spenser rapone parents

<> Check out the details here. The former Democratic congressman who nominated communist 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone to West Point is now disavowing Rapones recent comments, which range from attacks on Secretary of Defense James Mattis to calls for political violence. Soon after getting to West Point, I saw that this was a structural problem across the military and that the military itself, its material relation to power, serves the capitalist class. In addition to classic socialist theorists such as Karl Marx, Rapone says he found inspiration in the writings of Stan Goff, a retired Special Forces master sergeant who became a socialist anti-war activist. Money Minute, What's next for experimental AI projects in the C4ISR sphere. West Point released a statement after Rapone posted the photos, saying his actions "in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Iwas in the field at the time helping at afire range and so they took me out of the field, met with my attorney and was told Iwas under investigation. One of six children growing up in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Rapone said he applied to West Point, which is tuition-free, because he couldn't afford college. His Facebook, where he goes under Giuseppe Impastato, was private. Then American society and political culture influences you because we are constantly slapped with patriotism and respecting the troops. What does that even mean? From there, Iwould either be retained or kicked out. Officials also confirmed that, following his commissioning, he had failed out of Ranger school before being assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. Rubio was apart of that cabal of capitalists andcollaborators. So, for me, Iwas trying to resolve this contradiction because no one over here was threatening freedom or democracy or anything like that. And those views only hardened during his studies of history as one of the academys Long Gray Line.. Its not illegal to be acommunist in the military, but since Iwas in uniform, and in their mind, making apolitical statement and posted on social media, they lumped it all together as this nebulous unbecoming conduct charge and said Iwas advocating forviolence. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. He didnt really partake in the social life when he was at the Ranger Battalion. WATERTOWN, N.Y. (AP) The images Spenser Rapone posted on Twitter from his West Point graduation were intentionally shocking: In one, the cadet opens his dress uniform to expose a T-shirt with a blood-red image of socialist icon Che Guevara. In one, the graduating cadet is seen making a fist while displaying the underside of his cover, scrawled with COMMUNISM WILL WIN, at his commencement in 2016. Since the class of 2012, the percentage of women entering West Point increased by about 10 percent, according to data on class characteristics. Contents 1 Austin academic 2 DSA resolution on Red Deal 3 Socialism 2018 4 Radical soldier 5 DSA solidarity 6 DSA Veterans Closed Facebook Group 7 DSA Veterans Working Group Statement on Afghanistan 8 Altmire support 9 Socialist Punk Caucus Richard L. Rapone explained that Spenser tried to join West Point straight out of high school but was not accepted. On March 18, 2014, Hosein posted on his Facebook page, Back from the Taj [Mahal] and it delivered. Two days later, on March 20, 2104, Hosein posted a picture of himself, wearing a long tunic, and Rapone, wearing a turban and a long tunic, with the caption: The brothers are gonna work it out., Two days later, on March 20, 2104, Hosein posted a picture of himself, wearing a long tunic, and Rapone, wearing a turban and a long tunic, with the caption, The brothers are gonna work it out.. endobj New cadets are outfitted with their initial issue of military clothing, receive haircuts and get their first lessons in marching, military courtesy and discipline. Greg Rinckey, an attorney specializing in military law, said it's rare for an officer out of West Point to receive an other-than-honorable discharge. Reception Day marks the first step in a 47-month journey toward becoming an officer in the United States Army. Take the story of Gas Turbine Systems Technician 3rd Class Peter Mims an E-4 whose disappearance sparked a massive man overboard search last year. It was more about taking pleasure in going out every night and killing people with impunity. Can you describe the backlash you experienced afterthat? In October, he said that Iadvocated violence and was athreat to national security and Ishould have my commission revoked, my degree revoked. UQuIgR0-8Z4m5D_pY`ucWl A^k -f=l@u?H}^Zuj2')`gdzhg~pwwNcEATk,.sWChKggdsCxsA#/aU.8$D^x^@3k;=:V'EQzBju:&XRc]Y|}U.