The other day USAA CEO Peacock issued a Memorial Day statement. The problem is, of course, that any statement speaking of reverence for the many who have given their lives in defense of America are hollow words when coming from the mouth of Wayne Peacock- evidently with support of the USAA Board: one cannot venerate the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have given their lives for the traditions and foundational values of America while at the same time standing behind people who actively disdain and detest those same values and traditions. USAA uses the integrity and courage of service members, veterans, and those who have sacrificed their bodies and lives as marketing tools, means to maximize profits, and in doing so dishonors them. It wasn’t always this way- until recently USAA sincerely stood behind America and those who defended it through the centuries, now USAA stands behind selfish and privileged people who deplore and divide America and Americans, yet are more than happy to exploit it for personal gain.
I truly hope in my lifetime- I’m a 38 or 39 year-old member- USAA redeems itself and again stands for honor, integrity...and for our country.
Frequent Contributor
To Mr. Fitzsimmons,
Re: BLM
I disagree with your statements about Black Lives Matter. It is not a radical elitist movement. After seeing numerous nationwide harmful and deadly events directed at Black lives, I feel it is an important issue in our country.
Things seem to happen repeatedly to Blacks that are not done to Whites. Things have not changed in many ways since the 50s in all States. It is not isolated to the South.
So I wonder why Mr. Fitzsimmons is angry at USAA about BLM. It is a noble cause. I hope USAA supports it. I am a 50 plus year continuous user of USAA insurance and many years user of multiple products. I am a White supporter of BLM from the South.
Sincerely, Concerned Citizen
I appreciate your taking the time to respond to my post. Obviously we don’t know anything about each other except we are both long-time USAA members. Quickly, beginning about 20 years ago I began doing volunteer charity gigs in East Africa and Central America, spending between 5 and 6 years living in impoverished locations and communities. In Kenya in 2002 I befriended a young man, 17 at the time, and continued our relationship; I think he viewed me as somewhat of a surrogate father. In 2018 my wife and I went through significant effort and expense to bring him to the US and support him while he attended college in a small Southern city.
Our Kenyan “son” is very dark-skinned, and though we never bought into the endless claims that America is an inherently and pervasively racist country, we were anxious about him being on the receiving end of racism. In his 3 ½ years here, he has experienced two events: fairly early on, as he was walking to catch the college shuttle, a couple of young white bubbas drove by and yelled “go back to where you came from!” More recently a fellow student, who was doing poorly and soon thereafter dropped out (our “son” was among the top students in the entire college, perhaps the top student), stated, “Why don’t you go back to Africa!” Curiously, this person was a black American. Otherwise our “son,” who is very much a gentleman, has been welcomed and treated with graciousness and kindness wherever he’s been in America.
I think long ago the vast majority of Americans embraced the simple, yet profound, belief of Martin Luther King to judge a person not by the color of their skin but the content of their character. Sadly, there are those who cynically need to perpetuate, and even foment, the idea of racism because it has become a means to their wealth and power, and in many cases ego identity: America is a horrible racist place but I am better than all these deplorable people; I am wonderful and enlightened! People who are materially wealthy but spiritually poor (I’m not talking about religion; I am an agnostic) and need to fill a void. This was aptly demonstrated two years ago when the CEO of USAA, Wayne Peacock, sent a mass e-mail to USAA members filled with all the predictable rhetoric about how he has seen the “social justice” light and we, the ignorant masses, need to follow him into woke new world of equity, diversity, and inclusion. These words are completely disingenuous, but they allow weak people to feel good about themselves without the need to actually do anything except make demands of others. In the case of USAA, it’s also a strategy to distract from the increasing decline of this once venerable company from it was, to the ethically and integrity challenged company it has become.
Our gentleman from Kenya was raised in poverty, misery, and despair unimaginable to most Americans, and I think he sometimes has trouble correlating his life experience with the frequent grumblings about the hardships we face as Americans when we, almost across the board, enjoy a lifestyle of wealth and comfort truly unknown throughout history. I find myself ambivalent: have too many of us chosen to use our wealth not to uplift others but to yearn for even more and foster a sense of entitlement and victimhood? I don’t know; most people in my social circle are fairly charitable and appreciate our many advantages, but I fear those who control the public discourse have a vested interest in keeping people dependent, angry, and divided, especially along racial lines.
Two years ago the CEO of USAA sent his aforementioned self-serving and adolescent pontification in which he chastised the members (and America overall) for being racists and not even being aware of it. Included in his manifesto was talk about having “conversations” about racism and “social justice.” Having “conversations” has entered the lexicon of extremists trying to sound reasonable, and in fact means “accept what I say without question, I am right and you are wrong, and there will be no discussion.” Wayne Peacock has never permitted, of course, an actual “conversation” because he is the poster boy of the privileged class of moral cowards and bullies: those who covet affirmation and attention and obtain it by maligning others.
Anyway, I certainly don’t agree with your reply, but I do appreciate it.
