A Canadian Army officer who made antisemitic jokes and jokes about the Holocaust while leading a training course was fined and given a “severe reprimand,” while retaining his rank.
The officer, 38-year-old German-born K.E. Bluemke, was accused by 12 participants in a 2021 army training course he was conducting of making numerous antisemitic jokes, jokes about the Holocaust, and demeaning comments about Jews.
Bluemke opened the training course by asking the participants if any of them were Jewish, CTV News Vancouver reported.
The jokes Bluemke told included “Move with the sense of urgency as a certain group did leaving Germany in 1939,” and “Why do Jews have big noses? Because the air is free.”
Bluemke pleaded guilty in an Ontario court martial last October to “conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline.”
In the military court’s decision, presiding judge Cmdr. Martin Pelletier slammed Bluemke over his comments, fining him $2,200, but declined to reduce his rank, despite having considered doing so.
“I am having difficulties finding the right word to qualify the use of stereotypes and the reference to the unspeakable horrors suffered by the Jewish community before and during the Second World War to make adverse comments intended as jokes.”
“The word “distasteful” does not suffice. It is in my opinion utterly disgusting. Regardless of who in the [Canadian Armed Forces] engages in such conduct, it should make a reasonable member cringe and worry about belonging to the same organization as the perpetrator.”
“He has made comments adverse and indeed demeaning to an entire community who has suffered unspeakable harm in history.”
“This conduct needs to be sanctioned with punishments that have a strong enough symbolic impact as well as a strong personal impact on the offender.”
“Sgt. Bluemke, I cannot understate how concerned I am with the conduct you displayed in front of course candidates in 2021 and I want you to understand that I did seriously consider reducing you to corporal. I hope this sentencing hearing has offered an opportunity to reflect on what you have done wrong and convinced you to do better in the future. I have decided to give you a chance to continue your efforts to rehabilitate yourself, based on what I have heard from those who have testified on your behalf.”
“You may not see me again, but you will see them. I hope you will not let them down by reoffending.”