>$mco-/RgxyR\/KA{wz9@Y2]nSQa0baEA~Uws83tF SOI5jraML/ua;s y~D /A' l9~:' Outside of my chain of command, people were threatening and silencing me and Ihad tons of alt-right and neo-fascists sending me death threats. One of six children growing up in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Rapone said he applied to West Point, which is tuition-free, because he couldn't afford college. Although Im not apacifist, Inever called for any explicit violence. Less than a year after Rapones images drew a firestorm of vitriol and even death threats, the second lieutenant who became known as the commie cadet is officially out of the U.S. Army with an other-than-honorable discharge. Hes also tweeted out that hell happily dance on GOP Sen. John McCains grave. Later, he served as an Army Ranger and was deployed to Afghanistan on special mission. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 and was assigned as an assistant machine gunner in Khost Province. Second Lieutenant Rapones actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army, it said. The DSAs Veterans Working Group, of which Rapone is a member, also offered support to him in a statement. "We have averaged 290 female cadets, or 23.3 percent of the class, over the last four years and continue to strive to increase the diversity through programs like Leadership Ethics and Diversity in STEM workshops and others.". In an Oct. 11 letter to the members of the USMA community, Caslen stated that 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone the Afghanistan combat infantry veteran and West Point grad captured with a Che Guevara . One picture showed him in uniform, opening his shirt to show an of Che Guevara. He ultimately resigned his commission, and was separated from the Army in June 2018 with an Other Than Honorable discharge.. Photos from the graduation posted on social media earned the vitriol of many his fellow soldiers and avocal cadre of right-wing politicians and mediaeven death threats. endobj Send us a note with the Letter to the Editor form. Spenser Rapone, 26, became notable a bit faster than most graduates. On February 11, he posted an article titled Know Your (Gun) Rights! Are there more restrictions against certain kinds of speech after 9/11? Right: Army Private First Class Spenser Rapone receiving his "Ranger Scrol" patch after completing Ranger Assessment and Selection Program in 2011. . Rapone was initially in high spirits during said investigation. Rapone's discharge will place him in a situation where he will not be entitled to VA benefits and he may have to . He posted January 18 on Facebook, May we all learn from her example of what integrity and strength of conviction truly entails.. To be clear, Rapones discharge is officially based on the fact that he made political gestures while in uniformnot due to the content of said gestures. Template:TOCnestleft Rapone's father, a local politician in Pennsylvania, explicitly disavowed his son's political views Tuesday in a Facebook post. Later that year, on August 19, 2014, Rapone posted a picture that showed them in a classroom with another soldier. For sure, Pat was abig influence on me. In another, he raises his fist and flips his cap to reveal the message: Communism will win.. But he wasn't accepted to West Point, so Rapone enlisted in the Army. Even the army chaplain would give us these kinds of speeches. One of six children growing up in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Rapone said he applied to West Point, which is tuition-free, because he couldn't afford college. A review of Rapones Facebook page shows that over time, since 2014, his posts became increasingly anti-racism, anti-Israel, pro-Muslim, pro-Communist, anti-military, and anti-police. West Point's newest class has increased minority representation and the percentage of female new cadets remained consistent with previous years. %PDF-1.7 Fanning wrote that their conversation will be called "Resisting Within the Ranks." "Spenser is being discharged from the military with an Other Than Honorable discharge this June, in part, because [Marco] Rubio penned a panic-stricken letter to acting Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy demanding the branch nullify Rapone's military commission after seeing this photo," he wrote. A spokeswoman for the 10th Mountain Division confirmed that Rapone had started Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia near Columbus in February 2017 but did not complete the course. Are walking blood banks coming to a field hospital near you? Second Lieutenant Rapones chain of command is aware of his actions and is looking into the