spenser rapone parents

He is also a teaching assistant, which gives him a platform to inflict his twisted worldview upon students who might think that if they don't go along, their grades could suffer. Whatever happened to that communist lieutenant? Spenser Rapone, a former second lieutenant whose Communism Will Win photo rocked the internet in 2017 after being featured by this publication, has received an Other Than Honorable discharge from the U.S. Army. He was an idealistic teenager from the rural Rust Belt town of New Castle, Pennsylvania (literally the Fireworks Capital of America), who embraced patriotic jingoism and enlisted in the army straight out of highschool. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporters byline and their DCNF affiliation. He completed Airborne school and a rigorous Ranger Assessment and Selection Program and was assigned to the 1st Ranger Battalion in Savannah, Georgia. Chris Hedges talks to Spenser Rapone, former combat veteran and US Army officer, about the Washington Post's series the 'Afghanistan Papers'.Drawing on thousands of pages of international government documents about the war in Afghanistan, the series exposes the lies, deceit, mismanagement, waste, corruption, fraud, and failed schemes that both Democratic and Republican administrations . Throughout this whole process, the military has certain ways of coercing you, so there was always athreat of morepunishment. Can you describe what you were seeing in in Afghanistan with your owneyes? Rapone came under fire last year for his social media posts of socialist and communist content. Spenser Rapone | Author | Common Dreams SCOTUS Now Just Another Congressional Committee, Parents Allowed to Collect Sperm From Son Killed Skiing, 'Commie Cadet' Spenser Rapone Discharged From U.S. Army, West Point Marries First Active-Duty, Same-Sex Couple, Trump Ramps up Attacks on DeSantis: 'Dropping Like a Rock', Russian Strikes on Pavlohrad Aim to Hamper Ukraine's Counteroffensive, Greg Abbott Criticized for Response to Texas Shooting: 'A New Low', Democrat Sold First Republic Stock, Bought JP Morgan Before Collapse, Conservative Influencers Struggle With Countering Biden's Messaging. 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. And Marco Rubio said you advocate violence againstAmerica? Resolution to DSA National Convention Atlanta Georgia July 2019. Applicants to West Point must receive a nomination for their applications to be considered. Iwasnt quite asocialist yet, but Iknew Iwas against the war. On Contact: Afghanistan Papers with Spenser Rapone <>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> By Debra Heine 10:26 PM on October 05, 2017. Pa. House committee advances ambulance mileage , Yellen says U.S. could default as soon as June 1, Lawrence County Historical Society celebrates L, Police charge 25 accused offenders in roundup, 25th Dollar General opens in Lawrence County, Bee in car apparent cause of 4-vehicle wreck, Mahoningtown man accused in narcotics sales, Attorney: Rights trampled for expelled Mohawk football player, Union school board approves superintendent evaluation, CURRY, Anthony Sep 22, 1988 - Apr 29, 2023, STEWART, Ronna Mar 14, 1960 - Apr 27, 2023. "I knew there could be repercussions," said Rapone, who is scheduled to speak at a socialism conference in Chicago next month. 'Commie Cadet' Spenser Rapone Leaving Army with 'Less Than Honorable "These young men and women are coming here to devote themselves to becoming guardians of Duty, Honor, Country the West Point motto and our United States Constitution. Spenser Rapone | Liberal Arts | UT - Austin If this was Ukraine the mainstream media would be shrieking day and night about human rights and international law. A search of Rapones page shows they are still Facebook friends. 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 am very disappointed in the direction he has chosen and as his father it greatly saddens me, Richard L. Rapone posted on his Facebook page, adding: As a young man, Spenser personified patriotism and in high school was a member of the Civil Air Patrol. The GNDCC will make direct connection with The Red Nation, dedicate one person to serve as the main point of contact, and collaborate with the comrades on joint actions, statements and local, national and international campaigns around indigenous liberation and climate justice. Rapone's father, a local politician in Pennsylvania, explicitly disavowed his son's political views Tuesday in a Facebook post. Hosein brought Phi Alpha Theta members, including Rapone, to Orlando, Florida, for a national conference in February 2016. To get into West Point, applicants must receive nominations, usually from U.S. politicians. Rapone had also posted a second photo of himself in uniform, and he is seen wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt underneath his uniform jacket. 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. Be Nice. Army." It wasnt nearly to that level before the 9/11 era and thats part of why Ispeak out. Follow him on Twitter: @punkproletarian. "Of course my military career is dead in the water. Spenser Rapone, Author at - Truthdig: Expert Reporting, Current News vltD+u Get the whole story: Subscribe to In These Times magazine. Reception Day marks the first step in a 47-month journey toward becoming an officer in the United States Army. At that point, again, Iwanted nothing to do with the military because Ifind their rule morally reprehensible and ethically unsound, so Isubmitted my resignation. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Spenser Rapone, 'Communism will win' officer, receives 'other than His expulsion came after a viral tweet showing him clad in uniform, fist raised displaying a hat reading, "COMMUNISM WILL WIN." 