Nearly two decades ago, Judge Judy Sheindlin wrote a book entitled “Don’t Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It’s Raining”. That was the first thing that came to mind when I first saw the “apologia” regarding the black, female West Point cadets’ clenched fist photo. That, and the quote attributed to Groucho Marx: “Who ya gonna believe, me or your lyin’ eyes?” More and more often, we are being told that we must not believe what we see or know or else we are racists, homophobics or whatever.

The female cadets have been defending themselves on social media like Yik Yak since the photo first went viral. Below, behold the photo in question.

According to the UK Guardian, the female cadets are being investigated ahead of the May 21, 2016 graduation for possible violations. What violations? Why would the female cadets be investigated for raising a clenched fist in a photo?

The Army Times interviewed Greg Greiner, a partner with Tully Rickney law firm and military law expert. According to Mr. Greiner:

The women may have run run afoul of West Point’s Honor Code, or Department of Defense Directive 1344.10, Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces, said Greg Greiner, a military law expert and partner at the Tully Rinckey law firm.

Even if the intent was not to make a political statement — for example, if “group think” set in or the cadets were just “messing around” — they could still be in trouble, Greiner explained.

“My experience with military justice and the way discipline is handled, is that intent doesn’t always matter 100 percent,” he said. “Sometimes the actions themselves are enough to bring discredit.”

Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, cadets could face charges of conduct unbecoming an officer, Greiner said. It depends on how much leadership felt “good order and discipline” had been violated, if at all.

“Leaders have a duty to say to themselves, do we want to create a problem for these young female officers that they’re going to have for the rest of their careers?” he said.

And, here is the New York Daily News video take on the photo:

The poor little dears. They are girls. They can’t be expected to have like judgement or think two steps ahead or anything.

Brenda Fulton, a 1980 West Point grad interviewed for the Army Times story goes for the exacta in the Diversity Derby and lists racism and sexism.

But would Fulton, a former Army captain and long-time diversity advocate for the military, have tweeted the raised-fist photo?

“I would not have re-tweeted the raised-fist photo because I am well aware that our culture views a black fist very differently from a white fist,” she said. “I knew it was their expression of pride and unity, but I am old enough to know that it would be interpreted negatively by many white observers. Unfortunately, in their youth and exuberance, it appears they didn’t stop to think that it might have any political context, or any meaning other than their own feeling of triumph.”

So, we are racists. No, ma’am. I disagree. I would have found a bunch of white female cadets with a clenched fist offensive.

But, they are just girls, according to Miss Fulton:

Fulton knows some of the women personally.

“When I spent time with these cadets and heard them tell their stories and laugh and joke with each other, there’s no doubt in my mind how much they love West Point, they love the Army and they support each other.”

Because the United States Military Academy at West Point is just like a four year sleep over.

That the taxpayers are paying for….

Brenda Fulton, because she can, goes for the Diversity Derby trifecta. It’s the American public’s fault.

She does not criticize academy officials for launching an inquiry.

“West Point is America’s college. If there is a public uproar, however ill-motivated, the leaders feel their responsibility to the public is to get all the facts,” she said.

Public uproar. Ill-motivated. You evil taxpayers. Grr. How dare you questions black female cadets’ intentions.

Mary Tobin, a 2003 West Point graduate completes the circle. Interviewed for the Guardian article about the investigation, she claims the little dears had no idea that anything was going on in the outside world.

Tobin said she had spoken to the cadets. Immersed in the insulated and demanding environment of West Point, she said, they did not anticipate how their gesture would be interpreted and the attention it would draw.

Wait. What? These sixteen female cadets managed to go through four years without reading a newspaper or Google or Buzzfeed. How do you go through a prestigious Service Academy without one discussion of current events. These potential future leaders had no idea of the Black Lives Matters movement. These future second lieutenants don’t know the historical context of the clenched fist. The Assyrian connection. The Communist connection. The Black Panthers connection.

Did they learn anything in four years? I want my money back. I paid for their education and they didn’t get one.

And, as for racism, Miss Fulton. If I were a racist, wouldn’t I find the original photo that you tweeted out more threatening? Black female cadets with swords!

I think the above photo is Fierce! I love this photo. It has so much pride and personality.

But, no, in order to fulfill the agenda being pushed on us, you and I must be told that it is our eyes that are deceiving us. The warm liquid running down our legs is rain.