I wish this were a joke, but it's not.
The leadership of an Air Force base in North Dakota issued a text alert to service members, cautioning them about the "risks" of attending a downtown rally featuring a speaker from the mainstream conservative organization Turning Point Action.
The concern centered around a scheduled Nov. 17 gathering dubbed the "Dakota Patriot Rally" at the state fairgrounds in Minot. The alert advised personnel "to be cautious" if they were in the vicinity, emphasizing that some attendees "could be confrontational to military members."
The text, posted on the widely followed "Air Force amn/nco/snco" Facebook page, additionally highlighted that the event would host a speaker from Turning Point Action, which they described as an "alt-right" organization.
Air Force amn/nco/snco / Facebook
As many of you probably know, Turning Point Action was established in 2019. It is a 501(c)(4) organization that advocates conservative principles and is supportive of former President Donald Trump.
Here's how the VERY objective Associated Press puts it:
The group's founder is Charlie Kirk, a white conservative agitator who has built a following inflaming racial divides. For instance, "scumbag" is how he has described George Floyd, the Black man whose murder at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer set off a global reckoning over racial injustice.
Like I said, VERY objective.
The text sent to Minot Air Force Base members warned, "participation with groups such as Turning Point Action could jeopardize their continued service in the U.S. military."
Responding to an inquiry from Fox News, a spokesperson for Turning Point Action noted that the organization had not officially endorsed the event.
However, the spokesperson criticized the leaders' message as "absolutely appalling."
Tyler Bowyer was simply a keynote speaker. Secondly, Turning Point Action is not alt-right, it's a mainstream conservative organization and Tyler Bowyer is not some fringe personality — he's the COO of TPAction, an RNC committeeman from the state of Arizona, and one of the most accomplished political organizers in the country. Lastly, Mr. Bowyer and attendees of this event are not ‘confrontational to military members,' they're some of the US Military's most ardent supporters.
The spokesperson also objected to the notion that participating with the organization could endanger a service member's career, labeling the warning as "shocking and totally unacceptable."
How dare they dissuade servicemen and women from affiliating with conservative groups and leaders. This should set off alarm bells throughout North Dakota and DC, that something is terribly wrong at the Minot Air Force base. This also warrants an immediate congressional hearing and investigation, and whoever is responsible should be held accountable. It's exactly this type of poison that has caused the Air Force to miss its recruiting goal for the first time in decades.
The text message also (for some reason) references a shooting in Minot on Nov. 17, stating that it is "unclear if it was related" to the Dakota Patriot Rally.
Air Force amn/nco/snco / Facebook
As reported by the Minot Daily News, the shooting occurred in northwest Minot, leading to the hospitalization of a 29-year-old man while a suspect fled the scene. The state fairgrounds, where the Dakota Patriot Rally occurred, are situated in the far eastern part of the city.
When Fox News contacted the Minot Police Department, it turned out the incident was entirely unrelated to the rally.
The Minot Air Force Base spokesperson also told Fox News that the base "is aware that an unofficial message about a local event in the City of Minot was sent in a text message group."
The message was based on incorrect data and sent outside of official base messaging platforms. Once the error was identified, base security officials corrected the message traffic to categorize the event as a local political fundraiser, with no security concerns. Further, the updated message communicated there were no issues with military members participating in their personal capacity - in line with their First Amendment rights.
All Air Force Airmen have a Constitutional right to freedom of assembly. That said there are some limitations placed on an Airman's ability to participate in political events in an official capacity. These limitations are set by ethical guidelines in the Code of Federal Regulations in order to maintain the politically neutral stance of the US Military.
Ah yes, the "politically neutral stance" that the US military has these days.
Republican U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer came out and said that the Minot Air Force Base leaders were wrong to dissuade service members from a politically conservative rally and that these "left wing political messages are way too common in our military these days, and that needs to be stopped."
Congressman Cory Mills has also rung the alarm bells and is requesting a military inquiry and subpoena into what is being done to address this gross restriction of service members' freedom of assembly. I'll leave you with his thoughts:
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