Slog Poll: Was Bin Laden's Code Name Racist?

Comments

I can't believe I didn't see this coming. I can maybe, if I stretch my imagination, see how this could be mildly irritating, if I were to imagine his codename being of a prominent member of a group I belong to. However by complaining all you're achieving is making yourself look like an oversensitive ninny.

Until I find proof otherwise I will assume that most actual Native Americans have rolled their eyes at this and grumbled "Thanks, that really helps".

Lynx on May 4, 2011 at 10:37 AM

Can't the poll have a third option of "not exactly racist, but certainly insensitive and should have been reconsidered"?

leek on May 4, 2011 at 10:42 AM

Don't military guys just use "Geronimo" as a code name or call sign all the time? It's a distinctive word, unlikely to be misheard or confused for another. I doubt anybody that used "Geronimo" in this context gave a second thought to the actual Native American named "Geronimo". And even "Geronimo" was a nickname given to the guy by Mexicans.

BostonFontSnob on May 4, 2011 at 10:44 AM

What @3 said. The use of this as a code name was to make it appear pretty boring.

Will in Seattle on May 4, 2011 at 10:47 AM

As an actual native american, it does offend me. What offends me more is trying to arbitrate racism and force me and other native americans to judge the offense of others. The reason it is still an issue is the tendency to deflect the argument into questioning whether or not someone is being too sensitive rather than just dropping things that are obviously problematic.

That being said, this post is shitty. Let's dredge up every racist sentiment and dogpile on those overly sensitive native americans. We get up in arms at accusations that gays are too sensitive and folks dump on anti-gay comments, but heaven forbid you get offended by your country blowing your enemies up with Apache helicopters and screaming "Geronimo" when your most wanted is killed.

Baconcat on May 4, 2011 at 10:47 AM

Of all the things to bitch about...

Dave M on May 4, 2011 at 10:48 AM

I thought it was kind of an odd choice, but I don't see it as racist at all.

Amnt on May 4, 2011 at 10:50 AM

Hey, the first two names were even worse:

Operation Goat Fucker
Operation Sand Nigga

on May 4, 2011 at 10:50 AM

Stop with the racist stuff, this term has been used forever for many, many situations and not everyone who uses it knows where it came from.

despicable me on May 4, 2011 at 10:51 AM

Probably appropriate given this eyewitness vid of preparations for the invasion taken by a social networker:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVwFADi4Y…

Supreme Ruler Of The Universe on May 4, 2011 at 10:51 AM

I would have preferred Operation Towelhead.

Or, Operation Montezuma.

TheMisanthrope on May 4, 2011 at 10:54 AM

Why do Native Americans hate America?

Oh yeah...

jonesey on May 4, 2011 at 10:55 AM

The word "geronima" was not applied to Bin Laden, but rather to the status of the operation when successfully carried out.

on May 4, 2011 at 10:55 AM

They should'a coded him MLK.

STJA on May 4, 2011 at 10:59 AM

I thought this was racist as soon as I read it.

Imagine, for instance, they code-named him "martin luther king".

ams_ on May 4, 2011 at 10:59 AM

There is another way to see this. The military has a long memory for people who have kicked their ass and often, after the conflict, a grudging respect for the enemy. I doubt any special forces anywhere have ever screamed "Custer" going into battle. But they do study what Sitting Bull did to him at the Little Big Horn. Could be in bad taste, but I don't think using the name Geronimo was racist--if anything, the military still remembers Geronimo for beating them.

Westside forever on May 4, 2011 at 11:02 AM

Synergy!

rob! on May 4, 2011 at 11:02 AM

Obviously, yes, it's a well-known nickname of a well-known Native American, but the official motto of the 501st Infantry Regiment is, in fact, "Geronimo." They did not randomly choose the name while thinking of the man Goyahkla. They wanted something extremely innocuous and generic, and within the military "Geronimo" is it.

