By Bruce Marcotulli
Did I just read that (LA City Councilman) Bernard Parks said we owe $2.7 million to the black firefighter who was given dog food by his white co-workers?
I’ll tell you what, I’ll eat a pound of dog food, and you can have the entire membership of the NAACP standing around watching me eat it, without saying a word. Give me a break.
How absolutely ridiculous! How fearful we are, we evil, white, guilt-ridden folk, to offer this prior hazer himself, such a bizarre amount of money because he claims this action was racially motivated. I am personally sick and tired of every incident involving someone whose skin is black being inferred as “racism.” As Juan William’s book expresses with it’s title, “Enough.”
How about the very real possibility that this black fire-fighter was being hazed by his fellow coworkers, who happened to be white (gee, so sorry about that) out of a brotherhood camaraderie that is a long-lived tradition within fire departments all over this nation? Is this such a far-fetched idea?
If anything, this man’s desperate attempt to become rich from evoking fear in the city’s not wanting to look biased toward white people is going to worsen the conditions between whites and blacks.
If this guy wins this decision, I for one will be sickened. Guess what, my mother worked three jobs to put food on my table too, and I never ate dog food either, but if you want to serve me up a nice juicy check, pass me the salt baby, (because) that sounds like good eats to me!
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 4, 2006. Read the original PDF.