New ad racist?

[CommunityEditor]

Video: http://www.militarytimes.com/multime...ne_video_leap/


Staff Sergeant Thomas Hill's own experience is the story behind this newest recruiting ad yet some claim it's racist. What do you think?


Racist recruiting? Marine Corps ad draws fire

The Marine Corps’ newest recruiting commercial aimed at targeting minorities tackles a long-running and often-controversial debate involving black American youth: swimming ability.

Called “Leap,” the commercial shows a young black man standing at a high diving platform overlooking a swimming pool.

“I faced one of the toughest challenges of my life right here,” the narrator says. “I couldn’t swim.”

Encouraged by his drill instructor’s urging not to give up, the man goes for it.

“So I jumped in,” he says. “Unsure, apprehensive and scared out of my mind. But I came up a Marine.”

The man emerges not from a swimming pool, but from open water, in face paint and combat gear. A rubber boat filled with Marines zooms by and pulls the man inside.

The ad reflects the real-life story of Staff Sgt. Thomas Hill, a senior drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., according to a Marine recruiting Web site, our.marines.com.

Hill volunteered to tell his story when he heard the Corps was looking for ideas for a new commercial, according to the site. “He wants others who approach life the way he did to understand what being a Marine can do for them.”

The popular blog Gawker.com, however, derided the ad as “subtle stereotyping.”

“The Marines send a simple, straightforward message: ‘Hey, black people. We know you can’t swim. That’s okay! We’ll teach you how, and then let you ride in a cool boat, if you just sign up for the Marines now. Okay?’ ”

In 1993, then-Commandant Gen. Carl E. Mundy Jr. launched a storm of controversy by telling an interviewer on “60 Minutes” that whites outperform blacks in objective military tests, including swimming.

“In the military skills, we find that the minority officers do not shoot as well as the non-minorities… They don’t swim as well. And when you give them a compass and send them across the terrain at night in a land navigation exercise, they don’t do as well at that sort of thing.”

More recently, a retired Army reserve officer running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 was videoed at a Christian Coalition making similar comments: “I grew up in Alabama and I understand and I know this from my own experiences that blacks aren’t the best swimmers or may not even know how to swim.”

The comments cost Tramm Hudson his shot at winning the Republican nomination for Florida’s 13th District.


Article: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/0..._swim_061208w/
Video: http://www.militarytimes.com/multime...ne_video_leap/

[Sgt Grandpa]

Racist??? how in the name of all that is generic could this be racist?! Because he can't swim and jumped in anyway? Because the Marines taught him to overcome fear of the unknown? Because if it had been a Latino (or other hispanic background) guy it would have started a $H!T storm about illegals?

Ahh but had it been a white guy, then it would be racist since it didn't show some one of a different background. Or is it racist since it was a man and not a woman?

You can't win no matter what you do... somebody somewhere will find it to be "unacceptable". And our country is more tolerant than others?

Why does everything have to be racist. Do people got anything better to do then bitch bout how the military does things. All the ad is showing that the Marine was afraid of swimming, a common fear for alot of people. I mean come on people, we should beyond this garbage. What would a commercial of me being afraid of heights and telling people that the army help me get over that be racist.

As a retired Army Officer, I have witnessed and been the target of plenty of racist remarks and stereotypes. I am of the opinion that this is not a racist ad campaigne. In fact, I embrace it.

It never fails that someone takes anything and makes it into something it's not, It is an ad to catch the eye and make someone possibly think of joining the Marines. (No I am not a Marine, retired Army)

I agree with a lot of the others in their responses. This promo for the marine corps is in no way racist. It is only those looking to pick at it that makes it racist. I agree with others. If it were a white male. The minorities would be bitching that a minority didn't get to do the promo. C'mon people! But there are the rabble rousers out there like the Rev. Al Sharpton that have nothing better to do than bitch. So, I say let them bitch and life will go on.

This the problem with this country. People will find some way to throw the racism card no matter what you do. I'd like to think that we had gotten past all that. Even though most of us had absolutely nothing to do with slavery and many of us have relatives that fought and died to abolish it we still get persecuted for the color of our skin. It is my personal opinion that whites are persecuted far more than any other race, color, or creed in this country because it's easy to do it and to get away with it. If whites respond in any way they get labeled as being a racist. So as a white you just have to sit back and take whatever is thrown at you or you will end up with that label. It's BS and completely unfair.

[TJMAC77SP]

Could it be that a young white man who can't swim sees the ad and is motivated by what he sees? Which is someone being given the tools and opportunity to overcome a fear and/or lack of a taught skill?

Hmmmm something to ponder. Damn knuckleheads.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

This the problem with this country. People will find some way to throw the racism card no matter what you do. I'd like to think that we had gotten past all that. Even though most of us had absolutely nothing to do with slavery and many of us have relatives that fought and died to abolish it we still get persecuted for the color of our skin. It is my personal opinion that whites are persecuted far more than any other race, color, or creed in this country because it's easy to do it and to get away with it. If whites respond in any way they get labeled as being a racist. So as a white you just have to sit back and take whatever is thrown at you or you will end up with that label. It's BS and completely unfair.

Ummm, yeah, whomever you are, you make an ignorant argument. To say that whites are persecuted more than any other race in this country is complete ignorance. Educate yourself before you comment again, olease.

[THELADYKT]

Unfortunately no matter what people do or say....there is always going to be somebody who finds something racist or sexist about it. You can't please everyone and you never will.