What if I told you people that a school counselor was fired for sending a general e-mail with alleged racist comments about his O ness, would you have a problem with that? Of course you wouldn't. We cannot tolerate racism in any form or fashion here in A-merry-ca, and people who are insensitive when it comes the issue of race should be made accountable for their actions.
But wait, there is a twist to this story: seems the man who was fired was black, and he is being accused of racism by white folks, for saying in his email, that "Oobviously Blacks Are Moving America". [OBAMA, get it?] And further stating in his e-mail, that "Maybe Caucasians Can Accept It Now." The school board was offended, (sorry Mr. Alexander they don't accept that), and now, like so many other A-merry-cans, he is looking for a job . Why? Because one of Mr. Alexander's co-workers sent an anonymous e-mail to a local television station.
"I was personally offended by the obvious racism in this e-mail... "Please investigate this situation and speak out on behalf of the teachers that were appalled by this e-mail."
Hey, what's good for the goose, right black folks? I mean the school board did fire two workers earlier in the year for using their e-mail to forward a racially insensitive parody of "A Night Before Christmas". So why shouldn't Mr. Alexander get the boot? Oh come on field, is this how it's going to be now in A-merry-ca? Tit for tat with the racism thing? So now that we have a black Prez. we can't say shit about white people anymore? Nope! And we sure as hell cant have Rev. Inc. making a mountain out of Mr. Alexander's mole hill now can we? Hell I thought I was bad. How does Rev. Inc. even find these stories?
Anyway, the man said he didn't send the e-mail and he refuses to go down without a fight. Mr. Alexander said the e-mail might have had his name on it but he didn't send it.....come on now Horace, let's keep it real with each other,. are you telling the field that this was a white folks e-mail set up? So Rev. Inc. is going to South Carolina to bust open the white supremacy e-mail counsel? Let me stop; because there are some deeper issues at work here. The racial minefield in A-merry-ca is only going to get worse as the economy worsens, and as A-merry-cans see more and more images of the chosen one doing his thing.
For what it's worth, I think Horace did send the e-mail, but I don't think it was a fireable offense. I think Horace should have been reprimanded for using his company e-mail to send messages (racist or not) which had nothing to do with his work. He should have been progressively disciplined if the behavior continued and then fired if he did not stop. As for his white co-workers who were supposedly outraged over the e-mail, I say bullshit! That had nothing to do with Horace and everything to do with Obama. But get used to it black people, you have some "power" now, so now you just might be the racist.
Calling Dr. Phil.
46 comments:
That's awful. I agree he shouldn't have been fired for an email unless it threatened someone. Using digital data as evidence should be pretty tricky. There might be 5 or more people in the school district who could change his password and send an email as him. How do you deal with that?
szpork
Not a fireable statement at all. Not like this guy who wasn't fired or asked to resign.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/235/story/600445.html
Yeah, the contents were insensitive but not offensive enough to fire someone. I draw the line when there is an element of dehumanization which most racist emails by whites tend to have. This one was just being corky.
Black people will now have to deal with this type of perverse backlash, anything goes now. The Obama Effect will be a perfect tool for spiteful and absurd allegations on reverse racism.
There will be more to come.
I hope it is proven that he didn't send the email, that it was a setup by some fellow employee(s). And I hope whoever did it gets fired.
However, if he did send it, then it proves that some Blacks are just as racially insensitive as Whites. The very thing Blacks have hated and complained about some of our folks are becoming. If found guilty, I am sure Alexander is the ONLY cousin like that. Right?
I agree that racism will worsen as the economy sinks deeper. More Blacks will continue to lose their jobs and the police will continue to gun down Blacks across America in even greater numbers.
Rev Inc should be screaming about what happened in Oakland.
It looks like we are going to have to start using the drums again to communicate.
I hope everyone saved their handbooks!
Off topic: The Eagles did their thing today.
"The Obama Effect will be a perfect tool for spiteful and absurd allegations on reverse racism."
If you thought you had to work twice as hard to be half as good before, its now time to work 4 times as hard and 10 times more cautious of your sorroundings and 100 times more focused on one's goal.
There is now a new meaning to being guarded.
"It looks like we are going to have to start using the drums again to communicate."
LOL! Clicking too.
Here is that link again
http://www.idahostatesman.com/235
/story/600445.html
The back lash is here!
It's the sequel to a trilogy where the power swings from one side to the next.
