LET'S ALL PLAY FAIR.

Some of you Negroes really need to get a clue. Look, I am all for creating a level playing field, and no one despises discrimination-of any kind- like moi. But there are certain things that you just don't -allegedly- do, even if you mean well.

Take the case of Captain Troy K. Gore of the Philadelphia Fire Department. [Capt. Gore is not *shown in the pic with this post] It seems that Captain Gore sent out an e-mail to the leadership of an African American fire fighting organization, and, in it, he allegedly was plotting to get minorities hired by doctoring the "city's computerized application process." No thanks Captain Gore. This is not how we create a level playing field; by-allegedly- cheating. This is what was done to us in the past to insure that we didn't get a fair shot. Now that laws are in place to give us a fair shot, we have to work our butts off to pass the written and physical tests.

"Gore said he had rescinded his e-mail minutes after he sent it and sent a follow-up message: "This is a bad idea. Forget I sent it and be blessed. Just trying to get people hired."
In an interview, Gore said: "It was just a thought that came to my head. It wasn't something I ever intended on doing."

Valiants president Kenneth W. Greene Sr. provided a copy of the e-mail to The Inquirer along with a statement rejecting its contents.

"We regret the need to issue this statement, but find the suggestions made in the e-mail to be most unfortunate, and feel that we must disassociate our organization, in the strongest possible terms, from any possible suggestion that the conduct proposed in the e-mail is acceptable," read the statement, released Friday.
Deputy Mayor Everett Gillison on Friday called the e-mail "highly inappropriate" and asked Ayers to look into it. Gillison and Ayers said they had not seen the e-mail before The Inquirer provided a copy.

"I look at this as serious, and we're going to continue to investigate," Ayers said. "We're going to find out exactly what happened here."'

Here is hoping that this is not the tip of a very large iceberg. If it is, some very good men could have their stellar careers in the department now viewed with a jaundiced eye. That would be sad. Because the last thing that we need in post racial A-merry-ca, is something that gives those folks who want to take us backwards a reason to gloat. [Story]

And now for a positive uplifting story: (No, not a Lark sighting.) I have to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to the wonderful and inspirational young men of Urban Prep-, which is an all male African American school in Chicago. Every single one of the 107 young men graduating have been accepted to college. EVERY SINGLE ONE! Damn it feels good to write that. I guess all of the young men in our inner cities aren't "street pirates", as some people just love to point out.

Young men, that is serious field Negro behavior.

Thanks for the story Barbara!