OPINION: The media disrespected Gen. Lloyd Austin and the Washington establishment is not come to his defense
GIVING GEN. LLOYD AUSTIN THE RESPECT THAT IS DUE (TSN): Many media outlets did not refer to Gen. Lloyd Austin's rank in their reports and updates regarding his health status. Several articles, which omit his title in the headline and sometimes in the body, are an example of a media microaggression, a subtle, often unintentional, form of prejudice that can be insulting. He is a retired 4-star Army General. That is the very top rank he could acquire. It is disrespectful and frankly poor etiquette to refer to a military officer by their name. "General" is his first name in the military. For a Black man from the South to have come up the ranks to lead the Pentagon is an enormous accomplishment that is not suitably recognized. This status should and must be acknowledged in headlines and body text of stories about him. Furthermore, the press has scrutinized every detail surrounding his hospitalization down to how his security officer requested transport. Their ...