West Virginia prison employees are suspended after guard trainees are photographed doing Nazi salutes in their official group photo
Corrections officials were suspended amid an investigation into a photo taken of a trainee class giving a Nazi salute
The image includes the words, 'Hail BYRD', a reference to the group's training instructor and all faces of those pictured are blurred
Jeff S. Sandy, the cabinet secretary for the state's Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, which released the photo, has condemned the image
Several employees have been suspended and Division of Corrections Commissioner Betsy Jividen has ordered all copies of the photo be destroyed
Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety Director Jeff Sandy sent a letter to all employees condemning the image, while Governor Jim Justice called for all who were involved to be fired.
Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety Director Jeff Sandy sent a letter to all employees condemning the image
An investigation is now underway, state officials said.
The state released the image after a public records request was made, reports the Charleston Gazette-Mail .
'It is distasteful, hurtful, disturbing, highly insensitive, and completely inappropriate', Sandy wrote in the letter sent to employees.
'It undermines the high standards that have been set for our Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It betrays the professionalism I have seen time and time again displayed and practiced by our brave correctional employees'.
The image comes after the department has faced heightened legal and public scrutiny, reports the Gazette-Mail.
I know some will ask what's the big deal, they are just having fun.
Besides their "hail" chant may be referencing Caesar, right?
This is not the WV I grew up in. I hate to see how it's changed.
FWIW, I don't think all copies of the photo should be destroyed, and I don't think their faces should be blurred. This photo is a character reference. They were proud enough of their bigotry at the time, so they shouldn't be ashamed to have their faces associated with bigotry now. If a future employer (because they damned well better be fired from this job) should happen to see it, so much the better.
I totally agree with you Sandy. Let this ugliness come out from hiding.
I was wondering why they blurred them all out. It would seem to be public record.
I think one could make an argument that it was all for fun and to pay tribute to their instructor, either sincerely or mockingly (maybe the instructor acted like a dictator).
But that argument should be rejected. In our society the raised arm "salute" is associated with Nazism and the horrors perpetrated by the Nazis on millions of innocent people.
You nailed this one John.
There was a story from earlier in the week, that wasn't covered by our "left wing media" but the British and Israeli papers picked up. I was going to share it, but it was political in nature and I didn't want to get into that. But this kind of ugliness is coming out from the dark once again because it feels safe to do so. Let me share.
To see the video go here:
full video here:
I saw that article earlier this week. It's disgraceful Trump gave this insane person a White House press credential, but what else is new? He gave a press credential to Gateway Pundit, one of the most disgraced sites on the internet.
How is it any adult thinks this is ok?
Believe it or not, there are people defending this in the comments section on WV tv stations' Facebook pages. "Innocent until proven guilty" - apparently, some folks don't know that applies to criminal trials. "They saluted that way before Hitler". Yeah, not anymore, thanks to Hitler, just like the swastika used to not represent fascism, but does now, thanks to Hitler.
Well said.
Thank you.
I can respect innocent until proven guilty. At least that isn't a defense of the action. But you'd have to show it was photoshopped or they were doing it to make fun of nazis or something. I don't anticipate that being the case, though.
He also ruined a perfectly good mustache style and a first name.
Can't agree about the mustache style. He didn't ruin it. It was already bad.
Chaplain created The Little Tramp in 1915. Hitler began his rise in power in 1919. I guess Hitler liked the look of it.
The Nazis are here. America will have to deal with it.
And Trump supporters love it.