I agree there are bigger issues for Rev. Inc. to worry about but not sure Horace needed to be fired. Reprimanded yes?
off topic. Congrats to your Eagles. It was a very painful game for me to watch. ha
What the heck was up with all the flags? Let the men play.
"If you thought you had to work twice as hard to be half as good before, its now time to work 4 times as hard and 10 times more cautious of your sorroundings and 100 times more focused on one's goal.
There is now a new meaning to being guarded."
Sounds like Blacks are going to be too paralyzed to do anything. Such are the effects of black and white racism. Pretty hopeless.
Looks like all of A-Merry-Ca is going to be racially immobilized. How poignantly pathetic.
Hi, Field: Love you. Don't care about this guy or his story. The.End.
Folk, is that "back lash" or b-l-a-c-k- lash?
"I agree there are bigger issues for Rev. Inc. to worry about but not sure Horace needed to be fired.."
I was thinking the same thing.
Iggles win Iggles win!
"What the heck was up with all the flags? Let the men play."
Yeah NFL refs have been stinking up the joint lately. They are my HNO & HHN.
Welcome to the Orwellian States of America.
Political correctness has taken over reason, these days.
Horace needs to get himself a good lawyer and sue, sue, sue.
First, I disagree with firing this guy for the Obama email, but the article also said he sent the names of students as grounds for firing. I don't know what the policy is regarding sending the names of students or the reasoning behind it, but maybe that had more weight for fired vs repremanded.... If not, he should absolutely get a labor lawyer and fight it.
Sigh.... I do agree this guy shouldn't have been fired and like Grata said Black folks will now have to work 4 times harder.
Things like this piss me off because its political correctness gone wrong...no longer is there any common sense, considering anything can be seen as offensive to someone.
I agree Field. Not a fireable offense...but then I got my ass fired for my blog so what do I know?
Well, I know that racism cuts both ways and we need to fight it at every juncture. We need to know that not everything is racist and a lot of subtle stuff that seems to not be, is. But really we're not smart enough as a people, so what do you do?
And what blackgirlinmaine said.
Chickenshit.
A couple of years ago there was a federal investigation of e-mail traffic between police patrol cars in the Montgomery County, MD police department.
Racial slurs like "nigger" and "beaner" were common. Healthy doses of "fags" and other slurs as well.
The cops weren't fired but required to take "sensitivity training" courses.
am a bit late but my tuppeny worth anyway.. in this obama era and in these perceived post racial times we will see a lot more of these stories.. white folk will call any brother or sister out now they feel they have a 'race card'... but in good ole blighty things are still the same for the meanwhile.. prince harry has been at it again using and offensive word for a pakistani on video.. i have had a whole weekend of the bbc using the offending word in full in the telling of the story as if it is okay and pundits saying the word is benign.. i am appalled at it's usage as i would be if someone used the n-word in my face on tv and had people defending it's usage.. we are going to come out of this but am not sure where.. am not at ease with it at all...
Your link to the insensitive parody is not working. I want to see it, because I just *have* to know if it's the one I think it is, written by a notorious neo-Confederate purple-prose wannabee poetess hack. ;-)
I get spam emails all the time... with my email address as the sender, as if I'm sending spam to myself. They used to say that pictures don't lie but now they do (PhotoShop). Same with email. It could be a fake.
I and others before me have mentioned the massive shift in America's racial discourse that would undoubtedly come about by Obama's election. Blacks, in our usual way, have spent not one nanosecond contemplating how we would proactively address this shift. We're way too busy patting ourselves on the back.
The very concept of a "Black Community" is quickly being seen as a racist concept in and of itself. Any thought or program that is directed only at blacks is considered racist. This idea predates Obama but is gaining momentum with his election.
Will we allow it?
false1,
pictures still don't lie, that's how we caught that crazy Ashley Todd. And skilled computer professionals can tell when something's been fucked with. (of course, there are actually cameras with specialized lenses to make penises look bigger...).
Field,
Don't start playing blame the ref games. You have no dog in that fight. ;-) If the Titans were a true championship, superior team, they would have found a way to win.
Teams in glass houses...I'm sure Eli Manning is saying the same thing today...
Termination was a bit too harsh for this offense but people should NOT FORWARD E-Mails like this at work on the company's email system. This was not work related material. Although we all do it, it can be used to discipline the offender and there is nothing that can be said because we have all read and signed or accepted that disclaimer which states that the computer is the property of the emplyer and that it should only be used for legitimate work related purposes. Use your smartphone or personal laptop with an aircard and send the email to the personal email accounts of the people you want to see it. Do not use the company's network or computers.
