"US Army Allows Use Of '? ' When Referring To Black or African-American Soldiers"

cobbland
cobbland Members Posts: 3,768 ✭✭✭✭✭
US Army Allows Use Of '? ' When Referring To Black or African-American Soldiers
By Christopher Harress @Charressc.harress@ibtimes.com on November 05 2014 6:29 PM

african-american-soldier-stands-beside-us-flag.jpg?itok=F45jUSBF
Specialist Anthony T. Crawford Sr., of Topeka, Kan., an AH-64D Apache attack helicopter crew chief, Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Multi-National Division, stands as a silent sentinel while holding the US flag for fellow soldiers who chose to reenlist during their first deployment at camp Taji in Baghdad August 17, 2009. Soldiers who reenlist make a dedication to their Nation to serve another term in the Army on top of their previous enlistment. Picture taken August 17, 2009. REUTERS/U.S. Army/Sgt. Seandale Jackson/Handout (IRAQ MILITARY POLITICS CONFLICT) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS

The newly updated Army Command Policy regulation, most recently published on Oct. 22, 2014, says that Army personnel can use the word "? " when referring to "black or African American" personnel. The Army confirmed to CNN in a report Wednesday that the language was contained inside the document, also known as regulation AAR 600-20.

While the document is regularly updated to reflect new regulations or alterations to old ones, an Army official says it's not clear when they word was added; it may have been present for years.

The wording appears in Chapter 6, under "Equal opportunity policy," stating: "A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as "Haitian" or "? " are allowed to be used, in addition to "Black" or "African American."

According to the CNN report, an Army official with knowledge of the document said that the word may have been added so that a black or African-American person would have the option to identify as a ? . However, a military officer who specializes in personnel issues for the Defense Department called that reasoning "the dumbest thing I have ever heard," explaining that the Pentagon does not use the word in any of its demographic data.

No plans have been announced to remove the phrase.

http://www.ibtimes.com/us-army-allows-use-? -when-referring-black-or-african-american-soldiers-1719684

Comments

  • dr funky resurrected
    dr funky resurrected Members Posts: 1,000 ✭✭✭✭
  • janklow
    janklow Members, Moderators Posts: 8,613 Regulator
    it's weird, but it's probably less "racist" and more "incredibly awkward"
    something tells me that people using the term "? " are going to belong to a specific demographic, though
  • onthafly
    onthafly Members Posts: 1,143 ✭✭✭✭
    I wanna tell you one more thing I know about the ? .
  • SneakDZA
    SneakDZA Members Posts: 11,223 ✭✭✭✭✭
    i actually don't mind ? so much. why did "? " get cancelled anyway?
  • The_Jackal
    The_Jackal Members Posts: 3,628 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ? is better then black or African American. I don't even identify with any African roots and I'm pretty sure alot of other people don't to. Though I'm sure people will still be racist wither saying ? or ?
  • KingFreeman
    KingFreeman Members Posts: 13,731 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Its weird but its not racist.
  • CashmoneyDux
    CashmoneyDux Members Posts: 11,217 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ? that, let someone call me a ? .
  • tjohunkin
    tjohunkin Members Posts: 170
    i see nothing wrong here
  • Well Got Dam
    Well Got Dam Members Posts: 5,440 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2014
    next name allowed is coonboy
  • kingblaze84
    kingblaze84 Members Posts: 14,288 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2014
    I'm iffy on the word ? .....it's not racist but it sounds weird to me for some reason, I only let close friends call me that. I dare an angry White person to call me ? some day
  • kingblaze84
    kingblaze84 Members Posts: 14,288 ✭✭✭✭✭
    next name allowed is coonboy

    LOL
  • Splackavelli
    Splackavelli Members Posts: 18,806 ✭✭✭✭✭
    smh at y'all for cosigning this fuckery. this is setting us back the word ? comes from the greek "necros" which means dead or lifeless object. so basically the military is calling black soldiers an object or property.
  • kzzl
    kzzl Members Posts: 7,548 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yo_Killa! wrote: »
    smh at y'all for cosigning this fuckery. this is setting us back the word ? comes from the greek "necros" which means dead or lifeless object. so basically the military is calling black soldiers an object or property.

    But... that's basically what you are in the military. But that's another discussion probably.

    Far as I've known it's just another word used to describe a group of people. Used in the same context as caucasian or those other labels they give groups of people in the scientific community. Problem is you never know what the true intent of these son'? is when they use it.
  • playmaker88
    playmaker88 Members Posts: 67,905 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2014
    I use ? all the time but dont wanna hear it from a CAC.... just my view

    Why is this a thing though... who decided it was time to take it back to the 60's KYS

    ? it annoys me the way some white people say black when referencing black people

    Thats a me thing *shrugs*
  • Splackavelli
    Splackavelli Members Posts: 18,806 ✭✭✭✭✭
    kzzl wrote: »
    Yo_Killa! wrote: »
    smh at y'all for cosigning this fuckery. this is setting us back the word ? comes from the greek "necros" which means dead or lifeless object. so basically the military is calling black soldiers an object or property.

