after a knot-tying class and that “people were counseled” after the incidents.

Joining Allen at the academy was Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., chairman of the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee. In his address to the cadets, Cummings likened the act of placing a noose to a cross-burning, calling it an “act of terrorism.”


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/10/coastguard_allen_speech_071005w/



uhc comment: Is anyone familiar with Rep. Elijah Cummings? Just askin.

has served seven terms according to his congressional website. This long a tenure puts him on many senior positions in committees.

I notice that he is Black thus the Coast Guard may have some jealous folk. Further, there could be some resentment that a minority is in the head seat The Control of a two billion dollar refit of the Coast Guard. But I am reading into a situation I am not familiar with. Just gut feelings.

I was very surprised at his choice of language & wondered if I was missing something.