Call the Wahhmbulance! Trashies are now victims. Poor trashies, all those AfAms will now expect qualifications to count for more than being white and victims. It's not trashies fault, it was the teecher, and the korpt kop, and the gudge, and the eveel system keeping him down and stoppin' him from buyin' the Plumin bizness...it makes over 250 tousand a year.
Trashies, Professional Victims.
Wonder if other emails were far more egregious? Discovery could prove embarassing.
Mold
If you're really offended by an email, a more appropriate way to handle it is to write an email to the sender, NOT to the local news station. That's really petty. This guy lost his job over it, when it could have been handled within the organization without a big deal being made about it.
When I saw the headline, I was expecting worse than what was actually the case. I'd say it's more juvenile than racist.
The villain here is the anonymous "offended" person. Anyone with an ounce of self-respect would have just emailed back rather than taking the underhanded approach.
Seriously, this story is a kind of racial theater where people are not acting as maturely as you would hope to find in a middle school classroom. The school board should also be ashamed.
Sorry folks. Here I am to spoil the pity party.
His JOB is to work on the school board, not write up cute acronyms for a T-shirt company. I bet you that another brotha in his position would not have done the same thing.
Now before Field tries to bring up my nasty e-mails to him, understand that I don't mind. Because he has acted in a pompous way towards me. But that's not relevant to this discussion, so I'll leave it at that.
They probably fired him to make a point that just because he is a black man then that does not mean he could get away with racist comments. They used him to set an "example."
"Don't start playing blame the ref games. You have no dog in that fight. ;-) If the Titans were a true championship, superior team, they would have found a way to win."
Chris, I forgot you were a RAVENS fan. :)
Hi Field, love your blog. For the record, I am a white guy in his fifties. I know there is a lot of hurt that is caused by racism. Back when I was in college in the seventies, I was taking a photography course that was taught by a black instructor. I got the feeling from him right off that he didn't like white folk. But I would see him in the hall during the day, and I would say hi to him etc. By the time the semester was over, his attitude toward me had changed, he was at least tolerating me. It's unfortunate that this man lost his job over this. But some of the stuff I've heard about Obama and blacks in general is just awful. Wouldn't it be nice if we all just thought about what we said and did, in the context would I say this, or do this to myself, and the people that are nearest and dearest to me?
Oh BTW I'm not much for NFL, but I do live in Bronco country. I wish your Eagles well.
How many of those presumably white "offended" co-workers used racial epithets amongst themselves when their non-white co-workers were out of ear shot. No one went to the local station to rat them out?
I am amazed that the local media even picked up the story and that the school board acted so heavy-handed. But should I be? After all, less than half the country didn't vote for our President-elect and it has to be assumed that a percentage of those people did it solely based on his racial background.
But hey! I'm not surprised. It's human nature. People aren't born with interpersonal skills; you have to hone them. We as a culture are just lazy in our communication skills. Think of the trouble that could have been averted had this coward who leaked this non-issue to the press would have aired out their grievance directly to the person they felt offended them. It would have saved the 10 minute phone call to the press. The 45min-1hr discussion this wasted on the school board's agenda (I'm curious to know how this school's children are performing which would be a more dignified use of the school "bored's" time) would have been put to better use. The ink that was wasted on this could have been used to print a expose on how the school's underperforming children are being neglected by the adults charged to educate them. And most importantly it is wasting mine and Field's time writing about this! I'm disgusted!
Bogus. Totally bogus. Yes, he shouldn't have sent personal email from the company computer, but my guess is that 99.9% of us do that, and most of the time no one gets fired for it. As for racist, frankly I don't see it.
FWIW, a few years ago at Halloween at the company I used to work at, one of the [white] guys came in dressed in an Afro wig and carrying a boom box, wearing some kind of brightly colored spandex outfit, and --yes-- black-face. I know a lot of people besides me were uncomfortable, but not only was he not sent home to change clothes, I think he got some kind of prize for it. That was probably the creepiest day I ever spent working there.
The anonymously "offended" person who sent the email to a local TV station is a major DOUCHEBAG.
The situation could have been handled in a different manner.
While Horace should not ALLEDGELY use company email. Him being fired was overkill.
I hope Horace gets a VERY good lawyer.