    But... that's basically what you are in the military. But that's another discussion probably.

    Far as I've known it's just another word used to describe a group of people. Used in the same context as caucasian or those other labels they give groups of people in the scientific community. Problem is you never know what the true intent of these son'? is when they use it.

    they knew what they were doing when they called our ancestors parents and grandparents that word.
  • janklow
    janklow Members, Moderators Posts: 8,613 Regulator
    Yo_Killa! wrote: »
    smh at y'all for cosigning this fuckery. this is setting us back the word ? comes from the greek "necros" which means dead or lifeless object.
    pretty sure it comes from the Latin term "niger," man. i mean, it literally means "black" in some of those Romance languages.
  • DarcSkies
    DarcSkies Members Posts: 13,791 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Crackers will start using it to ? black people off and when there's a complaint they're going to point to the instruction.

    Its going to be the equivalent to your little sister putting her finger an inch from your face saying, "im not touching you, im not touching you, im not touching you."

    I can see it now:

    Black Guy: What?

    Redneck: "RULES ARE RULES...........NEEEGROOOWWWW..."

  • Black Boy King
    Black Boy King Members Posts: 6,984 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Allowing them to call us Black but not call us ? shows how ignorant we are. They laugh behind closed doors at us daily, we are a dead people to this world.
  • Jabu_Rule
    Jabu_Rule Members Posts: 5,993 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ? is Spanish for Black with its root in Latin. It is a genuine word when pronounced correctly, and it used as a descriptor for things non human alike. We've included words from other languages in English. It's still not a proper identifier for the specific group descended from slaves in America, but what is? At least we had pride in ? like the ? League and ? was used scholarly among black educators at a time. Even then, white folks would rather say ? .
  • tjohunkin
    tjohunkin Members Posts: 170
    Yo_Killa! wrote: »
    smh at y'all for cosigning this fuckery. this is setting us back the word ? comes from the greek "necros" which means dead or lifeless object. so basically the military is calling black soldiers an object or property.

    no dude. ? comes from spanish for black
    google is your friend
  • kingblaze84
    kingblaze84 Members Posts: 14,288 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Judah Back wrote: »
    Allowing them to call us Black but not call us ? shows how ignorant we are. They laugh behind closed doors at us daily, we are a dead people to this world.

    ? can sound like ? with the right accent and tone from a White person, so some Black people are a little sensitive to it. It's more historical sensitivity then ignorance in my opinion
  • kingblaze84
    kingblaze84 Members Posts: 14,288 ✭✭✭✭✭
    FuriousOne wrote: »
    ? is Spanish for Black with its root in Latin. It is a genuine word when pronounced correctly, and it used as a descriptor for things non human alike. We've included words from other languages in English. It's still not a proper identifier for the specific group descended from slaves in America, but what is? At least we had pride in ? like the ? League and ? was used scholarly among black educators at a time. Even then, white folks would rather say ? .

    Yeah pretty much, the pronunciation with the word is the main problem in American society
  • Jabu_Rule
    Jabu_Rule Members Posts: 5,993 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2014
    FuriousOne wrote: »
    ? is Spanish for Black with its root in Latin. It is a genuine word when pronounced correctly, and it used as a descriptor for things non human alike. We've included words from other languages in English. It's still not a proper identifier for the specific group descended from slaves in America, but what is? At least we had pride in ? like the ? League and ? was used scholarly among black educators at a time. Even then, white folks would rather say ? .

    Yeah pretty much, the pronunciation with the word is the main problem in American society

    It's the intent and energy behind it too. They can say all the nicest ? and still mean harm when they wiping you in that field or forcing you off the road. White people have the monopoly of the foulest words for us yet they stay throwing shots cuz we use a word for ourselves that they put on us negatively. ? is a double standard for real. You might as well ban English from our tongue cuz every word they use against us can be negative when their actions illustrate their meaning. Think about how many insults they have for us that make us catch feelings besides ? . Just look at how they mask their hate with dog whistle statements like they fatherless or uncivilized. We giving them too much energy. ? their opinions.
  • Huey_C
    Huey_C Members Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭
    DarcSkies wrote: »
    Crackers will start using it to ? black people off and when there's a complaint they're going to point to the instruction.

    Its going to be the equivalent to your little sister putting her finger an inch from your face saying, "im not touching you, im not touching you, im not touching you."

    I can see it now:

    Black Guy: What?

    Redneck: "RULES ARE RULES...........NEEEGROOOWWWW..."

    Naw these cacs know better than to say that ? , mufuckas are too scary