Carmichael says controversial photo a “teachable moment”

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Senate President Mitch Carmichael said Monday on MetroNews “Talkline” everyone involved in the Nazi salute photo from the state Division of Corrections should be dismissed from their positions.

Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson

“In my opinion, yes. It’s an executive branch decision but it’s a moment to reemphasize that we care about human suffering and we will not forget the suffering that occurred in this moment,” Carmichael said.

State Secretary of Military Affairs and Public Safety Jeff Sandy said last Friday the investigation into the class photo, taken the week before Thanksgiving, was nearly complete with further information likely to be released by Christmas.

“People are so offended by this and they should be,” Carmichael said Monday. “When we mock those type of events in the history of the world then we’re forgetting the real tragedy occurring around those events. We cannot turn a blind eye when someone mocks that kind of behavior and things that happened.”

Carmichael said the governor’s office should do a thorough investigation to make sure no one in the photo was forced to make the salute but pending any new information everyone should be fired.

Training class photo

Sandy said two instructors and one student have already been fired while more than 30 others have been suspended and face dismissal. Sandy said dozens of investigators conducted 50 interviews over a matter of days.

Carmichael said there’s a side of him that wants to believe that those who took part in the photo did not understand the suffering and the human carnage that the sign represents. He said it’s an opportunity to dismiss all forms of discrimination.

“We should never condone and see this human suffering and characterize it as funny or a joke. This is a good moment to say to everyone, ‘No. None of this,'” Carmichael said.





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