Academy justice was tilted toward women

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facts - 2009-06-07 22:29:04

Following are things that happened while I was a male mid from 04-08.
Female in my company caught underage drinking in 3 separate incidences...retained all three times....made company commander firstie year. Reason she was made company cmdr was the initial choice (read more qualified male) was rejected by the commandant b/c "there are too many male company cdrs in the brigade"
Females my firstie year made up 60% of brigade leadership (4 striper and above) in a direct response to the commandants actions the previous year.
Female and Male were caught having sex in the hall. Male was ranked 4th in the firstie class. Female was on academic probation. Female was retained. Male was separated 4 months from graduation.
Personally had a female in my company who couldn't run faster than a 14 min MILE and was allowed to graduate b/c she was a black female and "had trouble running long distances"
The preferential treatment of the rempt age did an extreeme disservice for females at the academy. It disgraced the qualified female and male graduates by lessing the quality product of graduates, by allowing females that were morally, mentally and especially physically, insufficient to graduate.

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ryan j. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Majaya - 2009-05-30 16:22:19

I would agree with you that it is a pretty shoddy article. Unfortunately there is not a high enough occurrence rate of much of the behavior that would provide anyone, who had the most elemetary knowledge of statistical analysis, and valid conclusions. Numbers are numbers, and Earl can make conclusions that he "thinks" are correct, but none would be reliable or valid


Although, in reference to your comment about women in the military should be cut some slack is complete BS. No one should be cut slack at the Naval Academy. These are the future officers and leaders of our servicemen and women. If there are individuals who need to be held to a higher standard than everyone else, its them. If they can't handle that level of scrutiny and stress, they made the wrong decision to join the military and should be booted.

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Johnathan Locke - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Excellent

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... - 2009-05-29 16:33:42

When I say you I mean the person(s) that wrote the article and anyone that agrees with it.

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Majaya Merino - , - Karma: Bad

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in retrospect - 2009-05-29 16:24:42

1)How many females go to the Academy?

2)Did you ever think horny men were just paying more attention to the girls so they noticed more what they were doing?

3)I'm sure no one was breathing down the guys' backs.

It's most likely that a GREATER number of men were breaking the rules than the women were. Difference being not one noticed the men doing it (or cared).

So that means more guys were getting away with things than girls.

4)The world is flawed and women are always under the eyeball of more scrutiny than men.

Why shouldn't they be given some leeway when people know this?

5)If the men actually had a chance they most of them WOULD be having sex in the dorms.

6)In the regular world outside of the Academy 1 in 4 women is sexually assaulted or harassed in someway.

You don't think that statistic would multiply if not checked in a predominantly male environment?

7) You are sexist. Face the facts. No matter how much "evidence" you have to support your blatant chauvinism it is still clear as water.

8)The world is changing.Women are getting more and more rights, higher rankings and getting better paying jobs.

You are just going to have to put up with it.

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Majaya Merino - , - Karma: Bad

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oops--yet another correction - 2009-05-20 13:27:29

"how many female Blue Angel pilots will I see today?"

The Blue Angeles currently have two female Naval Officers in their Wardroom - neither is a pilot. They also have approximately a dozen female Enlisted that work in the Squadron.

Whats your point?

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Mark G. - Severna Park, MD - Karma: Excellent

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oops--yet another correction - 2009-05-20 08:50:12

"protect women from the institutionalized dominant role of [men in] the United States Navy"

how many female Blue Angel pilots will I see today ?

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reggie schmoenberg - annapolis, md - Karma: Neutral

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culture change * - 2009-05-20 08:46:44

my friends, let's try and look at it another way. The academy. like our society at large, is slowly integrating the female ( formally a 2nd class citizen) into their society/culture. AS such, the leniency can be said to be sort of an affirmative action program to protect women from the institutionalized dominant role of the United States Navy. AS women begin to make further gains in leadership roles one can expect this affirmative action-like mechanism to become less influential in disciplinary decision algorithms. One can expect to see some of these affirmative action-like initiatives to remain in certain aspects of the naval culture.
this insight did not come easy my friends, it required much pondering.
However, the feet dragging strategy practiced by the USNA top brass is nonetheless deplorable.

* this is my opinion , though correct, it is an opinion based on speculation.

