A recent Twitter and Facebook post to official Marine Corps Special Operations Command social media accounts has sparked online backlash.
“Don’t be lone shooter #MLK weekend! make sure you’ve got security- stay safe!” the post read.
The post was made at 10:52 a.m. leading into the long three-day weekend, but removed about thirty minutes later after social media users questioned the posts wording and intended meaning.
Some were bothered that it appears to reference the 1968 assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. who was killed by a lone shooter.
MARSOC could not be reached for comment, but at about 1:15 made the following post to Facebook.
“From the Command in reference to our latest post/tweet:
Marine leaders will frequently take the opportunity to remind their
personnel to make wise decisions and look out for each other especially before a long holiday weekend. The intent of our recent post was to remind personnel to partner up when going out over the weekend and to look out for each other
using military jargon.
When we were alerted to the potential that this military post could be viewed as insensitive or offensive when combined with the historical facts concerning Martin Luther King Jr., we immediately took it down and apologize for any untended disrespect or misperceptions.
Commanders and Marines everywhere are being encouraged this weekend to reflect on Dr. King’s work and the principles he upheld. Martin Luther King day empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers and moves everyone closer to realizing Dr. King’s visions – we are proud to remember Dr. King’s life, sacrifices and accomplishments.”
14 Comments
Some folks look for a reason to rise up in indignation – but not over truly vile things, like Congressional dining remaining open during the “shut down” while chaining closed galleys and mess halls of those in uniform…
People need to get a life and get a job so you don’t spend 24/7 “twitter-freaking”..
LOL people gonna get there panties in abunch for something that was not even intended. Translation its a 3 Day weekend be careful out there dont get into trouble always have somebody watching your six………….that was it. Regretfully throwing in the MLK thing did not help at all……lol.
We’ve become a nation of panty waist whiners. The PC police will try to read something into everything that is said, “It don’t mean nothing”.
I’ll have to agree with Juan Morales on this one. But Lord, I see a column of dust on the road ahead.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Maybe it was done purposely but the odds are the person who made the post wasn’t alive when MLK was killed. It WAS nearly 44 years ago.
I wish people would stop over reading or reading into comments just because they are thin skinned.
It was unintended, move on, don’t get a dui… that is all.
Always looking for something to whine about, when in fact, this was clearly a reminder to watch each other’s back…it’s a 3 day weekend, due to MLK’s bday, and (at least me) don’t go drinking alone/driving when drunk type of message. That’s what I got out of it. NOTHING to do with assasinations…crazy. I guess it’s a good thing the world is perfect and we can then focus on stupid things like this :/
I think that is really stupid digging into a mail that was directed to respectable and responsible people. Sometimes it happens because some people has bad faith or is messing around.
Want to know why the majority of you are in the ranks of the ordinary, and not “SOF”….because you don’t understand the importance of nuance.
The words are probably not a big deal. Same-same, the picture. But put them together with the context of the specific holiday and you have a dopey, unforced error.
MARSOC should know better. Period.
Anyone who wants to associate this with a 45 year old shooting is nothing more than an infantile twit.
Some people’s panties seem to get bunched up entirely too easily!
MARSOC steps on their crank once again. Despicable. How anyone in the chain of command could not see how people would put “Lone Shooter” and “MLK Day” together and see how people might take offense or put those two together is incomprehensible. That whole CoC needs to get their peepee whacked for it.