Racial slurs were posted outside of dorm rooms and on message boards, at an Air Force prep school in the fall 2017. After these slurs were reported the Superintendent of the school, Lt. Gen. Silveria wasted no time in addressing the students, faulty, and the nation. In this notable speech he made sure all faulty were seen on stage with him to show a united front and even had cadets take out their phone to record his address as a reference. Lt. Gen Silveria then began to explain the beliefs and values of the Air Force, and the importance of diversity. He did not only address the current slurring incident; he also spoke about the NFL and Charlottesville protest and the current state of the country.
Lt. Gen. Silveria made it clear that this type of behavior was unacceptable in the Air Force. In a part of Lt. Gen Silveria speech he stated, “If you cannot respect someone of a different sex, race, or ethnicity get out!” These strong words were said to eliminate any form of Administrative Evil. Which happens when peer pressure and negative organization norms lead individuals into a state of low moral (Guy and Ely 2018 p.443). This can easily happen and soon cause wide spread disrespect and intolerance of others. Lt. Gen. Silveria speech was clear, stern, and direct; highlighting several public service core values and code of ethics.
“Treat everyone as you would like to be treated” is common statement to hear but not always practiced. As a public service employee this is not a choice but an duty. And as The United States Airman they stands by three core values“integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do” (U.S Air Force). All three are highly important but during the speech Lt.Gen Silveria seemed to emphasize integrity, which means to be honest and have morals; and service before self which mean to respect and think of others before yourself. These same values are also promoted in The American Society for Public Administration who established eight code of ethics principles.
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The codes were created to make sure all public servants represented and embraced the same appropriate behaviors.The three displayed by the Lt. Gen. Silveria where to Uphold the Constitution and Law “understanding the constitution, promoting equality, fairness, promoting the public good and eliminating laws and policies that are unethical” (ASPA 2013). Lt. Gen. Silveria addressed the power of diversity and how it makes the U.S. Air Force stronger. This is to say everyone has a right to be here and our differences collectively makes us better. Second, Strengthen Social Equity “Oppose all forms of discrimination and harassment and promote affirmative action, cultural competence, and other efforts to reduce disparities in outcomes and increase the inclusion of underrepresented groups” (ASPA 2013).
A great example of these, was in the beginning of Lt. Gen. Silveria speech he said that this type of offensive behavior is not acceptable in the United States Air Force. That made it clear to all cadets that he expected respect and equity for all. Lastly, Promote Ethical Organization “Work to establish procedures that hold individuals and the organization accountable for their conduct and support these procedures with clear reporting of activities and accomplishments. Seek to correct instances of wrongdoing or report them to superiors” (ASPA 2013).
For instance, when the news of this act was received by the superintendent he did not hesitate to address the school and start an investigation to hold the guilty party accountable. He also begun brainstorming to come up with better ideas to make sure this would not happen again. Professor Thompson stated, that it is harder to create morals and values for an organization then for personal uses. Because they must respect and uphold policies for all citizens. He went on to speak of neutrality, this is when a employee must adhere to all moral standards and principles of the organization. (Thompson 1985). This correlates to the Air Force values Lt. Gen. Silveria spoke of. Once you become an airman you have to uphold the values of one and anything less will not be tolerated.
Once the investigation was over the discovery was made that the individual who wrote the slurs was actual one of the same cadets claiming to be a victim. Lt. Gen Silveria stated “Regardless of the circumstances under which those words were written, they were written, and that deserved to be addressed,” Silveria also said. “You can never over-emphasize the need for a culture of dignity and respect and those who don’t understand those concepts aren’t welcome here”(Air Force Times 2017). This last statement need to be made just as much as his first speech. Showing that no matter the circumstance, that type of behavior is not and will never be acceptable. This is a true testament to the beliefs, principles and values of Lt. Gen. Silveria and the core of the Air Force.
References
- American Society for Public Administration 2013 Retrieved from https://www.aspanet.org/ASPA/Code-of-Ethics
- Guy, Mary E., and Todd L. Ely. Essentials of Public Service: An Introduction to Contemporary Public Administration. Melvin and Leigh, 2018
- Thompson, Dennis. (1985). The Possibility of Administrative Ethics. Public Administration Review, 45(5), 555-561. doi:10.2307/3109930
- Losey, Stephen Air Force Times 2017 Retrieved from https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2017/11/08/air-force-academy-cadet-wrote-racial-slur-outside-his-own-dorm-room
- U.S. Air Force- Vision Retrieved from https://www.airforce.com/mission/vision
