Earlier today the Twitter account End Wokeness made a big splash by posting an internal memorandum that he'd gotten his hands on purportedly from the Department of Veterans Affairs. In the memo, RimaAnn O. Nelson, Assistant Undersecretary for Health for Operations, appeared to be telling directors of VA hospitals that an iconic American photograph was no longer permitted to be hung in Veterans Affairs facilities:
EXCLUSIVE:
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) March 5, 2024
The Department Of Veterans Affairs just BANNED the V-J Day kiss photo from all department facilities.
"To promote a culture of inclusivity and awareness… your cooperation is vital." pic.twitter.com/MZfNHbpV76
Do you recognize the photo? Of course, you do! The photograph was taken in New York City's Times Square on 'V-J Day' by Alfred Eisenstaedt in 1945 and has long symbolized the euphoria that was felt by service men and women as well as American civilians at the news that after years of bloody war America and the Allies had finally achieved victory over the Axis powers. Why were they coming after the photograph? Because it depicts a 'non-consensual sex act' and is therefore triggering to victims of sexual assault or something.
Come on!
Reactions to the memo were not great, to put it mildly.
The only thing the VA hates more than Veterans is the US itself.
— 🖤Lincoln's 👻🖤 (@TheGhostofLinc1) March 5, 2024
This photo by famed LIFE magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt is ICONIC. Removing it from VA buildings is an affront to the men and women who won World War Two. pic.twitter.com/Fo7eSidFcI
— Brick Suit (@Brick_Suit) March 5, 2024
I hate this administration. So much.
— Burt Macklin (@BurtMaclin_FBI) March 5, 2024
Complaints about this photograph aren't actually new, it's been a particular bugaboo of the left off and on for a long time now, despite neither person in the photo seeming to have minded the interaction... to the point that they were happy to get together and talk about it with CBS in 2012:
Nobody in that photo was traumatized. https://t.co/Uj38DRcK5a
— Michelle Barrett (@muchtoocommon) March 5, 2024
So yes, pushback was quick and fierce, and it seems to have forced the Department of Veterans Affairs into full-on retreat... to the point that Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, was forced to step in personally to assure people that removing the photo is not VA policy.
Let me be clear: This image is not banned from VA facilities - and we will keep it in VA facilities. pic.twitter.com/dYSikLxHAJ
— Secretary Denis McDonough (@SecVetAffairs) March 5, 2024
Now of course this begs the question of if this was a rogue undersecretary who thought she could get away with censoring a classic piece of American history from the walls of VA facilities unnoticed, or if this was something that was approved by the administration but has now been hastily walked back. There's really only one way this can go if this was a rogue employee, right?
Did you approve RimaAnn O. Nelson's memo?
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) March 5, 2024
Is she fired?pic.twitter.com/8cXHm3kjrB
Seems like any of the rest of us would get canned if we got our boss and employer in this much hot water, but as we all know things always seem to work differently in government jobs.
Tell that to RimaAnn Nelson.
— Eric Phillips (@EricPhillipsX) March 5, 2024
Now you need to fire RimaAnn O.Nelson for exceeding her authority, and causing this dust up.
— Winter-Wü1f (@Wu1f_603) March 5, 2024
What does this have to do with "Health Operations", anyway?
Your under secretary categorized this image as an instance of sexual assault
— Prodigy Futures (@PradageeX) March 5, 2024
Weird to keep it up if that's how the department truly feels, right?
So you'll be releasing a memo formally reversing the one from your subordinate last week that requires the image be removed? https://t.co/TBoKtuYHpN
— Nick Hlavacek (@NickInNC) March 5, 2024
Clean up on Aisle VA
— Chris Averill 🇺🇸 (@ChrisAverillMT) March 5, 2024
Glad the adults are back in charge. Does the left hand ever know what the radical left hand is up to in this Administration? https://t.co/uv0lmbvEXX
uh oh. the assistant undersecretary sent out a signed memo for it to be removed. either McDonough didn't know or he's covering his butt for approving a very unpopular decision. https://t.co/oJAuOxfM7U
— Dani the Georgia Girl (@NewYearsDani) March 5, 2024
Neither option is good optics.
There is of course always the possibility that the original memo was a fake, but given the popularity and reach of End Wokeness it would be amazing if they didn't verify that this was a genuine memo... but it's always possible. Secretary McDonough hasn't, as of this time, said anything about the veracity of the original memo or if any steps will be taken assuming that it's real, given the very public faceplant that it caused for the VA. We'll keep an eye on the story and let you know if anything changes.
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