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. Seeing and learning about Pat Tillman and how he was able to never be fully assimilated into military culture, it was really inspiring to me and kind of gave me an example to follow in terms of resisting this indoctrination and dehumanization that the military puts youthrough. Trump's latest attack addresses DeSantis' overseas trips to the U.K., Israel, Florida's Covid-19 record, and polling support for the 2024 Presidential race. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Investigators found that he had been hiding in an engine room aboard the ship, the cruiser Shiloh, for a week. 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. In an interview with In These Times, Rapone tells his story of his journey from GI Joe to an anti-war activistand why Rubio got himwrong. The Armys statement comes days after some media outlets reported that Rapone had received an other than honorable discharge from the Army. And U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, called on the secretary of the Army to remove Rapone from the officer ranks. I would encourage all soldiers who have a conscience to lay down their arms and join me and so many others who are willing to stop serving the agents of imperialism and join us in a revolutionary movement., Rapone said his journey to communism grew out of his experiences as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan before he was accepted into the U.S. Military Academy. Communist Army LT, prior enlisted Ranger, receives punishment for West But the service declined to disclose what investigators found, how Rapone had been disciplined, or even if he has been allowed to stay in the service. According to popularmilitary.com, Rapone, 25, from New Castle, Pennsylvania, first enlisted in the Army in 2010 and was assigned to Fort Benning for basic training and infantry training. Second Lieutenant Rapones actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army. He said that we need to do something about this Rapone guy. Even while still a cadet, Rapones online postings alarmed a West Point history professor, who wrote Rapone up, saying his online postings were red flags that cannot be ignored. Rapone was disciplined but still allowed to graduate. In June, Rapone resigned and now hes out with an other-than-honorabledischarge. 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. But after being deployed to Afghanistan and seeing the violence his unit was helping to inflict, Rapone grew increasingly disillusioned with the military. It strikes me how much, as aculture, weve praised troops since 9/11. You start to see why these wars are endless. Vice President Mike Pence called the class of 2019 the most diverse in West Point's history during the commencement address. At the time, he was an outstanding, well-rounded student who came from a good family. Even on nights when we didnt have kinetic engagements, we would just roll up to villages and ransack them; wed separate women and children, put bags over peoples heads, lock them up in flexcuffs. In Ehrenreich's new book, she comes out about mystical experiences in her teens. The saga of communist sympathizing Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapone keeps on going, and with every turn it looks worse for Rapone. Are walking blood banks coming to a field hospital near you? West Point graduate and now former Army infantry officer Spenser Rapone has been processed out of the U.S. Army and received an other than honorable discharge from the military after a photo he posted with his West Point cap and the words Communism will win went viral. It will give them aplatform so they dont have to do this anymoreso they dont have to be acog in the imperialist machineanymore. Check out the details here. On March 23, 2014, Rapone posted about anti-corporatism and racism. Copyright 2023 by the Institute for Public Affairs (EIN: 94-2889692). Spenser Rapone, the former second lieutenant whose Communism will win photos went viral in 2017, has received an other than honorable discharge from the Army. that is degrading to another person. Those inquires are finished, the Army said in a statement Tuesday but that is all they would say. The Saga of the Commie Lieutenant Comes to an End. Spenser Rapone, 26, quit on Monday with an other-than-honourable discharge over his "unbecoming" conduct at the famed military academy in New York state. He ultimately resigned his commission, and was separated from the Army in June 2018 with an Other Than Honorable discharge.. His father, a local official for Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, issued his own statement, disavowing his sons political views. 3 0 obj And youve heard from other veterans and servicemembers? 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. Local man, West Point grad talks about ouster from Army 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.. Hes also tweeted out that hell happily dance on GOP Sen. John McCains grave. Army Commie Cadet Gets Promoted to 1LT - MilitaryCorruption.com There has been ahistory of conscious objection by soldiers. [emailprotected]. Second Lieutenant Rapones actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army, it said. At the time, the Army confirmed that he had previously been an enlisted soldier and a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, with one Afghanistan deployment, but that he had been removed for standards.. But he wasnt accepted to West Point, so Rapone enlisted in the Army. The Bush administration saw this football player and this guy who looked like G.I. That's taxpayer money on a first-class education well spent. Ihad astatement Iwas working on for several months and was waiting for the right time to say it without having to worry