Gaining acceptance into the prestigious and historical military institution is not an easy process. Applicants must not only excel in academics and extracurricular activities, but interestingly enough, there is one more crucial component to the formula . . . a nomination from an acting politician.
If the ramifications of having to go into the pork barrel world of politics to earn admittance to the academy does not deter the majority of candidates from applying, the knowledge that the incorrigible actions and anti-American sentiments perpetuated by a current student, should at least incite productive dialogue and debate.
According to the Daily Caller, a former Democratic congressmen has a lot of explaining to do as the result of a nomination he approved has led directly to a black eye for the validity of the highly selective process of earning placement at West Point.
Ex-Pennsylvania representative Jason Almire, allegedly signed the paperwork and gave the green light blessing for the admittance of 2nd Lieutenant Spenser Rapone into the academy. Regretfully for the former politician and the nation, Rapone’s history of flirting with communist extremism and a violence inciting tirade on social networking while in uniform, has Altmire and the US Army up in arms. Some of the less than brilliant commentary from Rapone has included attacking Secretary of Defense James Mattis (who is basically the CEO of the US military), support for the controversial actions and rhetoric of Colin Kaepernick, and multiple posts promoting Karl Marx and the advancement of Communism, which actually prompted a thumbs up message of encouragement from the Democratic Socialists of America.
In a direct response to the polarizing and unpatriotic messages, the Army has launched a full investigation into Rapone’s prodigious list of indiscretions and the hope is that there will be lasting consequences if not a precedent set in the future of the screening and application process.
While every individual is afforded the freedom of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment, there will often be swift and direct consequences for publicly sharing an opinion, especially when the specific sentiment is posted digitally. When an employee chooses to criticize a superior in the form of a public protest or though social networking, those methods of scrutiny equate to the possibility of terminable offenses, at the discretion of the employer.
In the scenario created by Rapone, insulting the CEO of the US military and actively promoting a counter-ideology to the current system of government, are tangible grounds for expulsion from the academy and at the very least a dishonorable discharge with criminal charges. While the average citizen is free to publicly share similar thoughts to Rapone without fear of reprisal, there is no latitude for direct public criticism towards the chain of command or federal government while wearing the uniform.
The word on the street is that the ACLU is already writing a legal brief and filing the appropriate paperwork to argue for the inclusion of ISIS members, antifa goons, sex offenders, Pokemon bounty hunters, and general mercenaries from around the globe to be included in the selection pool of possible candidates at West Point. In the words of the insane, “There is not a force on the face of the earth as powerful as a truly diverse army, in forcing a patchwork of enemies to fight together for the preservation of a system we don’t believe in.”