Latest news with #Confederate
3 days ago
- Politics
Renaming of military bases stirs debate over Confederate ties
In 2023, amid a national reckoning on issues of race in America, seven Army bases' names were changed because they honored Confederate leaders. Now, those same bases are reverting back to their original names, this time with different namesakes who share Confederate surnames — the Army found other service members with the same last names to honor. The move is stirring up conversation in and outside military circles. Skeptics wonder if the true intention is to undermine efforts to move away from Confederate associations, an issue that has long split people who favor preserving an aspect of southern heritage and those who want slavery-supporting revels stripped of valor. Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, a civil rights group, said the latest renaming is a 'difference without a distinction.' The wiping away of names that were given by the Biden administration, many of which honored service members who were women or minorities, is the latest move by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to align with Trump's purging of all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion. Neither the Department of Defense nor the Department of the Army responded to emailed requests for comment. Federal law now bars the military from returning to honoring Confederates, but the move restores names know by generations of soldiers. Following the election of President Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the expansion of slavery, 11 southern states seceded from the United States to form the Confederacy, or the Confederate States of America, to preserve slavery an institution that enslaved millions of African Americans. Their secession led to the Civil War, which the Confederates ultimately lost in 1865. By restoring the old names with soldiers or figures who were not Confederates, 'they are trying to be slick," Morial said. For example, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which was changed to Fort Liberty by the Biden administration, was the first to have its original name restored, in June. The Army found another American service member with the same last name, a World War II soldier. Hegseth signed an order restoring the name in February. 'By instead invoking the name of World War II soldier Private Roland Bragg, Secretary Hegseth has not violated the letter of the law, but he has violated its spirit,' Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I., wrote in a statement opposing the defense secretary's 'cynical maneuver.' In March, Hegseth reversed the 2023 decision changing Fort Benning in Georgia to Fort Moore. The same name restoring process applied to the additional seven bases: Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Pickett and Fort Robert E. Lee in Virginia, Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana and Fort Rucker in Alabama. Last week, Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry announced that he was restoring the name of the state's largest National Guard training site. In a social media post announcing the name, Landry wrote that in Louisiana, 'we honor courage, not cancel it.' Attached was what seemed to be an AI-generated image of a headstone with the word 'Wokeism' on it. 'Let this be a lesson that we should always give reverence to history and not be quick to so easily condemn or erase the dead, lest we and our times be judged arbitrary by future generations,' Landry wrote. Bases aren't the only military assets being renamed. In late June, Hegseth announced that the USNS Harvey Milk would be renamed after a World War II sailor who received the Medal of Honor, stripping the ship of the name of a killed gay rights activists who served during the Korean War. Morial said there are other ways to recognize unsung heroes instead of returning a base to a name that has long been associated with Confederate leaders. 'No county on Earth would name its military based after people that tried to overthrow the government,' Morial said. 'So, why are people holding on to these names?' Stacy Rosenberg, associate teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, said she is concerned with the inefficiency of renaming bases. She said the cost of changing signages across seven bases could be used for something else that might have more impact. There is no immediate cost estimate for changing all the signs at the bases. Rosenberg said it made sense to move away from Confederate heroes as namesakes but that the latest move seems like a way to appeal to Trump's political base. 'I think what we really need to consider is does whoever the base is named after have such a service record that warrants the honor of having their name associated with that base?' Rosenberg said. Angela Betancourt, a public relations strategist at Betancourt Group and a United States Air Force Reservist said the ongoing renaming of military bases is a form of branding for what each administration views the military should represent. While she understands why people are upset about military bases reverting to a name associated with the Confederacy, Betancourt said that should not take away from the new namesake's heritage and legacy. 'It doesn't mean it's not a good thing to do,' Betancourt said. 'There's certainly heroes, especially African American and diverse heroes, that should be honored. I think this is a good way to do it.'