aboutpunishment. In another, he raises his fist and flips his cap to reveal the message: Communism will win.. Then she puts them under a microscope. About 37 percent of the class of 2023 were minorities, equivalent to 443 people, according to the military academy. Its my belief when he returned back from Afghanistan there was a notable difference in his political views. Rapone is scheduled to speak in July at a Socialism 2018 conference in Chicago, where he and fellow far-lefty Rory Fanning, an ex-Army ranger, will appear together in a "War Resister in the . Among other activities, Soldiers are encouraged to vote in elections and express their personal opinions on public issues. person will not be tolerated. They compiled all the things Ive said, the subversive things Ive said about Trump and various elected officials like General Mattis, and essentially gave me anumber of options. You have permission to edit this article. 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. Hoseins bio on the West Point website lists Rapone as one of two cadets he last advised at West Point. May 29, 2018 Admin. In the middle of all of this, these right-wing sites were saying stuff about me and Iwas under investigation, so Icouldnt say anything because theyd use that as ammunition. 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. 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. Menu. "He was an honors student, an athlete, a model citizen who volunteered in the community," recalled Altmire, a Democrat. He then deployed to Afghanistan, where he earned a combat infantryman badge. Rapones activism while in uniform appears to be much broader than those two photos. But Ihad no desire to serve any longerI disagree with what the United States military is doingso Isubmitted aresignation in February with the condition that, as long as Idont receive anything lower than ageneral discharge, Iwould go. 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. He applied once again to West Point and was accepted. 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. 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.. Spenser Rapone, 26, became notable a bit faster than most graduates. =Vj)G+1dv @(V(%4=}Xlp$*NIS[1#J G>2_#bS *GKACk{:XV%3,AKej QUI>0!v mR Im probably going to take some time to decompress and process all Ive been through. Of the incoming class, 180 were African American, 145 were Hispanic Americans, 99 were Asian Americans and 19 were Native Americans. Most importantly, you'll the knowledge that you are part of keeping independent, progressive journalism alive and accessible for everyone. Several years ago, I met Spenser Rapone when he was a high school student seeking an appointment to West Point, Altmire said. PDF Spenser R. Rapone Education - University of Texas at Austin They're also given 60 seconds to say goodbye to their families, who they may or may not contact during Cadet Basic Training. Robert Heffington, a former lieutenant colonel and West Point instructor who met Mr. Rapone, told the website that his online ideological screeds reveal the philosophical infatuations of a precocious adolescent in a best-case scenario. #VeteransForKaepernick pic.twitter.com/3jnCtawvHc, Rudi (Dutschke) Cant Fail (@punkproletarian) September 24, 2017. He was nominated out of high school by. Several years ago, I met Spenser Rapone when he was a high school student seeking an appointment to West Point, Altmire said. <> The thread has since been deleted. Is West Point Beginning a Whitewash of the Commie Lieutenant - RedState It seeks to create astateless, classless, moneyless society. 45 1,924 Then, theres anumber of people who Icant name because they might face repression themselves, but anumber of active-duty service members and enlisted soldiers who Im trying to help work through things and counsel them and hopefully inspire them to take the measures to stop serving the AmericanEmpire. Iwas ahistory major, and Istudied Middle Eastern history specifically. He didnt want to be paraded around or be used by the Bush administration to sell awar. The second lieutenant was given an "other than honorable" discharge June 18 after an Army investigation determined that he "went online to promote a socialist revolution and disparage high-ranking officers" and thereby had engaged in "conduct unbecoming an officer." Rapone has also posted on Facebook a picture of himself holding up the Communist Manifesto, with his Army dress uniform hanging in the closet in the background and a number of posts showing opposition for Trump policies and administration officials and support for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) at least since 2015. 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. Army. And U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, called on the secretary of the Army to remove Rapone from the officer ranks. Iwas just using all of this expensive equipment in one of the poorest places on earth to serve the interests of acapitalist class. Then there was the move to an all-volunteer force and thats interesting because asubstantial number of Vietnam resisters were volunteers. A Soldier's Tale of bravery and morality - The Greanville Post Sign up to become a Sustainer before the deadline and take advantage of our best offer ever. Rainmixing with snow overnight. In many ways, youre even moredisillusioned. %PDF-1.7 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 The Communist West Point Grad's Father Isn't too Happy with - RedState Mr. Rapone used the social media platform on Wednesday to promote an upcoming Socialism 2018 talk in Chicago titled War Resister in the Ranks., At Socialism 2018 Ill be sitting down with with[sic] Spenser Rapone, the US Army Ranger, Afghan-war combat vet, recent West Point graduate, and