matter. x]on?J"0;]Mq8~PNKw+#"%K,=/yd''Ur%"O30b&-TttxpAY4.e8+OD~H^ Could you explain the type of discharge they gaveyou? He added that its possible the military academy could seek repayment of the cost of Rapones education because he didnt serve the full five-year service obligation required upon graduation. Its the worst administrative discharge. "I knew there could be repercussions," said Rapone, who is scheduled to speak at a socialism conference in Chicago next month. With all their political gamesmanship, lawmakers forget that real human lives are often on the line. The Army wont say. vltD+u Rapones activities caught the attention of command authorities this week after he posted photos of himself in his West Point uniform while promoting communism on social media. No political movement can be healthy unless it has its own press to inform it, educate it and orient it. We now consider the matter closed, Hill said. At that point, again, Iwanted nothing to do with the military because Ifind their rule morally reprehensible and ethically unsound, so Isubmitted my resignation. Be Truthful. Communist ex-Ranger and West Pointer receiving a other than honorable discharge. He was also Muslim Lay Chaplain at West Point, Officer in Charge of the Muslim Cadet Association, and Emeritus Facility Adviser of Phi Alpha Theta, a national history honor society of which Rapone was a member, according to a photo. This page was last edited on 28 August 2021, at 22:54. I have not been in touch with him in the years since the appointment, and I was shocked and extremely disappointed in the recent reports of his indefensible actions.. % Rapone was an infantry officer in the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y. Republicans apparently don't believe that Americans who work longer hours should get paid more. Most importantly, you'll the knowledge that you are part of keeping independent, progressive journalism alive and accessible for everyone. The saga of communist sympathizing Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapone keeps on going, and with every turn it looks worse for Rapone. Yeah. For me, Icouldnt shake the fact that what we were doing was wrong and morallyreprehensible. When the U.S. invaded Iraq, there was an anti-war movement, but when Obama ran as anti-war candidate, his election took the wind out of the sails. No matter what you did in these imperialist conflicts, theres arole you can play in ending them and try to help emancipate and liberate people. New room decor until its flying proudly in the streets. So theres thataspect. A Primer for Radicals ITS GOING DOWN. He also reposted a meme from a group called Anarchist People of Color criticizing white privilege., Rapone posted on several forums in support of Chelsea Manning, the Army soldier who went to jail for leaking classified intelligence to WikiLeaks. Menu. ;Z*A.,Gr+UYn>SYQel:2>pUpk'+0?@t %*-m,}'~3tWhWwOVM81&:OFGy]$F%xG7*8QjVy(q\-`m'ge(|bUWn`K.O;wu^+r>;Y?^Uba-g2Ia$qYXP}mjCGNq0sy5ElUAiWe -H/r| >a~SuPc;*}{Mf.B@I}\)T|] In the simplest of terms, Ifelt like we were the big bully and the purveyor of violence. [emailprotected]. Ithink some people are more anti-Trump than they are anti-war. In this case, it came from Altmire, who served as a membr of Congress in Pennsylvanias 4th congressional district from 2007 to 2013. Due to privacy act restrictions, we are limited in what information we can provide, Lt. Col. Nina Hill, an Army spokeswoman, told reporters. Use the 'Report' link on Its my belief when he returned back from Afghanistan there was a notable difference in his political views, Richard L. Rapone said. Send tips tojonah@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. Joe, but he wanted none of that. Top brass at Fort Drum accepted Rapones resignation Monday after an earlier reprimand for conduct unbecoming of an officer., Rapone said an investigation found he went online to advocate for a socialist revolution and disparage high-ranking officers. Spenser R. Rapone Graduate Student, Department of History, University of Texas at Austin 128 Inner Campus Dr. B7000, GAR 1.104, Austin, Texas 78712-1739 p. (512) 471-3261 e. srrapone@utexas.edu Education University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas Spenser Rapone was a US Army officer and Democratic Socialists of America member. On Monday, the United States Military Academy welcomed more than 1,190 candidates for Reception Day. Spenser Rapone was a proposed featured speaker of the Socialism 2018, an annual socialist gathering sponsored by the International Socialist Organization held in Chicago, Illinois in July 2018. Have thoughts or reactions to this or any other piece that you'd like to share? A search of Rapones page shows they are still Facebook friends. In June, Rapone resigned and now hes out with an other-than-honorabledischarge. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. Hoseins bio on the West Point website lists Rapone as one of two cadets he last advised at West Point. Similar to me, after he did his training and found himself overseas, he realized the harsh reality of what the American military was and formed his own opinions. Theyre designed to be profitable. The Army confirmed that Rapone graduated from West Point in 2016 and is now serving as a second lieutenant with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, based in Fort Drum, New York. When last we heard from communist adherent and fan of murderous totalitarian Che Guevara Spenser Rapone, he was drummed out of the service under other-than-honorable conditions for his "protest" at his West Point Graduation. [image via Spenser Rapone with permission], Follow Colin Kalmbacher on Twitter: @colinkalmbacher, Have a tip we should know? Its interesting that you say that because, really, all the whole pregame stuff at games is arecent phenomenon. Officially, the Army said in a statement only that it conducted a full investigation and appropriate action was taken., An unrepentant Rapone summed up the fallout in yet another tweet Monday that showed him extending a middle finger at a sign at the entrance to Fort Drum, accompanied by the words, One final salute., I consider myself a revolutionary socialist, the 26-year-old Rapone told The Associated Press. Rapone announced his return to social mediaand departure from the militaryby sharing a post fromRory Fanning, a former Army Ranger who will be interviewing Rapone during a talk titled, Resisting Within the Ranks.Fannings post notes: Spenser is being discharged from the military with an Other Than Honorable discharge this June, in part, because Marco Rubio penned a panic-stricken letter to acting Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy demanding the branch nullify Rapones military commission after seeing [the] photo. "On the other hand, many people reached out and showed me support. U*Z|rqO Now through Monday, sign up to become a Sustainer for just $5 a month and you'll receive your choice of one of three booksas well as an ongoing subscriptions (10 issues a year) to the print magazine. "He was an honors student, an athlete, a model citizen who volunteered in the community," recalled Altmire, a Democrat. Iwas ahistory major, and Istudied Middle Eastern history specifically. "While in uniform, Spenser Rapone advocated for communism and political violence, and expressed support and sympathy for enemies of the United States," Rubio said Monday, adding "I'm glad to see that they have given him an 'other-than-honorable' discharge.". First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. I love you: Chilling note found at murder scene after husband allegedly drives 500 miles to tell mom he shot and killed his wife, This was not a random act: Person of interest in custody after Detroit neurosurgeon found shot in head and wrapped in blanket, Following early morning 911 call, 87-year-old man found dead with pistol in bed after shooting 86-year-old woman: Cops, Preschool teacher reportedly arrested for murder during the childrens naptime, broke the story of the West Point Communist on September 25, 2017, An investigation into Rapones behavior quickly commenced, late Marxist revolutionary, physician, and guerrilla leader, stressed this point to American Military News, Lori Vallow Daybell Trial: Live Updates from Day 14 of Shocking Testimony, Gruesome Evidence, 'Coward' whose co-workers joked he looked like serial killer on the news pleads guilty to 2017 murders, Arrest made in cold case murder of woman killed at home while her infant daughter was in the next room, Prosecutors seek death penalty against plastic surgeon accused of murdering missing lawyer who represented former employer in suit, 'Extremely mad' driver who chased car full of teens at 99 mph over 'ding dong ditch' prank convicted of triple murder, Gwyneth Paltrow no longer seeking attorneys fees from retired doctor who sued her over ski crash, Transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr sues Montana over removal from House floor, Im the only one who hasnt lied: Stormy Daniels wants to testify against Trump in New York criminal case, talks sex worker shooting verdict in interview, Washington mom vanishes moments after calling 911, White woman who made false accusation that led to lynching of Emmett Till, one of the most infamous acts of racial violence, dies at age 88.

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