Zuulabelle on May 4, 2011 at 11:08 AM

When I read of the code name yesterday I thought that it was insensitive at best. Geronimo, like Bin Laden, was a high level target and was hunted by the US Cavalry for years, but the circumstances hardly warrant linking the two men in this way. The struggle of First Nation peoples to retain some form of autonomy in their ancestral lands should not be equated to the current war on terror. The act of shouting "Geronimo" as a battle cry or when jumping out of airplanes began as a taunt to native peoples who tried to continue resistance after the capture of the famous Apache chief.

thatsnotright on May 4, 2011 at 11:08 AM

@13 I'm unsure whether you're right or not. The original articles I read made me think that the mission was called "Operation Geronimo" but the target was not. More recent articles make me think it was both.

Canadian Nurse on May 4, 2011 at 11:11 AM

I, for one, demand that only the most sensitive and well thought out secret code names be for military incursions into foreign countries with the aim of killing people. I have prepared a list of acceptable code names:

Operation The

also on May 4, 2011 at 11:14 AM

No, really. This post is shitty and keeps getting shittier.

Baconcat on May 4, 2011 at 11:25 AM

Wasn't Geronimo viewed as essentially a terrorist by the U.S. Government at the time, off and on for 30 years?

He was both a native-american leader and a hated, feared, elusive enemy of the U.S. Government. Just because we now view our Western-expansion/genocide with slightly more nuance doesn't change that we were effectively at war with Native-Americans and that Geronimo was the leader of some of the last holdouts. He obviously, in retrospect, had way more moral authority than Bin Laden, as he was fighting to protect his people and way of life, wasn't targeting civilians, etc., but the analogy still feels pretty apt.

I'm sure I'll be told how wrong I am about all of this, but I just don't see how reminding people that Geronimo fought against the U.S. government is anything but a black-eye on the Government of the time and a reminder of how terribly our country can behave.

dirge on May 4, 2011 at 11:25 AM

I wouldn't call it "racist" but I would call it a poor, possibly insensitive, choice.

tacomagirl on May 4, 2011 at 11:28 AM

If you're going to be insensitive, don't be half-assed; go for operation " Half N*gger vs. Sand N*gger."

Banna on May 4, 2011 at 11:32 AM

What up!

on May 4, 2011 at 11:35 AM

@21

FTW!

Confluence on May 4, 2011 at 11:58 AM

Huh, this whole account conflicts with other reports I've read.

Namely, that Geronimo was the code word to use if Osama Bin Laden had been shot.

His codename prior being Jackpot.

Then again, it's also a code name for an incredibly secret mission. So, ideally, you, you know, pick coded words the more generic probably the better, and not obvious code words like Big Meanie Dialysis Guy.

Garrett on May 4, 2011 at 12:01 PM

"Operation Mother Teresa" is a go!

UNPAID COMMENTER on May 4, 2011 at 12:08 PM

Oh my god, a black man was involved, so it must be racist somehow. How many more of these stupid polls are we going to see?

suddenlyorcas on May 4, 2011 at 12:22 PM

As an actual overlord, I'm still offended by the codename for the D-Day Invasion of Normandy.

hominidX on May 4, 2011 at 12:46 PM

why not codename rudy giuliani?

new poll: are stranger readers racist?

56% are

notaboomer on May 4, 2011 at 12:50 PM

The problem with calling out Geronimo when jumping out of a plane is that it is still attached to the idea of danger. it is not benign. Jumping out of a plane still holds a connotation of big risk, dangerous and I am going to do this whether I die or not. all associated with the terrorist behavior.

Why not call out Daniel Boone? Just try it and see what happens.

Racism is sneaky and insidious and most of it is very invisible to us all. including people of color.

Check yourself before you reck yourself

Sneco on May 4, 2011 at 1:21 PM

If anyone would have understood and approved the idea of hunting down and killing an enemy, it'd have been Geronimo.

Geni on May 4, 2011 at 1:27 PM

The very fact that so few people even link the name "Geronimo" to an actual person who looms large in the uncomplimentary history of our country is amazing. It's like we can't be bothered to even know Native people still exist.

