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US Coast Guard member 'removed' after making 'offensive' OK sign on live TV
Fox News ^ | 9/15/18 | Lukas Mikelionis

Posted on 09/15/2018 9:05:28 AM PDT by Drew68

The U.S. Coast Guard says it “removed” a member from its Hurricane Florence response team Friday after he made an “OK” hand gesture on live TV that the service branch deemed “offensive.”

The unidentified team member was caught looking into the camera and then swiftly making the hand gesture, prompting a backlash on social media.

The hand signal was seen in the background of MSNBC’s live interview with Sector Charleston Commanding Officer Capt. John Reed, who was providing an update on actions taken by the Coast Guard in response to Hurricane Florence.

Many social media users called for the firing of the individual, accusing him of making a so-called “white power” hate symbol.

The agency immediately responded to the outcry and distanced from the controversy.

“We are aware of the offensive video on twitter - the Coast Guard has identified the member and removed him from the response. His actions do not reflect those of the United States Coast Guard,” the agency tweeted.

The Guard is now investigating the matter. In a statement, the agency said the incident was a “frustrating distraction” amid the dangerous hurricane that is poised to affect more than 10 million people this week in the Southeast.

There have been at least four deaths since the storm reached the coastline on Friday morning, according to officials.

There’s no clear consensus whether the “OK” hand gesture constitutes a hate symbol. While it has been adopted by some fringe far-right figures, it has also been commonly used by many Trump supporters.

The Anti-Defamation League previously noted that the “OK” gesture isn’t a hate symbol.


(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: coastguard; livetv; ok; removec; removed; stupidity; thoughtpolice; uscoastguard
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To: Leep

Now, in that picture it does not look like he is signalling “OK” (although he may have been), it looks more like a gesture you might make to underscore “the point is....” something like that.

Boy, we’re probably going to have to lock up all the Italians, eh? I mean, they are a gesticulating people! (And this pope is of Italian descent, his parents were both born in Italy I believe.)


161 posted on 09/15/2018 12:07:16 PM PDT by jocon307
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I’m looking at the picture of the young parrot petty officer in the foreground and in the background is the watch stander flashing the white power sign... In reality it looks like he’s picking a zip in front of his ear.


162 posted on 09/15/2018 12:09:23 PM PDT by Clutch Martin (The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.)
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To: Leep

I didnt even know therr was a white power sign


163 posted on 09/15/2018 12:20:45 PM PDT by Trumplican
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To: Trumplican
If you didn’t know there was a white power sign....


164 posted on 09/15/2018 12:27:16 PM PDT by Magnum44 (My comprehensive terrorism plan: Hunt them down and kill them)
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To: Trumplican

White power:

A job
family
God
Country
USC
A good meal
Don’t vote for libtards.


165 posted on 09/15/2018 12:31:12 PM PDT by Leep
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To: FreedomPoster

LOL...I knew somebody would check. You win!


166 posted on 09/15/2018 12:32:01 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Drew68

Good memory, Drew! Thanks for bringing that up. Perfect example of the hypocrisy of leftists. Especially fitting that both cases are in branches of the armed forces.


167 posted on 09/15/2018 12:38:47 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Drew68
FRiends, it's far worse than we first thought. In November 2012, NASA's astronaut Sunita Williams landed in central Kazakhstan aboard a Soyuz capsule after a 125-day stay at the International Space Station. Upon exiting the RUSSIAN capsule, she flashed the White Power symbol on former USSR soil. If that isn't proof that Trump colluded with the Russians on White Power, I don't know what is. Impeach now!
168 posted on 09/15/2018 12:51:14 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Drew68; All

It could spell OK if you show your left hand to the camera, or KO, if you show your right.

Utterly insane to think it is in any way a racial slur.

Trump should step in, and whoop some Coastie’s Brass ASSES!!


169 posted on 09/15/2018 1:15:57 PM PDT by heterosupremacist (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.)
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To: Drew68

So, the Coast Guard is now under the authority of stupid people on social media?

God help the mariners!


170 posted on 09/15/2018 2:12:08 PM PDT by TigersEye (This is the age of the death of reason.)
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To: Perseverando

171 posted on 09/15/2018 3:19:24 PM PDT by the_daug
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To: Drew68
As a Christian, I've been normally posting "Not This Crap Again" jpgs, but this obviously needs the big guns.


172 posted on 09/15/2018 3:21:44 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks ( The US Constitution ....... Invented by geniuses and God .... Administered by morons ......)
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To: Drew68
This was invented by freakin' 4-Chan as a trolling device!

Idiocracy: it's not just a movie.


173 posted on 09/15/2018 3:22:59 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks ( The US Constitution ....... Invented by geniuses and God .... Administered by morons ......)
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To: Steve_Seattle

I know nothing of the political landscape of the Coast Guard and its relation to MadDog’s DOD. Will be interesting to see this play out.

Usually Trump calls out this insanity. However, his response to Charlotteville told me he treads lightly when dealing with accusations of “far Right” insanity. Especially before midterms.

At the least, when the hurricane crisis has passed, I’d like to hear the result of an internal investigation. The Coast Guard knows who this man is and whether an innocent man is being victimized by cowardly leadership.


174 posted on 09/15/2018 3:24:45 PM PDT by The Westerner (Protect the most vulnerable: get the government out of medicine and education!)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

LOL!

I was kinda worried that I’d left out the < /s>. Even here, you never know.


175 posted on 09/15/2018 3:24:50 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: Drew68

Pretty soon the thumbs up will be deemed offensive too.


176 posted on 09/15/2018 4:55:27 PM PDT by EdnaMode
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To: Drew68; pookie18

177 posted on 09/15/2018 5:06:47 PM PDT by GraceG ("Q is not a Cult, you can safely leave at any time, unlike Islam")
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To: GraceG

Thanks, GraceG!


178 posted on 09/15/2018 6:41:46 PM PDT by pookie18
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To: Drew68
Maybe he was responding to a request where to park the yacht from Kerry.


179 posted on 09/15/2018 7:28:24 PM PDT by redcatcherb412
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To: Leep

180 posted on 09/15/2018 8:37:37 PM PDT by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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