Sen. Tommy Tuberville believes the U.S. military is too “woke” — especially the Navy, where he was outraged to learn that sometimes poetry is being read over the loudspeakers on aircraft carriers. Exasperated by the notion that rhyming verse might penetrate and weaken the pugilistic hearts of American sailors, Tuberville says “it’s insane where this is going.”
Ripping into Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the Naval War College, Tuberville, who did not serve in the military, says the Secretary “needs to get to building ships, needs to get to recruiting, and he needs to get wokeness out of our navy.”
Tuberville has expressed disdain for the Pentagon’s diversity efforts and abortion policy — over which he has been holding up critical military appointments and promotions — but he has only begun to disparage the infiltration of the arts into the hearts of enlisted personnel.
One U.S. Congressman who has served, Air Force Colonel and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), offered Tuberville a lesson on the daily life of soldiers, sailors and flyers.
Sen Tuberville never served, so he may not understand there is downtime in the military. Some personnel may watch movies, some play cards, some write poems. That’s normal.
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) September 7, 2023
I also note the famous In Flanders Field poem was written by a Canadian military officer. https://t.co/d8J6fRyVWC
“There is downtime in the military. Some personnel may watch movies, some play cards, some write poems. That’s normal,” Lieu helpfully explained to Tuberville after seeing his complaint.
Lieu also offers Tuberville, the former college football coach, a quick poetry lesson, saying that the famous military poem “In Flanders Field” was penned by a soldier. The short poem contains the great exhortation encouraging those who follow the dead to carry on the fight:
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
Tuberville has been blocking Pentagon appointments and military promotions specifically with the aim of effecting a change in Pentagon abortion policy, which currently provides help with travel expenses and paid leave for service members seeking abortions in states where the procedure remains legal.
Tuberville has not said what he will do from his legislative seat to combat the reading aloud of poetry at sea.
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