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reggie schmoenberg - annapolis, md - Karma: Neutral

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One step forward, two steps back - 2009-05-20 00:09:36

I can't speak for the climate since May 2007, but while I was there this double-standard was very obvious to us all. The fact that females got away with heinous breaches of the conduct system on a regular basis in the interests of 'disclosure' had the effect of reversing much of the progress toward gender equality at the Academy. The regular examples of a gender-based decision process began to instill a growing wave of resentment toward female midshipmen in general. Perhaps the system did protect the individual females involved, but it served to cause severe damage the overall progress females had made towards gaining equality and respect as fully-qualified Naval Officers.

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W. Door - , - Karma: Neutral

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Timing - 2009-05-19 14:45:20

Mark, you're making the very large assumption that out of town visitors would bother picking up and reading The Capital...

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Scott S. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent

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Interesting Timing... - 2009-05-18 17:00:24

"...while you may find the timing to be more than suspect, so what."
The timing was the only point I was making - the content of the article was not part of my argument against the Capital. While I do not agree with the way the Naval Academy investigated and prosecuted these issues, this is not the week to drag the Naval Academy through the mud because of the wrong-headedness of past policies.
WRT the comment about balance, that was in response to some drivel posted by a schmo...

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Mark G. - Severna Park, MD - Karma: Excellent

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Interesting Timing - 2009-05-18 16:11:53

Mark G -- my fellow classmate -- while you may find the timing to be more than suspect, so what. By trying to focus upon the timing, you fail to appreciate the substance of the report. Furthermore, while you may bemoan the "lack of balance" within the article, you again fail to appreciate or acknowledge that, instead of directly addressing these issues, the Administration elected to engage in obfuscation, cunctation, delay and even arrogance. If one side to an issue refuses to even open itself up to a full and frank discussion of a matter, they usually do so in order to promote that cries of a story not being balanced. Should the story not have run at all because the Administration refused to address the issues specifically, electing, instead to only offer a generalization? Rempt refused comment . . .

Furthermore, while the data may be dated (to the Rempt era), it provides insight as to the politically correct world that Rempt imposed. And the reason it is dated is because the Administration appears to have engaged in a deliberate course of conduct to have the data be so dated. Look at the timeline of The Capital's FOIA request. First, Rempt indicates USNA will provide information as a follow-up to the Board of Visitor's meeting; yet nothing because of Rempt's commitment. Then it turned into a 3-year effort.

Look at the substance of the report -- it confirms the double standard of political correctness under Rempt. Has Fowler changed the atmosphere? Instead of releasing such data now, the Administration is trying to force The Capital to engage once again in the prolonged battle, so that when the information is ultimately produced, defenders of political correctness can attack it for being dated.

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Veritas V. - Cincinnati, OH - Karma: Neutral

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Interesting timing... - 2009-05-18 10:52:52

"I appreciate a well-balanced report whenever it is made available..."
I too enjoy a "well balanced" report - please let me know when one presents itself.
"...you and I are not privy to the decisions made by the Capital unless they report them..." Interseting that you have no desire to question the Capital on the very matter you applaud them for doing to the Naval Academy - do you have an axe to grind against USNA?
"...if the Capital timed the release to coincide with the annual onslaught of visitors..." There is no "if" in the fact that the timing was an attempt to "get back" at the Academy for resisting its research efforts - nothing short of what I would expect from a petulant child.
"It is for the good of the many , though not the few that may be offended to face the harsh realities we can no longer hide from." Ok, you will have to explain to me how the printing of this article this week meets the "good of the many" you describe - and what "reality can we no longer hide from"? LOL!

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Mark Gibson - Severna Park, MD - Karma: Excellent

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Tourists Timing - 2009-05-18 10:32:11

Well you know what my friend ? I am NOT one of those very, very temporary visitors, and I appreciate a well-balanced report whenever it is made available for my intellectual digestion. And you and I are not privy to the decisions made by the Capital unless they report them, my friend. Moreover, even if the Capital timed the release to coincide with the annual onslaught of visitors, as long as it sells more papers and finances more great news I see no problem. so you see, in the end good journalizn is good journalism and as you can see it is currently the most read story on Hometown Annapolis. The people have spoken and they obviously approve. It is for the good of the many , though not the few that may be offended to face the harsh realities we can no longer hide from.

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reggie schmoenberg - annapolis, md - Karma: Neutral

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Interesting timing... - 2009-05-18 10:04:20

Understand I said nothing about the content of the article - I just noted that the timing was set up curiously enough to coincide with Commissioning Week - its appearance at this exact time is nothing less than an attempt to embarass the Naval Academy during one of its most significant events.

