Posted on 10/07/2017 2:14:34 PM PDT by TigerClaws
DETROIT (WJBK) - Fired before he officially started.
Last Monday, 41-year-old Robert Pattison went to introduce himself to his fellow firefighters at Engine 55 at Joy and Southfield in Detroit.
Second Battallion Chief Shawn McCarty calls it a tradition for firefighters.
by Taboola Sponsored Links Ad Content U.S. Trust: The Growth of Wind Power & Its Economic Affects From U.S. Trust The States Most Affected by Rising Sea Levels Zillow "It's not mandatory, it's voluntary," he said. "You come in bearing gifts. The usual gift is doughnuts but you are allowed to bring whatever you want to bring in."
photo And Pattison, a probationary firefighter, decided to bring a watermelon wrapped in a pink ribbon.
We're told some African-American firefighters were instantly offended since 90 percent of the people who work at Engine 55 are black.
"When you get your first detail at a firehouse you pretty much know what you are getting yourself into," said Patrick Trout. "So you would have to say it was probably a bad call."
FOX 2: "Is it racially insensitive to bring a watermelon into a fire house?"
"To some people," McCarty said.
FOX 2 spoke to Pattison by phone who claims it was not a joke - and he did not mean to offend his fellow firefighters. But he clearly did.
Fire Commissioner Eric Jones says the Fenton native was officially discharged.
In a statement Jones says: "There is zero tolerance for discriminatory behavior inside the Detroit Fire Department. On Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, at Engine 55, a trial firefighter (probationary employee) engaged in unsatisfactory work behavior which was deemed offensive and racially insensitive to members of the Detroit Fire Department.
"After a thorough investigation, it was determined that the best course of action was to terminate the employment of this probationary employee."
In a world where racial tensions run high, some tell me the trial firefighter should have known better. Trout doesn't know if he meant anything by it - but feels it was a bad choice.
"For sure by far it was,"
The question is did DFD take it too far?
FOX 2: "Should he have lost his job over a watermelon?"
"I don't think so," McCarty said. "Between what he did and what was there are a few things that could have been done."
I work on
Bumper Stickers alot.
Almost literally....
As a retired fireman I can tell the last thing that rookie wanted to do was offend somebody. His life would be a living hell for a long time. If a black rookie had have brought one in he would have been praised for it.
At one point in time I worked in an office where it was just me and a black guy. All of our reliefs or extra help were also black. Walked in one day with a box from the local fried chicken store and one of them asked me what I had. Would not believe me when I told her gizzards and tator tots. She kept going on about how white people don’t eat gizzards. Heck my Daddy was from California and he loved gizzards.
Is there a market for that?
I had fried chicken and watermelon for lunch. Burp!
I want to come to supper at your place sometime.
You tell anyone outside of the USA that watermelon is supposed to be "racially insensitive" and all you get back are strange looks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyxjEuFfxV0
Skip to about the 4:20 minute mark...then try to imagine ANYONE getting away with that today.
I shudder to think what they would have done to him if h had brought a bucket of KFC.
On the other hand, I absolutely detest mayonnaise. But it never occurred to me to make an issue of it.
Must be my "privilege" or something.
BANANAS? They are even MORE RACIST than watermelon!
not only that, they’ve a yellow streak running thru their peels and they do hang in bunches.
Thanks to all who responded to this story.
It “went national” the next day after it was picked up by Breitbart - likely after the editor saw it here.
Hope everyone is doing well.
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