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(1/10) THREAD: It would be shameful for Trump to veto the defense bill over the issue Confederate figures who fought against the United States in defense of slavery. The effort to remove these commemorations is bipartisan and supported by credible national security voices. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1278176059876401152
(2/10) Republicans and Democrats in both the House and the Senate support renaming. The Warren provision was approved by the GOP-led Senate Armed Services Committee with bipartisan support. There are also bipartisan efforts in the House to pass similar legislation.
(3/10) A multitude of retired military leaders and former national security officials have expressed support for renaming Confederate-named bases. These voices include Robert Gates, David Petraeus, and Michael Hayden.
(4/10) And there's good reason why so many people support renaming. It's morally contemptible to celebrate these figures and their legacy. Again, the Confederacy took up arms against the United States with the goal of preserving slavery.
(5/10) And there are pragmatic implications for the military. Continuing to commemorate Confederate figures could undermine efforts to recruit/retain young and diverse Americans. It also could damage the credibility of efforts to rid the military's ranks of white supremacism.
(6/10) It's important that Congress pass legislation requiring the renaming of military assets currently named after Confederate figures, and Trump must not veto. The current moment for racial justice provides a crucial opportunity to address the issue.
(7/10) And any proposal that falls short of this goal by not actually requiring change—e.g., the Hawley amendment or the Cotton/Tillis amendment—should be avoided.
(8/10) For more on this issue, see this @just_security piece by Cole Blum, @BishopGarrison, me, and @b_ulbricht: https://www.justsecurity.org/71125/decoy-amendment-jeopardizes-the-moment-for-renaming-confederate-dubbed-bases/
(9/10) And this @humanrights1st factsheet: https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/resource/national-security-figures-oppose-commemorating-confederacy-military-facilities
(10/10) And this piece by @BishopGarrison and me on some of the alternative names—the types of heroic and diverse people that the military should be celebrating—for the ten Army bases currently named after Confederate figures: https://www.justsecurity.org/70714/at-confederate-named-army-bases-highlight-us-ideals-by-renaming-them-for-honorable-figures/
