How do you deal with racism in the military?

Question

My husband works with a guy who constantly goes on spiels about how white people are devils (yes, in front of white people even...), and evil, and how the white man controlled government does everything that they can to put blacks down.

Now that in itself is pretty bad, but he really does hate white people in general. The other day, someone asked a hypothetical question "What would you do for 100 Million dollars" Would you do this, that, kill an infant. All chimed in "no" except for this guy who said "If it's a white baby, heck yeah" and then proceeded to go on a 5 minute spiel about all of the sick things that he would do to the baby...

The really sad thing is that he's been talking with a lot of other african americans in the shop, and now THEY'RE acting hostile and racist too (They were fine before he got there).

What can you do?

He really needs counselling. But then, would that only just re-affirm his beliefs that white people are out to get him if he were forced (by the mostly white) authorities to get counselling?

Answer 1

he needs to be written up and brought up on charges.  Disgraceful!

Answer 2

Your husband should definitely be talking to his chain.  The other guy has created a hostile working environment, among other things.

If his chain won't help, then a visit to MEO is in order.  

Answer 3

Your husband should report him to his NCOIC. If after doing that, nothing happens go up the chain of command.

Answer 4

Oh this is an easy one.  Just get him to watch the first season of the boondocks.  He will soon realize how a black man (creater and writer of the boondocks) sees other black people in society and hits on ALL the race issues out there.  The ones that he will agree with (making whites look bad) and ones that he will be appalled with seeing (black people acting like....black people).  He can't call the writer a racist because the writer is black.  This guy will eventually learn you can't blame all white people for what few white people have done in the past and present.  He will think twice about killing babies because he will learn that the baby was just born and knows no racism and has done nothing wrong.  Tell this guy that by being a racist that he is holding back progression and that thanks to him children born today will see racism on the street, not in history books.  Just let this guy know how ignorant he is being and that if he really hates white so much that maybe white people can put him back on a ship and send him back to Africa.  He will never have to worry about white people or white society ever agian.

Basically what I am trying to say is to somehow talk to this guy and let him know that all his beliefs on white people being evil are wrong and unjustified.  Let him know how different his world would be if white people and all other races didn't exist.  Just get him to think really hard about it and if he can't get over then get this guy kicked out of the military.  There is always someone else willing to volunteer and replace him.

Answer 5

I take it that this guy and your husband are not in a combat TOE unit. Maybe things have changed but when I was in (combat MOS) there were no honkies, *******, gooks, spics, etc. Why? Because you depended on that guy who was next to you, no matter what his race was, to be there in the thick of it covering your butt and he expected the same of you. If someone was a -----up race had nothing to do with getting him out of the unit. Believe me, if a racial slur was ever meant towards me, I fired one right back. To h**l with political correctness. Most of all, anyone making those kind of statement dishonor his own race and those who have served before him and those serving now. The main point that this man is missing is that we all bleed red and the color of your skin makes no difference to the enemy. He'll kill you just the same regardless of your race. This guy who served with your husband is definitely an uneducated idiot and has a chip on his shoulder that most definitely need to be knocked off in the most violent way there is. I know that you are never allowed to assault another soldier , regardless of rank, but I do know that on the spot uniform corrections are allowed. Where is the NCOIC of this group and why doesn't he do something about it? No matter his race , his job is to accomplish the mission and to look out for the welfare of his people. If he isn't doing that, and is aware of this situation, he doesn't deserve the rank he is wearing. This c**p of bigotry has been going on for to long and I personally wish that the blacks would stop instigating confrontations with white people and try to remember that they're Americans. If they were born in this country, s***w their ancestors heritage. They were born Americans. If I, or any other of my people thought this way we would demand that all white, black, oriental, and any of the other races who are American citizens today go the h**l back where they came from and give back our lands and life. I am from the Ho-De-Nah-Sau-Nee Nation. The one where America's forefathers adopted the US Constitution from ours.....or as all others call it the Federation of the Iroquois Tribes ( Seneca, Oneida, Onondaga, Mohawk, Cayuga, and Tuscarora Nations) But, I am an American first, I was a dedicated US Army NCO ( now retired), and most of all, I am an American now and judge men on their word, their honor to themselves and others, how they act and think, and NEVER upon their race. I will never allow myself to dishonor myself or others through racial bigotry and disrespect those men of all races who contributed to the making of this nation. If someone is white trash, a ******, a ****, a ****, slant-eye, towel head, camel humper, drunken indian, worthless indian then that is what he/she chose to be. Noone made them do it or conspires to make them do it. And I agree, bring this idiot up on charges and don't be afraid to make it maximim punishment for what he is doing.

Answer 6

Since confronting this individual will probably not be conducive to a healthy working relationship, I would recommend your husband file an anonymous EO (equal opportunity) complaint with his unit's EO Rep.  This complaint process will be more gentle for both your husband and the individual and is the route most likely to produce some measure of success.  I would not, however, be so hopeful as to believe anything will completely change this individual.  

Answer 7

this guy is awful, your husband needs to tell somebody, the military doesn't put up with that c**p, if he is openly expressing his hate for another race he needs to be dealt with, he is only brewing anger, tell your husband do to something about it, because if it was a white guy talking bad about blacks, his butt would have been busted already, please tell your husband to do the right thing, i'm sure this guy is getting on everyone's nerves and if somebody shuts him up they will be grateful to your husband  

Answer 8

If it is as bad as you make it out to be, then he should get a court martial and thrown in the brig.  Sounds like he is nothing but a worthless ******.  

Answer 9

Honestly, I bet this cat is just trying to get a discharge.

Do him a favor and hook him up with one.  In the Army we have Equal Opportunity (EO) representatives that you would go to over an issue like this.  I'm sure the Navy has something similar.  

Answer 10

u deal with racism in the military the same same u deal with it in the civilian world, I guess. Try not to spark an argument. Be postive.

There are sll sorts of people like that on both sides on the fence everywhere.

My husband had that problem a couple weeks ago. This private kept sleeping in class and wouldnt listen to my husband (the NCO) to stand up. He took him outside and this private was like "your only being like that cuz im black" My husband couldnt believe it, he had to get his 1sgt and the 1sgt yelled at this idiot for like 30 minutes