[WSMDiscuss] Fwd: A message to the Army community about civil unrest (US Army)

[Jai Sen]

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Viruses in movement…, Resistance in movement…, The US in movement…

[The US is aflame, people are afire… and things are happening, things are changing; and here, another huge and extraordinary development in the US, nothing less than what seems to be a Letter from the US Army at high levels to the entire Army community, politely but firmly pushing back - read, 'rebelling against’ - their Commander-In-Chief… To be read carefully, and also in between the lines… What the consequences of this are going to be, is anybody’s guess :

Every Soldier and Department of the Army Civilian swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution. That includes the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. We will continue to support and defend those rights, and we will continue to protect Americans, whether from enemies of the United States overseas, from COVID-19 at home, or from violence in our communities that threatens to drown out the voices begging us to listen. To Army leaders of all ranks, listen to your people, but don’t wait for them to come to you. Go to them. Ask the uncomfortable questions. Lead with compassion and humility, and create an environment in which people feel comfortable expressing grievances. Let us be the first to set the example. We are listening. And we will continue to put people first as long as we are leading the Army. Because people are our greatest strength.

A message to the Army community about civil unrest

US Army

            Thanks, Riaz, for this extraordinarily important post !

            JS

fwd

> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: Ryz Tyb <riaz.tayob at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Debate-List] A message to the Army community about civil unrestBy U.S. Army
> Date: June 4, 2020 at 2:07:36 PM EDT
> To: Debate List <debate-list at fahamu.org>
> 
> A message to the Army community about civil unrest
> 
> By U.S. ArmyJune 3, 2020
> 
> https://www.army.mil/article/236157/a_message_to_the_army_community_about_civil_unrest?fbclid=IwAR37yQOSYsjttjGkprX_lfcj0boidGUTtkbxZJnXNbWWptEDOzL3S49PTEU <https://www.army.mil/article/236157/a_message_to_the_army_community_about_civil_unrest?fbclid=IwAR37yQOSYsjttjGkprX_lfcj0boidGUTtkbxZJnXNbWWptEDOzL3S49PTEU>
>  <>
> Dear Soldiers, Civilians, Family members and Soldiers for Life:
> 
> Over the past week, the country has suffered an explosion of frustration over the racial divisions that still plague us as Americans. And because your Army is a reflection of American society, those divisions live in the Army as well. We feel the frustration and anger. We felt it this week while traveling through the nation’s capital with the DC National Guard. We feel it, even though we can never fully understand the frustration and life experiences of people of color, in or out of uniform. But we do understand the importance of taking care of people, and of treating every person with dignity and respect.
> 
> Our ability to defend this country from all enemies, foreign and domestic, is founded upon a sacred trust with the American people. Racial division erodes that trust. Though we all aspire to live by the Army values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage, the Army has sometimes fallen short. Because just as we reflect the best of America, we reflect its imperfections as well. We need to work harder to earn the trust of mothers and fathers who hesitate to hand their sons and daughters into our care. How we respond to the anger that has ignited will chart the course of that trust.
> 
> Every Soldier and Department of the Army Civilian swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution. That includes the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. We will continue to support and defend those rights, and we will continue to protect Americans, whether from enemies of the United States overseas, from COVID-19 at home, or from violence in our communities that threatens to drown out the voices begging us to listen. To Army leaders of all ranks, listen to your people, but don’t wait for them to come to you. Go to them. Ask the uncomfortable questions. Lead with compassion and humility, and create an environment in which people feel comfortable expressing grievances. Let us be the first to set the example. We are listening. And we will continue to put people first as long as we are leading the Army. Because people are our greatest strength.
> 
> God bless all of the people of our United States Army: our Soldiers, Families, Civilians, and Soldier for Life retirees and veterans. And God bless the United States of America.
> 
> Michael A. Grinston
> 
> Sergeant Major of the Army
> 
> James C. McConville
> 
> General, United States Army
> 
> Ryan D. McCarthy
> 
> Secretary of the Army
> 
> 
> -- 
> To view previous posts, create a Google account with your current email and log in using gmail to access the archives.
> https://accounts.google.com/newaccount?hl=en <https://accounts.google.com/newaccount?hl=en>
> --- 
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "debate-list at fahamu.org" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to debate-list+unsubscribe at fahamu.org <mailto:debate-list+unsubscribe at fahamu.org>.
> To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/fahamu.org/d/msgid/debate-list/CABOQGyCVMTACzD9dDBU8%2BHUYOYNbcawUFoXtjjwODmQ6vA0ysg%40mail.gmail.com <https://groups.google.com/a/fahamu.org/d/msgid/debate-list/CABOQGyCVMTACzD9dDBU8%2BHUYOYNbcawUFoXtjjwODmQ6vA0ysg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.

____________________________

Jai Sen

Independent researcher, editor; Senior Fellow at the School of International Development and Globalisation Studies at the University of Ottawa

jai.sen at cacim.net <mailto:jai.sen at cacim.net>
Now based in New Delhi, India (+91-98189 11325) and in Ottawa, Canada, on unceded and unsurrendered Anishinaabe territory (+1-613-282 2900) 

CURRENT / RECENT publications :

Jai Sen, ed, 2018a – The Movements of Movements, Part 2 : Rethinking Our Dance. Ebook and hard copy available at PM Press <http://www.pmpress.org/>
Jai Sen, ed, 2018b – The Movements of Movements, Part 1 : What Makes Us Move ? (Indian edition). New Delhi : AuthorsUpfront, in collaboration with OpenWord and PM Press.  Hard copy available at MOM1AmazonIN <https://www.amazon.in/dp/9387280101/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522884070&sr=8-2&keywords=movements+of+movements+jai+sen>, MOM1Flipkart <https://www.flipkart.com/the-movements-of-movements/p/itmf3zg7h79ecpgj?pid=9789387280106&lid=LSTBOK9789387280106NBA1CH&marketplace=FLIPKART&srno=s_1_1&otracker=search&fm=SEARCH&iid=ff35b702-e6a8-4423-b014-16c84f6f0092.9789387280106.SEARCH&ppt=Search%20Page>, and MOM1AUpFront <http://www.authorsupfront.com/movements.htm>
Jai Sen, ed, 2017 – The Movements of Movements, Part 1 : What Makes Us Move ?.  New Delhi : OpenWord and Oakland, CA : PM Press.  Ebook and hard copy available at PM Press <http://www.pmpress.org/>
SUBSCRIBE TO World Social Movement Discuss, an open, unmoderated, and self-organising forum on social and political movement at any level (local, national, regional, and global).  To subscribe, simply send an empty email to wsm-discuss-subscribe at lists.openspaceforum.net <mailto:wsm-discuss-subscribe at lists.openspaceforum.net>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.openspaceforum.net/pipermail/wsm-discuss/attachments/20200604/7308e4f4/attachment.htm>