Stupidity at the Naval Academy

Native Identity And Community On Campus

by Mark Anthony Rolo“The Naval Academy was not known for its cultural sensitivity in the early ’90s,” he says. “Once, during my plebe (freshman year), upperclassmen ordered me to do a rain dance for the company in order that we might get out of parade. Not only did I have to do a made-up jig for them, as I explained I did not know a rain dance per se, they had my peers join me.”

After three years of racial stereotyping and an evangelical Christian classmate who was determined to convert his “savage dorm mate,” Bird Bear transferred to the University of Washington-Seattle, graduating in 1995 with a degree in physical oceanography.Is it just a coincidence that the Tailhook scandal occurred around the same time? I doubt it.In September 1991, the 35th annual symposium in Las Vegas featured a two-day debrief on Navy and Marine Corps aviation in Operation Desert Storm. It was the largest such meeting yet held, with some 4,000 attendees: active, reserve, and retired personnel.

According to a Department of Defense (DoD) report, 83 women and 7 men stated that they had been victims of sexual assault and harassment during the meeting. Several participants later stated that a number of flag officers attending the meetings were aware of the sexual assaults, but did nothing to stop them.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Basic Indian Stereotypes.