This is the same kind of mentality used by the editors of the National Enquirer when deciding when to print stories that rehash old wrongs.

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Mark G. - Severna Park, MD - Karma: Excellent

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Good News - 2009-05-18 09:52:20

A good news operation is beholden to no one but those that seek truth. If you want feel good fluff my friend can I would reccommend 'WHAT"S UP ANNAPOLIS'.

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reggie schmoenberg - annapolis, md - Karma: Neutral

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Interesting timing.... - 2009-05-18 09:35:21

I find it very interesting and somewhat disconcerting that the local paper decides to run an article criticle of the Naval Academy in the Sunday edition during the very week thousands of visitors have come to Annapolis to celebrate the achievements of the sons and daughters as soon to be commissioned Ensigns or Second Lieutenants. This article, because of the decision to print this week, is basically a slap in the face to all those who have dedicated so much to actually make it through "four years by the bay..." - both the Mids and the families and friends.
This story is no less than three years old - it could have waited a week or two more to be printed - but of course that would have removed the censationalism aspect that muckrakers look for - eh?

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Mark G. - Severna Park, MD - Karma: Excellent

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prophetic? but censored - 2009-05-18 07:57:19

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/nav/2009/04/29-50/form_weddingss.html

many of the comments that were removed under the aforementioned article were written by a strange character that insisted on referring to the female mid by the pronoun 'he', while insisting it was a policy implemented by the USNA in order to imply gender neutrality . Though clearly this is not the case, the somewhat chemically imbalanced ( now permanently banned) writer of these censored entries may have had more than a little insight to the real problems at the USNA.

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reggie schmoenberg - annapolis, md - Karma: Neutral

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Well researched - 2009-05-18 07:56:47

and nicely written. Maybe youcould look at the Annapolis ethics commission next.

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Peter Dennis - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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"Chronology ..." - 2009-05-17 22:35:17

I am not going to comment on, defend or condemn Adm. Rempt, Lamar Owens, Jr., the alleged victims, the alleged or convicted perps, or the alleged "policy" ... which I would point out must have been approved at the highest levels of the DoD [a fact strangely missing from Earl Kelly's account -although in fairness remotely alluded to]. The issue itself is one which does not allow for simple answers. Possibly most telling is the fact that the most cogent comment included in the article is that from " ... a male Marine Corps officer who graduated during Rempt's administration and has led combat troops during multiple deployments, defended the admiral's practices - to a point.

'Leadership and justice are not always the same thing,' said the officer, who asked for anonymity to protect his career. 'A military leader's main goal is to accomplish his mission and ensure the welfare of his subordinates .... It is acceptable and even necessary for a leader to be unfair if it helps accomplish the mission.'

However, the young officer noted 'there is clearly an acknowledged double standard in the entire military as far as women are concerned. I don't like it, but I can't really see a way around it. I would say that the Naval Academy has been more proactive in trying to prevent sexual assault than any other organization in the military that I know of. ' "

That said I believe Mr. Kelly's "article" should have been included as an Op-Ed piece -if at all- since it is so obviously biased in it's innuendos and conclusions which have no place in a "news item". Again, without stating an opinion on the situations "reported" upon, I believe it completely fair to conclude from the "article" itself that Mr. Kelly is either an overly-devoted football fan, has been unduly influenced by the supporters of Lamar Owens, Jr., or possibly what used to be described as a male chauvinist pig.

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Lee S. - Long Beach, CA - Karma: Neutral

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Reggie and I agree - 2009-05-17 19:40:47

Sadly this is the norm. Today Men are PRESUMED to be at fault in any situation....even when the female is equally or more at fault. Lizzie Borden 'Hid behind her skirts' after killing her parents (And was aquitted). Nothing has changed except that today women want to have things both ways.

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Emma G. - West River, MD - Karma: Terrible

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reader's reactions:protection, just - 2009-05-17 12:37:10

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/nav/2009/04/29-50/form_weddingss.html

The above story can said to show that the readers and this paper are more likely to protect a female than a male. Many comments were removed, and many comments rationalize the criminal behavior. I just can't see that happening if the offender was a man. As a staunch feminist I am appalled that even when a woman has fought her way into a very male dominated world, she plays the victim card ( and receives empathy and support) when she is called to account for pathological behavior.

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reggie schmoenberg - annapolis, md - Karma: Neutral