No matter what the guy wrote, if the rules are that you can only use email or the computer for school business otherwise you are subject to disciplinary actions and or termination then that's what you should expect. If the rules are that as an employee you are required to maintain your passwords and or electronic devices in a secure manner and you fail, then you get what you get.
Maybe at Horace's next job, he'll read the employee handbook a little more carefully.
Another brother gonna get paid cause whitey keepin him down, love them lawsuits, great for the economy. And agin he did nothing wrong, he's another victim who's been set up like Michael Vick.
The above guy has it right but would get lynched in the hood for saying it :
No matter what the guy wrote, if the rules are that you can only use email or the computer for school business otherwise you are subject to disciplinary actions and or termination then that's what you should expect. If the rules are that as an employee you are required to maintain your passwords and or electronic devices in a secure manner and you fail, then you get what you get.
Maybe at Horace's next job, he'll read the employee handbook a little more carefully.
amen, Field. I am with you 100% on this one...
oh the things i've seen and heard at work that white folks have gotten away with, and the things they have come thundering down to my office with.
i don't know about the firing. if he sent it, he's vulnerable to stuff like that. i took issue with the fact that someone went to the media instead of just going back to Mr. Alexander or dealing with it in house. That's playing dirty, and stuff like that can backfire.
Wonder if the rules were enforced in an equitable manner? You know, when white folk can transmit all the O-Man jokes from the Limbaugh show...and no discipline results.
He must be punished! He black and broke rules! Did others? Were they punished? How were they punished?
Years ago I watched a beloved teacher lose her position because she sheltered an abused student..seems the adult was a -gasp- lesbian. Funny thing was..another person who worked there was on his sixth wife...all of them were impregnated at the age of 15. He got to retire.
Mold
If you thought you had to work twice as hard to be half as good before, its now time to work 4 times as hard and 10 times more cautious of your sorroundings and 100 times more focused on one's goal.
There is now a new meaning to being guarded.
AMEN TO THAT!!!
And black men had especially walk a thin line with white men because they will use whatever they have. They are not joking. Wait until after Jan 20th.
Sending personal emails at work is against company rules. It is true that most of us do it anyway without any consequences. It is, however, at the company's discretion to overlook, warn or fire anyone for doing it. Firing is rarely done but politically, if you are in a bad position with the boss or coworkers, then you had better not do it. You had better follow company policy, esp. if you work in S.C.
I suppose Horace thought that he got to email whatever the hell he wanted to without any consequence because Obama will be President soon. Yes, Obama will be President but he is going to be President for ALL Americans. Remember? Don't start fantasizing that things will 'magically' change for ordinary black folks. The killing in the streets will go on. Cops will continue to shoot black men, maybe even more. And Blacks will get fired for stupid racist emails.
We bitch about white folks racial verbiage and want them severely punished, and they should be. But when someone black like Horace does it, we 'minimize' the insensitive nature of the words, and expect white folks to go easy on a brother. If we want this shit to REALLY change, then people like Horace needs to do his part and stop his own bullshit-FIRST. Did you really expect Horace to receive a slap on the wrist, for sending that "in-your-face-white-folks" email, esp in S.C.? Hell, it took plenty of arguments, a march, and political compromise just to get the confederate flag removed from the state capitol a few years ago.
IMO, Horace deserved to be fired not for the email, but for being what Blacks detest--a racist. Of course, it's always good to see Rev. Inc defending tit-for-tat racist stupidity. God forbid he would go to Oakland and raise hell about the killing of Blacks. Guess that stuff in Oakland isn't worth his time and effort.
This is ridiculous. How is it racist? Because we move from under the thumb of the white man and have a black president we can't celebrate that fact?? How is celebrating his blackness racist? They would have celebrated like hell for McCain. Maybe he should have been reprimanded, but definitely not fired. What the fuck?
I don't see racism in his statements. I would definitely advocate for watching your back if your black, nothing new about that but it does require fresh security protocols.
The thing is:
"Maybe Caucasians Can Accept It Now."
That line is simply based on objective reality.
Racist claims are not based on objective reality.
As a white guy who spends a lot of time around white people, I know that many of his current white supporters went through some serious doubts.
Now what that was about wasn't always clear and some of these folks are now embracing an opportunity to change that makes me hopeful about what's possible.
But a whole lot of folks just can't handle having a black president and they will be coming at you sideways for quite a while.
Especially the older ones.
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