Response to the Kentucky State Police Presentation "The Warrior Mindset"
As educators at the state’s land-grant university, we applaud the high school journalists Satchel and Cooper Walton for bringing to light the very troubling and disturbing training presentation “The Warrior Mindset” used by the Kentucky State Police until 2013. Without their brave journalism published in the du Pont High School Manual Redeye, we would not have been aware that our Kentucky police, whom we rely on to protect and serve us, were being taught to regard Kentuckians as “enemies” rather than fellow citizens and community members. The training presentation quoted Adolf Hitler three times, along with Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and wove their words together with images that linked “relentless violence” and racist attitudes with American patriotism. Governor Andy Beshear has promised a full investigation to determine who drafted this training presentation and who authorized its use.