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Double standard
When Gene. C. McKinney was under investigation for purported sexual misconduct, there did not seem to be any lack of public comment from various Army officials. Mr. McKinney, the Army’s former top enlisted solider, was eventually acquitted of all of sexual harassment charges but was convicted at court-martial of obstructing justice.
The Army’s willingness to talk back in 1996 has some personnel wondering if the service maintains a public relations double-standard. When an enlisted man is involved, there are press statements. When two generals are involved, say Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy and the man she has accused of sexual harassment, Maj. Gen. Larry G. Smith, the Army PR shop becomes a cone of silence.
Just read this memo from Maj. Gen. John G. Meyer Jr., the Army’s top spinmeister.
“The press operating on rumors, has begun to speculate openly about the names of general officers without concern for the damage that rumor-mongering can cause to innocent reputation, families and unit morale,” he stated.
Aside from “some irresponsible reporters” spreading “hurtful rumors,” Gen. Meyer said some generals too are “speculating and making inappropriate comments.”
“Additionally, the inaccuracies and speculation in most stories are alarming; but, because the Army normally does not comment on the existence or non-existence of an inspector general investigation, we can expect this trend to continue,” he said in a memo written before The Washington Times had identified the accused general.
Asked about the memo, Gen. Meyer said: “I know a reporter needs to completely search out a story, but in this particular case, this was the most egregious witch hunt that I have experienced in over three years as chief of Army public affairs.” The two-star general said he “personally confronted” the journalists in question, whom he did not name.
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