A tweet comparing a photograph of U.S. military service members sprawled out on cots in a crowded room to the conditions of migrant detention centers went viral Saturday, but drew harsh responses from veterans in response.
Mark Simone, a conservative radio host based out of New York, tweeted the photograph of the service members along with a caption questioning the lack of outrage from Democrats.
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“This is how our military sleeps. You won’t see any Democrats protesting over this,” Simone said.
This is how our military sleeps. You won’t see any Democrats protesting over this: pic.twitter.com/Qqw4h8WyRj
— MARK SIMONE (@MarkSimoneNY) July 13, 2019
Simone’s tweet was apparently prompted by a heated debate that has broken out in recent months over migrant detention centers. Democrats and immigration activists have complained that conditions at Border Patrol facilities on the southern border are inhumane.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has spearheaded criticism of the Trump administration’s treatment of migrants in U.S. detention centers. She has repeatedly compared the facilities to Nazi concentration camps and falsely alleged during a visit to a Texas Border Patrol station that agents were forcing migrants to drink out of the toilet.
Migrant detention centers vs. military sleeping conditions, a fair comparison?
Reaction to Simone’s comparison, including from many self-identified military veterans, was mixed.
Some pro-Trump commenters shared the meme.
https://twitter.com/ravena68/status/1150771913322614792
But other Twitter users were more critical.
Some observed that, in contrast to detained migrants, service members volunteer and are paid to live in harsh conditions.
I slept in worse while I served? How about you? So what? I always had a home to go back to. It was my choice, it was temporary, I was paid. #moron
— Davey Jones (@OdysseyGTR) July 15, 2019
“All of us in the military signed up voluntarily and get paid to do this,” said one user.
All of us in the military signed up voluntarily and get paid to do this. Also, most of the time this is NOT how we sleep.
This is either embarrassingly uninformed or blatantly disingenuous. Either way, you should be ashamed.
— NCO with a Disney Mug (@DisneyNCO) July 14, 2019
A number of commenters accused Simone of trying to politicize the military.
“I hereby award you the ‘Hide Behind Military Medal,'” quipped one commenter.
I hereby award you the “Hide Behind The Military Medal” for using troops as cover and obfuscation for your baseless argument. pic.twitter.com/WmpdtECewJ
— Brian Wilson (@bayouwilson) July 14, 2019
“You sure you wanna use the military as a prop shot?” asked one user.
Pretty obvious you didn’t serve, Mark. You sure you wanna use the military as a prop shot? They don’t seem to like it much.
— twyla do (@twylado) July 15, 2019
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