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“Amid criticism, Secretary Wilkie won’t commit to removing Nazi headstones from VA cemeteries”. There’s very important history & context around this position taken by @SecWilkie. This is not out of character for him. Stay with me for a thread.. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/05/28/amid-criticism-secretary-wilkie-wont-commit-to-removing-nazi-headstones-from-va-cemeteries/
It’s been entirely predictable for him to take a position like this. And a concern I & others raised when he was first nominated. And especially after this: “VA Secretary Robert Wilkie didn't disclose pro-Confederate associations on confirmation paperwork” https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/01/04/politics/kfile-wilkie-confirmation-form/index.html
“until 2005, he was ‘a fixture at the annual memorial ceremonies in Washington held by descendants of Confederate veterans around the birthday of Jefferson Davis.’ He was also a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/va-chief-robert-wilkie-once-praised-confederate-president-as-martyr-to-the-lost-cause/2018/12/07/5cede664-fa71-11e8-8c9a-860ce2a8148f_story.html ...
In a statement given to the @washingtonpost, Wilkie said the commemorations of the Confederacy he once attended were now “part of the politics that divide us.”...
... @SecWilkie was also once a loyal soldier for racist Sen Jesse Helms. In 1993, Wilkie battled the only black Senator, Carol Moseley-Braun: "What we are seeing is an attempt in the name of political correctness to erase entire blocks of our history," https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1993/07/24/daughters-of-confederacy-bear-up-under-media-siege/42b68c98-228a-42bb-9137-7e7faa35c6f4/
“1995 remarks underscored Wilkie’s apparent belief in a theory that slavery was not a central cause of the Civil War and that he sees the secession of the Southern states from the Union as a sympathetic, heroic struggle for states’ rights.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/va-chief-robert-wilkie-once-praised-confederate-president-as-martyr-to-the-lost-cause/2018/12/07/5cede664-fa71-11e8-8c9a-860ce2a8148f_story.html ...
There’s a well-documented, ugly history for @SecWilkie on issues of race & symbolism. He’s been a loyal soldier for divisive & racist leaders before. Now, he serves a racist president, as African American & Hispanic vets face higher risks from coronavirus: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/05/11/african-american-and-hispanic-veterans-may-face-bigger-risk-from-coronavirus-va-warns
And today, @SecWilkie wouldn't commit to removing headstones containing swastikas and messages honoring Hitler. He said he wants to put anti-Semitic and racist imagery in the proper "historical context." https://www.rollcall.com/2020/05/28/va-secretary-grilled-on-nazi-grave-markers/ He’s the last guy in a position to do that...
And time and time again in his short tenure, @SecWilkie has opposed common-sense efforts to modernize the VA and make it more inclusive to women and other key elements of an increasingly diverse veterans community: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/03/01/va-secretary-rejects-push-gender-neutral-motto.html/amp
And time and time again, Wilkie has taken the wrong side of a key inclusion issue—and always in defense of Trump: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/2018/12/06/va-secretary-defends-departments-commitment-to-diversity-amid-latest-controversy/
Our modern military is diverse. The vets community, @DeptVetAffairs patients and staff are increasingly diverse. We need a VA Sec that has our back. And it’s clear @SecWilkie doesn’t. He’s not loyal to us. He’s loyal to Trump. That should be clear to everyone now. End of thread.
