In the weeks following George Floyd’s death in 2020, a U.S. Air Force officer—currently awaiting promotion to brigadier general—accused his fellow “white colonels” of being the “biggest barriers” to addressing “racial injustice” in the military and being “blind to institutional racism.”
Col. Ben Jonsson’s 825-word commentary in the Air Force Times on July 1, 2020, recounts several examples of what he describes as “white defensiveness” in the aftermath of Floyd’s death.
Jonsson concludes with an endorsement of critical race theory promoter Robin DiAngelo’s controversial book, “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism.”
“Dear white colonel, it is time to give a damn. Aim High,” Jonsson wrote.
Earlier this year, President Joe Biden nominated Jonsson for a promotion. He’s currently one of more than 300 military officers awaiting U.S. Senate approval. Senate Democrats would like to rubber-stamp the promotions—including Jonsson’s—using an expedited Senate procedure known as unanimous consent, which bypasses consideration of each nominee individually.
Since March, however, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has objected to numerous unanimous content requests from Democrats, preferring the Senate instead consider the promotions individually until the Defense Department rescinds its divisive taxpayer-funded abortion policy.
Thanks to Tuberville’s hold, Jonsson’s promotion to Air Force brigadier general is receiving additional scrutiny. He is one of several military officers in line for a promotion who have espoused “woke” views that more closely align with the Left’s diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda than traditional American values.
“Col. Jonsson exhibited a toxic embrace of DEI policies that have no place in the U.S. military,” said William Thibeau, director of the Claremont Institute’s American Military Project. “His public characterization of ‘white colonels’’ blindness is inherently divisive and sends shockwaves through his command. When Jonsson addresses a group of airmen by race, he creates the exact boogeyman of racial tension he supposedly seeks to eliminate.” . . .
. . . Jonsson used his Air Force Times commentary not to address the military readiness or warfighting capabilities but instead as an opportunity to lecture “white people” about racism. He wrote:
As white colonels, you and I are the biggest barriers to change if we do not personally address racial injustice in our Air Force. Defensiveness is a predictable response by white people to any discussion of racial injustice. White colonels are no exception. We are largely blind to institutional racism, and we take offense to any suggestion that our system advantaged us at the expense of others.
At the time the commentary was published in July 2020, Jonsson was serving as vice commander of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, according to an article in the Tampa Bay Times and his LinkedIn profile.
In the commentary, he writes about making “white colonels” feel “uneasy” and references at least seven observations of seeing “white defensiveness play out” in the aftermath of Floyd’s death. . . . (read more on The Daily Signal)
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