TVDinner on May 4, 2011 at 1:27 PM

Oh my god, please don't start calling them "first nation" people south of the border. Leave that shit to canadia. jesus fucking christ. you people and this pc bullshit know no bounds. for that matter, "native americans" is bullshit too. they're navajos, or powhatan, or hatteras, or utina, or samish, or any of several hundred other tribes. they weren't a nation, they weren't americans, and whatever bizarre sensitivities are ruffled is merely posturing and a gigantic waste of time.

on May 4, 2011 at 1:28 PM

To me, "Geronimo" means to like, drop something, or jump off of something, or kinda like "here it goes!"

Geronimoooooo!!

Am I the only one?

six five on May 4, 2011 at 1:52 PM

OK, sure, it's a little insensitive but for fucks sake this is the dumbest thing to get worked up about. At the risk of sounding like a Republican... Do we need to have a crack sensitivity squad standing next to the crack attack squad to make sure they don't use any insensitive terms when naming plans? Do we want soldiers worrying about whether they're offending native americans or whatever other group when they pick a word? They just pick a cool sounding word and use it.

We used Odyssey Dawn to name the Libyan attack and most people don't even know what the Odyssey refers to. It's just a cool word and bears no connection to Greeks or Trojans.

We used Iraqi Freedom for the Iraq war and that clearly had about as much to do with freedom as Bin Laden has to do with Geronimo.

That said, historically, Geronimo is a pretty apt nickname for Bin Laden. The guy used terrorist tactics to fight the US government. We tried to track him down for years and couldn't find him. All around, not a bad nickname. Offensive? Yeah, probably. But fuck people, rinse the sand out of your vagina and grow a pair. There's no guaranteed right to never be offended written in the constitution and theres certainly no rule to say the military has to worry about offending every possible minority group any time they name a fucking mission.

Root on May 4, 2011 at 1:55 PM

Visiting tribal graves at Fort Sill, my grandma and kaku pointed out Geronimo's grave. He was indeed a real person and his name still has meaning to some of us.

Jesus, Slog.

Baconcat on May 4, 2011 at 1:56 PM

Most people in this country don't know about the purely racist policies the United States enacted (and continue to enforce) toward Native American people. Two good books to read to learn about this history in our country are; "Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation" by John Ehle and "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" by Dee Alexander Brown. Only by knowing this history can anyone asses whether using the term "Geronimo" has roots in a racist context.

LEARN YOUR HISTORY PEEPS BEFORE YOU JUDGE!

Once you do learn your history, do something to change the status quo! One place to start is by visiting a reservation and seeing the economic and social disparity that still exists first hand.

SeattleChris on May 4, 2011 at 2:01 PM

From accounts I've read, I'm convinced that Geronimo referred to the mission and some reporting has made the incorrect assumption that Geronimo referred to Bin Laden. If that is the case (and I'm not sure about this), then it just sounds like some generic-sounding mission term was picked to sound as boring and un-attention-warranting as possible, like naming it Operation Superman.

Christy O on May 4, 2011 at 2:01 PM

The only thing worse than being talked about, is not being talked about.

Cynic Romantic on May 4, 2011 at 2:20 PM

It's racist, and I thought so when I read this in a news story before I heard anyone else complaining about it.

Cascadian on May 4, 2011 at 2:33 PM

“Right now Native American children all over this country are facing the reality of having one of their most revered figures being connected to a terrorist and murderer of thousands of innocent Americans,” said Fort Sill Apache Tribal Chairman Jeff Houser in a letter.
Geronimo is a legend among Apaches and other Native American tribes for fiercely defending his land from the U.S. and Mexican armies.

onion on May 4, 2011 at 2:55 PM

"The act of shouting "Geronimo" as a battle cry or when jumping out of airplanes began as a taunt to native peoples who tried to continue resistance after the capture of the famous Apache chief. "

That doesn't make any sense. What Native Americans were resisting during WW2? Paratroopers post date what you are talking about.

Sheesh.

K X One on May 4, 2011 at 3:00 PM

I was so happy that we got Bin Laden, the much hated terrorist. However, when I heard his code name was "Geronimo" I was deeply offended. As a Native American, unfortunately this is just another kick in the teeth. We original people of the land here continue to be at the bottom of the totem pole. I really feel for the Native American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (we continually volunteer in greater numbers than any other ethnic group). I bet they don't shout, "Geronimo!" when jumping out of airplanes. Instead, they hope they shout, "Georgie!"

