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Army Gen. Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says he was wrong to have accompanied President Trump on his controversial walk to St. John’s Church last week, ahead of which Lafayette Square was forcefully cleared of peaceful protesters. Milley’s apology was especially poignant for having come during a graduation address to the National Defense University, with senior military and government leaders present. Good for Gen. Milley for modeling true leadership. Real leaders aren’t perfect, but they admit their errors, apologize unequivocally, and course correct. —Mindy Finn
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1. Milley regrets walk of shame
Army Gen. Mark Milley, the nation's top military officer, said today he was wrong to accompany President Trump on a walk through Lafayette Square that ended in a photo op at a church last week. He said his presence in uniform amid protests over racial injustice "created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics." In remarks to a National Defense University commencement ceremony, he said, "As a commissioned uniformed officer, it was a mistake that I have learned from, and I sincerely hope we all can learn from it." Unfortunately, not everyone is on board with learning during this time of social growth... —Associated Press
- — POTUS won't budge. In a series of tweets yesterday, Trump said his administration will "not even consider" the renaming of Army bases honoring Confederate soldiers, who took up arms against the U.S. during the Civil War. Army Sec. Ryan McCarthy had said on Monday that he is open to the idea. Meanwhile, the rest of the country is taking action of its own... —Defense One
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- — Jefferson Davis falls again. In Richmond, Va., yesterday, protesters pulled down a century-old statue of the Confederate president, which had been installed by a Confederate heritage group in 1907 during the Jim Crow era. The protesters tied ropes around its legs and toppled it from its stone pedestal as a crowd cheered and the statue was towed away. —AP
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- — NASCAR bans the rebel flag. The auto racing association yesterday banned the display of the Confederate flag at all of its events and properties, and removed its rule mandating that racing team members stand for the national anthem. Bubba Wallace, the only full-time black driver on the NASCAR circuit, said, "No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. So it starts with Confederate flags. Get them out of here. They have no place for them." —CNBC
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- — Amazon cuts off cops. Amazon is implementing a one-year moratorium on police use of its artificial intelligence software Rekognition. Amazon has been criticized recently for hypocrisy, as the company made a statement supporting the Black Lives Matter movement but sells its facial recognition software to police forces. —The Guardian
More: Louisville police release the Breonna Taylor incident report. It's nearly blank (USA Today)
9. Green: Let's cultivate democracy at home
"We should meet the challenges of our times here at home, as we have encouraged those around the world to do. Demand our rights, take action, hold leaders accountable, speak up and speak out, and vote. These are some of the critical values that form the foundation of all democracies and are often missing from those that merely claim to support it. The freedoms democracy enables separate free people from those living under oppressive regimes that do not cherish the values of democracy and seek to squash protest, silence opposing views, hide failure, and cherish control over freedom.
Democracy continues to be the best hope for mankind. Imperfect though it may be, it's our quest for its perfection, shining a light on the unjust and ugly, when it is often at its best. It is only through this process that we create a more perfect union with a government of the people, by the people, for the people. Around the world, people continue to believe in this promise. We should not lose sight of it here at home as we struggle to meet the challenges of today." —The Hill
Ed. Note: Former Ambassador Mark Green serves as executive director of the McCain Institute for International Leadership. A former four-term congressman, he previously served as administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, president of the International Republican Institute, and U.S. ambassador to Tanzania.
More: Levinson: America's unrest in international context: Taking democracy for granted no more (The Hill)
10. An American Story: Reunited and it feels so good
It had been nearly three months since Marcie Abramson could visit her 89-year-old mother, Cynthia, at the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Boston due to the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic limited all visits to nursing homes since mid-March in order to protect those most vulnerable to the virus, but yesterday, in-person visits resumed with plenty of tears and laughter.
- — "Oh, Ma! I love you so much! I really, really missed you," Marcie gushed, choking back tears. "The day finally came. The day is here. I get to visit you."
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- — Nationally, more than 35,500 people have died from coronavirus outbreaks at nursing homes and long-term care facilities, about a third of the national toll.
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- — Under strict Massachusetts guidelines, visits must be scheduled ahead and take place in outdoor areas; visitors must have their temperature taken and be screened for symptoms; and of course, everyone must wear a mask. For Marcie, Cynthia, and thousands of other families, it's well worth it. —Associated Press
Ed. Note: We are spotlighting ways that Americans are helping each other through the coronavirus crisis and recent unrest. Would you like to suggest an "American Story" from your local news? If so, please forward a link to the story to [email protected]. Thank you!
Thanks for featuring Philonise Floyd at the top of the newsletter on Wednesday. Just about 16 days after his brother George was killed by police, Philonise appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to testify about policing practices and racial profiling. Just the day before, he was attending his brother's funeral services. I admire Philonise's courage and the entire Floyd family's strength and drive to make a difference during this time. George's murder, one of many that have been committed by police against unarmed black people, calls for law enforcement accountability and reform. This being said, I hope the Floyd family is taking time to grieve their loss and are remaining safe during this difficult time. —Lauren A., New Jersey
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