Racism, or juvenile prank?

What had been the annual occasion for most Americans to take pride in the accomplished men and women of our service academies was smeared by apparently racist symbols flashed by a handful of cadets and midshipmen.

I am giving them the “apparently” because they could have been playing something called “the circle game,” as reported by the New York Times, but I doubt it.

The symbol — what generations have known as the “OK” sign — Is considered a symbol of white supremacy when the fingers are held down or horizontal. This symbol, and dozens of others, are collected by the Anti-Defamation League.

ADL has assembled an alarming number of actual symbols of hate, not the Betsy Ross flag that Nike got buffaloed into dropping by Colin Kaepernick.

As to Army-Navy, once we exclude “the circle game,” I see two choices: The students flashing the sign are either racIsts, or they are juvenile ayeholes pulling what they thought was a prank on national TV.

After a thorough investigation, any students found to be racist must be expelled immediately. They don’t belong in our egalitarian armed forces and they sure don’t deserve a free college education.

The students found to be “pranking” need a severe reprimand and a good talking to. Who best to straighten them out? I would sit them down with the white members of any of the service teams. Who better to explain to them that merit is not related to skin color?

It’s terrible a few morons ruined a great day for America, but it’s better to get the ugliness into the light so we can deal with it.