NativenSeattle on May 4, 2011 at 3:01 PM

@37: "Geronimo!" is something Calvin shouts while jumping out his bedroom window using a blanket as a parachute.

venomlash on May 4, 2011 at 3:27 PM

I'll let them know they can use my name next time.

Unregistered User on May 4, 2011 at 5:20 PM

@43 I didn't know you could be a hipster about racism

Unregistered User on May 4, 2011 at 5:22 PM

Wait, is it just "operation Geronimo"?

That's probably still offensive, but is it as offensive?

Can I get a plot?

Unregistered User on May 4, 2011 at 5:36 PM

wasn't "Geronimo" the code word for if they found him there? or was it if they actually killed/captured him?
it was definitely to specifically communicate that bin Laden was present somehow.
not cool.

onion on May 4, 2011 at 8:10 PM

@51 So Hierarchically:

Operation name: pretty bad

Code IF Osama present: Worse

Code name FOR Osama: really bad

Is there any way it would have been even less bad or more worse? This is why we should only use names from ancient cultures, or maybe extinct animals (but only ones we didn't kill of course). Non-living things maybe, like mineral names. But then what language do you use? Maybe numbers instead. Or if we could get robots to do this for us and to run everything. Yea... I think I'm on to something here...

Unregistered User on May 5, 2011 at 1:05 AM

Geronimo? Jesus, and here I thought they would keep making racist jabs at Arabs, but I guess they decided one belittled minority wasn't enough.

persimmon on May 5, 2011 at 6:59 AM

@ 45 "This exclamation is believed to date from August 1940, and is attributed to Private Aubrey Eberhardt, member of the US Army's parachute test platoon at Fort Benning, Georgia. The parachute had only recently been adopted and this platoon was the first to test it. On the eve of an unprecedented "mass jump", the platoon decided to calm their nerves by spending the day before taking in a film at the Main Post Theatre and a night at the local beer garden. The film they saw was a Western featuring the Native American chief Geronimo. Its title is uncertain, but it was probably the 1939 film Geronimo with Andy Devine and Lone Ranger star Chief Thundercloud in the title role.

On the way back to barracks, Eberhardt said he expected the jump would be no different from usual. The others taunted him saying that he would be too scared to remember his name. Eberhardt retorted, "All right, dammit! I tell you jokers what I'm gonna do! To prove to you that I'm not scared out of my wits when I jump, I'm gonna yell Geronimo loud as hell when I go out that door tomorrow!" Eberhardt kept his promise and the cry was gradually adopted by the other members of his platoon"

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Geronimo+(exclamati…)

NumberOne on May 5, 2011 at 7:57 AM

@31: That made me laugh hysterically.

Thing is: the way we see Bin Laden and Al Qaeda is pretty much exactly how Americans a century ago saw Geronimo and the Apaches. We were at "war" with them just like we are now with Al Qaeda, and Bin Laden felt exactly as justified as Geronimo did. Geronimo launched raids against the US and killed innocent Americans. I think it's an appropriate name. What's really offensive here is that people think of Geronimo as a hero.

How come someone who kills Americans is a "great hero" if they're Indian, but evil if they're Muslim?

BlackRose on May 7, 2011 at 9:09 PM

It was pretty clear why such an inappropriate codename was chosen: to reiterate the perverted views of those white Americans who feel that white people's supremacy needs to be illustrated - all the more potent symbolism with an African-American president in-charge. The message from the white boys CIA and American military establishment: Geronimo tried to undermine the establishment of the white dominated United States of America and was proving to be thorn in our side and so we dealt with him and obliterated native Americans brave resistance and now similarly OBL was a terrorist who needed to be obliterated - in killing OBL they could have chosen any codename but it is really disgusting that they chose Geronimo to try to draw a sickening parallel that in some twisted way the lowest common denominator was that Geronimo and OBL both were enemies of the united states of America!

I truly wish they would have chosen a name like Operation freedom fries or liberty or iron justice but instead these guys select the most ridiculous name!

on May 14, 2011 at 11:55 PM

Slog Poll: Was Bin Laden's Code Name Racist?

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