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Renaming of military bases stirs debate over Confederate ties
In 2023, amid a national reckoning on issues of race in America, seven Army bases' names were changed because they honored Confederate leaders. Now, those same bases are reverting back to their original names, this time with different namesakes who share Confederate surnames — the Army found other service members with the same last names to honor. The move is stirring up conversation in and outside military circles. Skeptics wonder if the true intention is to undermine efforts to move away from Confederate associations, an issue that has long split people who favor preserving an aspect of southern heritage and those who want slavery-supporting revels stripped of valor. Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, a civil rights group, said the latest renaming is a 'difference without a distinction.' The wiping away of names that were given by the Biden administration, many of which honored service members who were women or minorities, is the latest move by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to align with Trump's purging of all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion. Neither the Department of Defense nor the Department of the Army responded to emailed requests for comment. Federal law now bars the military from returning to honoring Confederates, but the move restores names know by generations of soldiers. Following the election of President Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the expansion of slavery, 11 southern states seceded from the United States to form the Confederacy, or the Confederate States of America, to preserve slavery an institution that enslaved millions of African Americans. Their secession led to the Civil War, which the Confederates ultimately lost in 1865. By restoring the old names with soldiers or figures who were not Confederates, 'they are trying to be slick," Morial said. For example, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which was changed to Fort Liberty by the Biden administration, was the first to have its original name restored, in June. The Army found another American service member with the same last name, a World War II soldier. Hegseth signed an order restoring the name in February. 'By instead invoking the name of World War II soldier Private Roland Bragg, Secretary Hegseth has not violated the letter of the law, but he has violated its spirit,' Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I., wrote in a statement opposing the defense secretary's 'cynical maneuver.' In March, Hegseth reversed the 2023 decision changing Fort Benning in Georgia to Fort Moore. The same name restoring process applied to the additional seven bases: Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Pickett and Fort Robert E. Lee in Virginia, Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana and Fort Rucker in Alabama. Other name changes Last week, Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry announced that he was restoring the name of the state's largest National Guard training site. In a social media post announcing the name, Landry wrote that in Louisiana, 'we honor courage, not cancel it.' Attached was what seemed to be an AI-generated image of a headstone with the word 'Wokeism' on it. 'Let this be a lesson that we should always give reverence to history and not be quick to so easily condemn or erase the dead, lest we and our times be judged arbitrary by future generations,' Landry wrote. Bases aren't the only military assets being renamed. In late June, Hegseth announced that the USNS Harvey Milk would be renamed after a World War II sailor who received the Medal of Honor, stripping the ship of the name of a killed gay rights activists who served during the Korean War. Morial said there are other ways to recognize unsung heroes instead of returning a base to a name that has long been associated with Confederate leaders. 'No county on Earth would name its military based after people that tried to overthrow the government,' Morial said. 'So, why are people holding on to these names?' Stacy Rosenberg, associate teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, said she is concerned with the inefficiency of renaming bases. She said the cost of changing signages across seven bases could be used for something else that might have more impact. There is no immediate cost estimate for changing all the signs at the bases. Rosenberg said it made sense to move away from Confederate heroes as namesakes but that the latest move seems like a way to appeal to Trump's political base. 'I think what we really need to consider is does whoever the base is named after have such a service record that warrants the honor of having their name associated with that base?' Rosenberg said. Angela Betancourt, a public relations strategist at Betancourt Group and a United States Air Force Reservist said the ongoing renaming of military bases is a form of branding for what each administration views the military should represent. While she understands why people are upset about military bases reverting to a name associated with the Confederacy, Betancourt said that should not take away from the new namesake's heritage and legacy. 'It doesn't mean it's not a good thing to do,' Betancourt said. 'There's certainly heroes, especially African American and diverse heroes, that should be honored. I think this is a good way to do it.'
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Renaming of military bases stirs debate over Confederate ties
In 2023, amid a national reckoning on issues of race in America, seven Army bases' names were changed because they honored Confederate leaders. Now, those same bases are reverting back to their original names, this time with different namesakes who share Confederate surnames — the Army found other service members with the same last names to honor. The move is stirring up conversation in and outside military circles. Skeptics wonder if the true intention is to undermine efforts to move away from Confederate associations, an issue that has long split people who favor preserving an aspect of southern heritage and those who want slavery-supporting revels stripped of valor. Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, a civil rights group, said the latest renaming is a 'difference without a distinction.' The wiping away of names that were given by the Biden administration, many of which honored service members who were women or minorities, is the latest move by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to align with Trump's purging of all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion. Neither the Department of Defense nor the Department of the Army responded to emailed requests for comment. Confederate names return Federal law now bars the military from returning to honoring Confederates, but the move restores names know by generations of soldiers. Following the election of President Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the expansion of slavery, 11 southern states seceded from the United States to form the Confederacy, or the Confederate States of America, to preserve slavery an institution that enslaved millions of African Americans. Their secession led to the Civil War, which the Confederates ultimately lost in 1865. By restoring the old names with soldiers or figures who were not Confederates, 'they are trying to be slick,' Morial said. For example, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which was changed to Fort Liberty by the Biden administration, was the first to have its original name restored, in June. The Army found another American service member with the same last name, a World War II soldier. Hegseth signed an order restoring the name in February. 'By instead invoking the name of World War II soldier Private Roland Bragg, Secretary Hegseth has not violated the letter of the law, but he has violated its spirit,' Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I., wrote in a statement opposing the defense secretary's 'cynical maneuver.' In March, Hegseth reversed the 2023 decision changing Fort Benning in Georgia to Fort Moore. The same name restoring process applied to the additional seven bases: Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Pickett and Fort Robert E. Lee in Virginia, Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana and Fort Rucker in Alabama. Other name changes Last week, Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry announced that he was restoring the name of the state's largest National Guard training site. In a social media post announcing the name, Landry wrote that in Louisiana, 'we honor courage, not cancel it.' Attached was what seemed to be an AI-generated image of a headstone with the word 'Wokeism' on it. 'Let this be a lesson that we should always give reverence to history and not be quick to so easily condemn or erase the dead, lest we and our times be judged arbitrary by future generations,' Landry wrote. Bases aren't the only military assets being renamed. In late June, Hegseth announced that the USNS Harvey Milk would be renamed after a World War II sailor who received the Medal of Honor, stripping the ship of the name of a killed gay rights activists who served during the Korean War. Critics express concern over Confederate associations and inefficiency Morial said there are other ways to recognize unsung heroes instead of returning a base to a name that has long been associated with Confederate leaders. 'No county on Earth would name its military based after people that tried to overthrow the government,' Morial said. 'So, why are people holding on to these names?' Stacy Rosenberg, associate teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, said she is concerned with the inefficiency of renaming bases. She said the cost of changing signages across seven bases could be used for something else that might have more impact. There is no immediate cost estimate for changing all the signs at the bases. Rosenberg said it made sense to move away from Confederate heroes as namesakes but that the latest move seems like a way to appeal to Trump's political base. 'I think what we really need to consider is does whoever the base is named after have such a service record that warrants the honor of having their name associated with that base?' Rosenberg said. Angela Betancourt, a public relations strategist at Betancourt Group and a United States Air Force Reservist said the ongoing renaming of military bases is a form of branding for what each administration views the military should represent. While she understands why people are upset about military bases reverting to a name associated with the Confederacy, Betancourt said that should not take away from the new namesake's heritage and legacy. 'It doesn't mean it's not a good thing to do,' Betancourt said. 'There's certainly heroes, especially African American and diverse heroes, that should be honored. I think this is a good way to do it.' ______ The Associated Press reporters Lolita C. Baldor, John Hanna and Sara Cline contributed to this report.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Renaming of military bases stirs debate over Confederate ties
In 2023, amid a national reckoning on issues of race in America, seven Army bases' names were changed because they honored Confederate leaders. Now, those same bases are reverting back to their original names , this time with different namesakes who share Confederate surnames — the Army found other service members with the same last names to honor. The move is stirring up conversation in and outside military circles. Skeptics wonder if the true intention is to undermine efforts to move away from Confederate associations, an issue that has long split people who favor preserving an aspect of southern heritage and those who want slavery-supporting revels stripped of valor. Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, a civil rights group, said the latest renaming is a 'difference without a distinction.' The wiping away of names that were given by the Biden administration, many of which honored service members who were women or minorities, is the latest move by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to align with Trump's purging of all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion. Neither the Department of Defense nor the Department of the Army responded to emailed requests for comment. Confederate names return Federal law now bars the military from returning to honoring Confederates, but the move restores names know by generations of soldiers. Following the election of President Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the expansion of slavery, 11 southern states seceded from the United States to form the Confederacy, or the Confederate States of America, to preserve slavery an institution that enslaved millions of African Americans. Their secession led to the Civil War, which the Confederates ultimately lost in 1865. By restoring the old names with soldiers or figures who were not Confederates, 'they are trying to be slick,' Morial said. For example, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which was changed to Fort Liberty by the Biden administration , was the first to have its original name restored, in June. The Army found another American service member with the same last name, a World War II soldier. Hegseth signed an order restoring the name in February. 