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Department Of Veterans Affairs BANS Iconic “V-J Day Kiss Photo” From All Department Facilities

What is one of the most iconic American images out there involving American victories and American greatness?

MANY come to mind….

But somewhere likely on your Top 10 or Top 20 list is the iconic “V-J Day Kiss Photo”.

This one:

Iconic.

Historic.

It immediately evokes all sorts of emotions.

And it’s exactly the kind of thing the Anti-American Woke Mind Virus would hate.

Sure enough, the Department of Veteran Affairs of all places just tried to ban the iconic image from ever being shown in its offices:

You can’t make this stuff up folks!

What nonsensical reason did the VA come up with for banning the photo?

Because it displayed “nonconsensual acts”:

What nonsense!

The Woke Mind Virus always tries to protect people from things that are either imaginary or that no one wants protected from.

For DECADES, Americans have loved this photo and not one complaint about it….not even from the woman in the photo herself!

That’s so typical of Woke Liberals….finding offense on behalf of someone else….who has publicly stated they themselves were not offended about it in the first place!

Take a look at this:

ChatGPT confirms Greta Zimmer Friedman was not bothered by the kiss:

The woman in the iconic V-J Day in Times Square photograph, often simply referred to as “The Kiss,” is Greta Zimmer Friedman. This photograph was taken on August 14, 1945, by Alfred Eisenstaedt and published in Life magazine. It captures the moment an American sailor, George Mendonsa, spontaneously kissed a woman, Greta Friedman, in Times Square, New York City, as people celebrated the announcement of Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II.

Greta Friedman did discuss the photograph and the kiss in various interviews over the years. She clarified that the kiss was not a romantic gesture but a spontaneous act by a stranger caught up in the excitement of the day. Friedman mentioned that the kiss was not consensual in the sense that she didn’t anticipate or have a choice in the matter; it was a surprise to her. However, she also noted that, given the context of the celebrations and the time period, she didn’t view it negatively. She understood the kiss as an expression of jubilation rather than an act of personal affection.

So perhaps if the person you’re finding outrage on behalf of wasn’t bothered and if it’s decades old, maybe we shouldn’t let the Woke Mind Virus infect this one?

The good news is sanity won the day and the decision has been overturned.

Just as the Supreme Court overturned the effort from Woke Colorado Sec. of State to remove President Trump from the ballot in a 9-0 unanimous decision, so too this was overturned by people who still have some semblance of sanity or at least knew the backlash was so great they had to intervene even if they didn’t want to.

Here’s more from the NY Post:

Woke officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs banned the iconic photo of a World War II Times Square kiss from agency buildings last week — claiming it no longer fit the “values” of the VA.

But the move apparently blind-sided their furious boss, VA Secretary Denis McDonough, who very publicly reversed the edict on X on Tuesday morning — after seemingly learning of it through a tweet.

The VA chief had not been made aware of the memo before it was issued and never approved it, sources familiar with the matter added to The Associated Press.

The photo — which captures an ecstatic US sailor kissing a nurse passing by to celebrate the end of war with Japan in 1945 — was deemed “inappropriate behavior” by VA higher-ups because it “depicts a non-consensual act.”

Displaying the snapshot in VA hospitals “could be construed as a tacit endorsement of the inappropriate behavior it depicts,” wrote RimaAnn Nelson, the agency’s assistant undersecretary for Health for Operations, in a Feb. 29 memo to staffers around the country.

“Employees have expressed discomfort with the display of this photograph” — and “to foster a more trauma-informed environment,’’ it should be removed, the missive said.

Doing so “reflects our dedication to creating a respectful and safe workplace, and is in keeping with our broader efforts to promote a culture of inclusivity and awareness,” Nelson wrote.

Here’s the true story behind the iconic V-J Day kiss pic

As first dates go, Rita Petry thought this one was pretty great: a beautiful summer afternoon in the city, a matinee at Radio City Music Hall, drinks after, followed by a passionate, soon-to-be-iconic kiss.

Well, maybe not the kiss: Her handsome young suitor, it turns out, planted that on another woman.

Such is the incredible story behind one of the most romantic and enduring photos of the 20th century — and one of our most compelling mysteries.

Since Aug. 14, 1945, the identities of the smooching sailor and the nurse in Alfred Eisenstaedt’s Times Square V-J Day photograph have never been determined — until the publication, last week, of the book “The Kissing Sailor: The Mystery Behind the Photo that Ended World War II.”

There’s another person in the frame, one nobody even knew to look for, who makes the image that much more poignant: Rita Petry, the future wife of that sailor, George Mendonsa.

The administration honcho suggested staffers instead find “alternative photographs that capture the spirit of victory and peace without compromising the VAs commitment to a safe and respectful environment.

“Your cooperation in this matter is vital,’’ the memo added. “Please ensure that these photographs are promptly removed.”

But the ban is believed to have infuriated Nelson’s boss when he learned of it — apparently five days later through social media.

“Let me be clear: This image is not banned from VA facilities — and we will keep it in VA facilities,” McDonough wrote on X on Tuesday — an hour and a half after a copy of Nelson’s memo surfaced on an account titled End Wokeness.

The VA chief had not been made aware of the memo before it was issued and never approved it, sources familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

The celebrated snap was taken by famed “Life’’ magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt on Aug. 14, 1945, the day the Japanese announced they were surrendering.

It garnered controversy in recent years, particularly with the #MeToo movement, because the woman in the photograph, a dental assistant named Greta Zimmer Friedman, had never met the sailor, George Mendonsa, before she suddenly found herself lip-locked with him at the Crossroads of the World.

What do you think?


 

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