Isadora Lilly- Coast Guard Member Caught Flashing White Power Sign on TV

On September 14, a little over a week ago, U.S. Coast Guard John Reed was being interviewed by MSNBC about Tropical Storm Florence, when a U.S. Coast Guard support staff member sitting at a table in the background gestured a sign otherwise known as a white power sign. Before the gesture the man had stared in the direction of the camera for a few seconds, then pressed his fingers against the side of his head, forming the 'OK' sign with his right hand.

On the same day, videos of the gesturing man began to circulate all over the internet, as thousands of Twitter users took to the social media platform to voice their disapproval, disgust, and shock. One user tweeted: "Well, that was about as subtle as a train wreck, on a boat." Another tweeted: "Did you all see this guy flash White Power on TV? OUR OWN COAST GUARD!!! This needs to be investigated and this man needs to be ousted/removed/discharged!"

Coast Guard Lt. J.B. Zorn has since reported that the incident is under investigation and that the man has been removed from the Florence response operations, saying, "Whatever that symbol means, it doesn't reflect the Coast Guard and our core values. It won't be tolerated."

Nevertheless, some still believe that the man was not truly communicating white supremacy, but that he was simply "trolling" or attempting to "trigger liberals" through the swift hand motion. While some think that this may be true, I do not think that the hand gesture was appropriate either way, as the present situation of a storm as powerful as Hurricane Florence is very serious, and is definitely due respect, especially from a team of U.S. Coast Guards who should be representing values of honor, respect, and devotion in America.