Editor of Mother Jones Is Slammed on Twitter for Claiming That ‘Tomahawk Missiles’ Are Offensive to Native Americans

The editor-in-chief of a prominent liberal news organization has been slammed on social media for suggesting that Tomahawk cruise missiles are an example of cultural appropriation.

Clara Jeffery, who runs the non-profit publication Mother Jones, received a barrage of responses after speculating that Native Americans might be offended by the naming of the missiles which were launched by President Trump this week.

That the missiles are callled tomahawks must enrage a lot of Native Americans

— Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) April 8, 2017

Twitter users immediately disparaged Jeffery’s statement and her account was inundated with responses that went viral.

Utilizing the names of Native American tribes is a common practice among the US military, which has drawn inspiration from countless tribes for machinery and aircraft over the years.

Jeffery’s critics argue that her perceived hypervigilance for a culture that isn’t her own is ill-informed, and that her concerns are misplaced.

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Some users argued that Jeffery, being a white woman, did not have the authority to speak on issues that didn’t affect her racially.

@ClaraJeffery that YET another liberal white woman feels she can appropriate voices of Native Americans and speak for them enrages me. POC speak our own

— IPledgeAllegiance (@muchmoresalt) April 9, 2017

Donald Trump Jr retweeted a response from television host Ben Shapiro, in which he offered a name for the missiles inspired by his Jewish nationality.

If Native Americans want to rename Tomahawk missiles, I am happy to offer to rename them Hebrew Hammers on behalf of the Jews.

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) April 9, 2017

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