'By instead invoking the name of World War II soldier Private Roland Bragg, Secretary Hegseth has not violated the letter of the law, but he has violated its spirit,' Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I., wrote in a statement opposing the defense secretary's 'cynical maneuver.' In March, Hegseth reversed the 2023 decision changing Fort Benning in Georgia to Fort Moore. The same name restoring process applied to the additional seven bases: Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Pickett and Fort Robert E. Lee in Virginia, Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana and Fort Rucker in Alabama. Other name changes Last week, Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry announced that he was restoring the name of the state's largest National Guard training site. In a social media post announcing the name, Landry wrote that in Louisiana, 'we honor courage, not cancel it.' Attached was what seemed to be an AI-generated image of a headstone with the word 'Wokeism' on it. 'Let this be a lesson that we should always give reverence to history and not be quick to so easily condemn or erase the dead, lest we and our times be judged arbitrary by future generations,' Landry wrote. Bases aren't the only military assets being renamed. In late June, Hegseth announced that the USNS Harvey Milk would be renamed after a World War II sailor who received the Medal of Honor, stripping the ship of the name of a killed gay rights activists who served during the Korean War. Critics express concern over Confederate associations and inefficiency Morial said there are other ways to recognize unsung heroes instead of returning a base to a name that has long been associated with Confederate leaders. 'No county on Earth would name its military based after people that tried to overthrow the government,' Morial said. 'So, why are people holding on to these names?' Stacy Rosenberg, associate teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, said she is concerned with the inefficiency of renaming bases. She said the cost of changing signages across seven bases could be used for something else that might have more impact. There is no immediate cost estimate for changing all the signs at the bases. Rosenberg said it made sense to move away from Confederate heroes as namesakes but that the latest move seems like a way to appeal to Trump's political base. 'I think what we really need to consider is does whoever the base is named after have such a service record that warrants the honor of having their name associated with that base?' Rosenberg said. Angela Betancourt, a public relations strategist at Betancourt Group and a United States Air Force Reservist said the ongoing renaming of military bases is a form of branding for what each administration views the military should represent. While she understands why people are upset about military bases reverting to a name associated with the Confederacy, Betancourt said that should not take away from the new namesake's heritage and legacy. 'It doesn't mean it's not a good thing to do,' Betancourt said. 'There's certainly heroes, especially African American and diverse heroes, that should be honored. I think this is a good way to do it.' ______ The Associated Press reporters Lolita C. Baldor, John Hanna and Sara Cline contributed to this report. Error! 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Buzz Feed
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
49 Of The Tackiest Weddings I've Ever Seen
What's the point of this? Yeah, this ain't cute. Guns have no place at a wedding, IMO. Neither do bullets. Who wants a bullet wedding favor??? What would you even use this for? What is it with weddings and guns??? Seriously. It's weirdly common. That's one interesting Best Man invite. ...Whatever floats your boat, I guess. Trumpers are so unhinged. Why does he need to be a part of your wedding? I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. I like beer as much as the next person, but did you really have to advertise that on your wedding cake? I can't decide if this is about sexual domination or the husband being controlled by his wife, but either way, I hate it. Please don't make your wedding cake toppers sexual. I shouldn't have to say this. We get it, you smoke weed. But do you really need to incorporate weed into your wedding? There's really no "cute" way to ask for money, and TBH, it's cringey when people try. Because nothing says romance like a cake topper that suggests your hubby wants to run! Why would anyone want your garter??? Does the Confederate flag really belong at your wedding? I get wanting to save money, but seriously, it's the bare minimum to feed your guests. I hate this!!! If I saw this at a wedding, I would leave. It's not all about you! Camo has no place at a wedding. What kind of couple thinks a quote from Lolita is a romantic thing to include in their wedding favors? It really doesn't get more tacky than a 9/11 themed wedding. Though throwing JUUL PODS at the happy couple in place of rice is a close second. Trying to shame your guests into just giving you random cash is one thing, but doing it via a cute fake fish in a fish bowl is a whole new level of cringey. These may be the worst wedding shoes I have ever seen. What even is a "buck and doe-themed wedding"??? This couple also had a hunting-themed wedding, with bridesmaids pretending to be shot deer and being dragged into the venue by the groomsmen. Imagine being this obsessed with yourself. These are NOT appropriate cake toppers. Can't you take one day off from advertising your multiple MLMs? I can get past the monster truck, but I don't understand why anyone would want to get married in mud. This is just disgusting. This "bathroom" wasn't much better. Honestly, I'd be glad I didn't receive an invite. It doesn't get much more tacky than being too lazy to write real thank-you cards. It's okay if you can't afford elaborate displays, but this decor was pretty crappy (see what I did there?). Sorry, but I'm hardcore judging this bride who had the groomsmen walk down the aisle with signs of things her groom-to-be had called her in the past, including "Fiery Fox" and "Sexy Raspy." I hope this is a joke. Why would you want serial killer-themed centerpieces??? If you thought Kylie Jenner's Handmaid's Tale-themed birthday was bad, get ready for this wedding theme. Even worse? This couple literally had a COVID-themed wedding. If you're going to reuse decor from your first wedding, at least don't make it obvious. A wedding is not a place to put your fetish on display! And finally, I have no idea what the couple was going for with this cake.
