LEE KRAMER'S ROOM: With Views

[blackcat]

In a stunning and lightning-fast reversal of policy, the U.S. Coast Guard late Thursday said the swastika and noose were indeed hate symbols that are prohibited and have no place in the military branch.
The fast-moving developments evolved over less than a day after The Washington Post first reported that the service was about to enact a new harassment policy that downgraded those symbols of fascism and racism to just “potentially divisive” symbols — that might not be required to be removed even if a Coast Guard member reported them.
While the Coast Guard has now come out strongly against the incendiary wording in the now defunct policy — which was completed under Adm. Kevin Lunday, its acting commandant — there are still significant questions as to who approved reclassifying both a noose and swastika as just potentially divisive in the first place.
The Coast Guard declined to provide comment before publication of The Post’s initial report, but said subsequent to publication that the service would be “reviewing the language” of the policy. The Coast Guard did not immediately reply to an early Friday request for comment on the reversal.
“A symbol or flag is prohibited as a reflection of hate if its display adversely affects good order and discipline, unit cohesion, command climate, morale, or mission effectiveness,” Lunday said in the late Thursday memo.
“Divisive or hate symbols and flags are prohibited. These symbols and flags include, but are not limited to, the following: a noose, a swastika, and any symbols or flags co-opted or adopted by hate-based groups as representations of supremacy, racial or religious intolerance, anti-semitism, or any other improper bias,” the memo added.
Lunday is up for confirmation to become the Coast Guard’s commandant. His confirmation hearing was Wednesday and he spent Thursday meeting with lawmakers to secure their support.
The changes came only after the White House and Department of Homeland Security had falsely claimed The Post’s reporting was inaccurate, with DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin calling the story “fake crap.”

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