Senators Challenge Coast Guard Over Hate Symbols Policy Shift
Two prominent US senators leading a bipartisan antisemitism task force have demanded comprehensive answers from the US Coast Guard regarding its approach to investigating displays of swastikas, nooses and other hate symbols within its ranks. The move comes after a controversial policy shift that initially sought to soften the language around such symbols.
Policy Reversal After Swift Backlash
Senator Jacky Rosen, a Democrat from Nevada, and Senator James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, expressed serious concerns about the Coast Guard's changing stance. The controversy erupted when it emerged that the military service had considered describing hate symbols merely as "potentially divisive" in a new policy draft.
The initial proposal marked a significant departure from established protocols that had previously identified symbols like swastikas and nooses as "widely identified with oppression or hatred" and classified their display as potential hate incidents.
Following Senator Rosen's public outcry on Thursday, Admiral Kevin Lunday, the acting commandant of the Coast Guard, issued a revised policy late that same evening. The new directive explicitly states that "divisive or hate symbols and flags are prohibited", specifically naming nooses, swastikas and any symbols adopted by hate-based groups.
Investigation Process Under Scrutiny
Despite welcoming the policy reversal as a "step in the right direction", the senators remain concerned about implementation details. In their Friday letter to Admiral Lunday, they questioned why his memo instructs supervisors to "inquire" rather than conduct full investigations into such incidents.
The senators emphasised that any examination of conduct involving imagery associated with genocide and racial subjugation must be "full and transparent" to protect civil rights and ensure victims feel safe reporting incidents.
They specifically requested clarification on why the inquiry process was deemed preferable to the investigative approach outlined in previous 2023 and 2019 policies. The earlier version of the controversial policy had suggested that commanders could merely remove such symbols from public view without banning them entirely, and exempted private spaces like family housing.
Senator Rosen had warned that relaxing policies against hate crimes "not only sends the wrong message to the men and women of our Coast Guard, but it puts their safety at risk".
The situation developed rapidly throughout Thursday, with Admiral Lunday reaching out to Senator Rosen for discussions before issuing the revised memo later that evening, according to sources familiar with the private conversation.
