Groundhog Day

Some things don't change, especially if no one is really trying to change them. Since 1972, according to this disturbing and well-worth-your-time piece, the same old systemic racism identified then has remained part and parcel of the military justice system.  According to a GAO report, commanders choose to discipline persons of color at higher rates than whites, and have, consistently, for decades. This has been known since at least 1972, yet it persists.  It is also ironic that the military pounds the table and insists that military justice is and must remain commander owned and operated -- don't give it to some lawyers -- but when it comes to answering tough questions about the unjustified racial disparities in said system, it's only the military lawyers in front of Congress earlier this year stumbling for answers. Not a commander in sight. The commander-owned and operated (and structurally racist,  per the numbers) military justice system apparently only belongs to commanders when they don't have to dodge the difficult questions on Capitol Hill about why they consistently, over decades and still today, punish persons of color more than they do the white service members who look more like them (there's also a huge racial disparity amongst the general and flag officer ranks). Read on for more incredibly disheartening trends regarding equality in the military and its criminal "justice" system. We must and can do better.