now war-resister, who sparked nation-wide fury after publicly supporting Colin Kaepernick and Socialism during his West Point graduation, Rory Fanning, also an ex-Ranger, tweeted Wednesday. I knew there could be repercussions, said Rapone, who is scheduled to speak at a socialism conference in Chicago next month. The day after Iposted the pictures, my chain of command approached me, read me my rights, and told me Icould talk right now or wait for an attorney, so of course Iwaited for an attorney. Wed call them detainees, which is just aeuphemism for prisoner, and wed do this kind of thing every night, even sometimes without proper intelligence. Send tips tojonah@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. With all their political gamesmanship, lawmakers forget that real human lives are often on the line. You go in with acertain vision in your head of what being in the military is and then you see the reality of it. Spenser then enlisted in the Army and deployed to Afghanistan after which point he again applied to West Point. In another, he raises his fist and flips his cap to reveal the message: "Communism will win.". Spenser is my son and I love him dearly however I do not like nor condone his politics, his actions or behavior., Rapone has a long background of support for far-left extremism, even going so far as to promote communism while in uniform. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. From there, Ispent along time in limbo because Iwas under investigationthey were waiting for me to make another screw-up in their minds. After the initial photo was posted and achieved some measure of viralityand elicited quite a bit of outrage and confusionRapone laid any confusion to rest and further incited his far-right critics by posting another photo of himself wearing aChe Guevarat-shirt underneath his half-buttoned uniform. He applied to be a West Point cadet and at that time he as not selected. *xU%pm^*CM^1VU%t/{buP3PU eLaN?yj':kd/e&ll*W>(ek=2/,$|D7V Pg.nZA JLM8uq/p{tnPX% ,F:A,K|3KrK2UL.m2`X*uV[f_\8:>v,Tj[ skR%Uk( N*5j-*l t!#GZMrG zgQ,cd5Xp*JKjZM5waYfuXr`RzU;[ek=H>Q)aPN[(X!5(&; The soldier pictured, now 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone, had been openly serving as an avowed communist supporting the downfall of the U.S. government. Lt. Rapone, a member of the 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, first drew attention when he tweeted an image from his Twitter account, @punkproletarian, with "Communism Will Win". Send us a note with the Letter to the Editor form. Spenser Rapone - KeyWiki (Chicago), Nazir Khan (Twin Cities). The biggest thing about Pat Tillman was that he didnt want to be put in abox. 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. "West Point is happy with its highly qualified and diverse classes of 2023," a West Point spokesperson told Newsweek. Even while still a cadet, Rapone's online postings alarmed a West Point history professor, who wrote Rapone up, saying his online postings were "red flags that cannot be ignored." "I would encourage all soldiers who have a conscience to lay down their arms and join me and so many others who are willing to stop serving the agents of imperialism and join us in a revolutionary movement. The academy is prepared to assist the officers chain of command as required.. Idont want people saying that because they are volunteers, theres no room for resisting. <>/Metadata 248 0 R/ViewerPreferences 249 0 R>> Left: Army 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone graduating from West Point in May of 2016. Local man, West Point grad talks about ouster from Army, Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. New cadets are outfitted with their initial issue of military clothing, receive haircuts and get their first lessons in marching, military courtesy and discipline. This page was last edited on 28 August 2021, at 22:54. Leo Gerard, United Steelworkers President, 125 Years After the Pullman Uprising, We Could Be on the Verge of Another Sympathy Strike Wave, Barbara Ehrenreich on Science vs. Mysticism. Iread anumber of his books and he helped me understand my experience. https://t.co/c3SW0QJsBl https://t.co/c3SW0QJsBl, My eyes are seriously about to roll out of the back of my head. endobj 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. endobj In 2021 Spenser Rapone was hired at the University of Texas in Austin in the History Departments New School for Social Research. Then American society and political culture influences you because we are constantly slapped with patriotism and respecting the troops. What does that even mean? Rapone was initially in high spirits during said investigation. They dont care about veterans outside of serving their politics for aparticular right-wing vision. On Sunday, Rapone posted a picture of himself in his West Point uniform holding a sign that said, Communism will win tucked under his cover, or hat, raising a clenched left fist. As a caption to that photo, Rapone tweeted, In case there was any lingering doubt, hasta la victoria siempre, a popular left-wing slogan oft-attributed to thelate Marxist revolutionary, physician, and guerrilla leaderwho was ultimately killed and captured by the U.S. CIA. 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. Money Minute, What's next for experimental AI projects in the C4ISR sphere. This public. In the simplest of terms, Ifelt like we were the big bully and the purveyor of violence. During the interview, he expressed patriotism and looked just like a top-notch candidate. Richard L. Rapone explained that Spenser tried to join West Point straight out of high school but was not accepted. Episode 19: No War But The Class War w/ Spenser Rapone (Podcast - IMDb
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