Too white to work?

Gallup Independent ^ | Nov 4th, 2004 | Zsombor Peter

[kingu]

Iraq war vet denied application

Aaron Merrill has been having difficulty finding work as a firefighter in Gallup after returning from Iraq where he served with the Marines. (Photo by Nick Short/Independent)

By Zsombor Peter
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Aaron Merrill didn't expect much trouble finding a job with the Gallup Fire Department.

Merrill, 24, has been volunteering with the Pinehaven Fire Department, next to his grandfather, since 1994. He's cleared to drive a fire truck, is working toward a Level I firefighting certificate and will be taking his EMT test in December.

His superiors also assured him his four years in the Marines and two tours in Iraq would count for something. While serving with a light armored reconnaissance unit, he earned three Purple Hearts after running over two land mines and being at the wrong place at the wrong time when an ice-cream truck exploded, escaping with shrapnel wounds he's recovered from.

While in Iraq, he received modest fire training in his combat aid classes, and read training books in his spare time. He even left the service a little early after returning from Iraq in June to pick up his studies at the Gallup branch of the University of New Mexico.

When he showed up at the offices of the Gallup Fire Department last month, however, the secretary wouldn't even give him an application.

It wasn't that his resume wasn't good enough. Other members of the fire department, said Merrill, told him they'd hire him if they could.

The secretary, he said, couldn't give him an application because he wasn't Native American.

[kingu]

Though the city's new fire chief, Robert Garcia, says he's not familiar with Merrill's case, he says the department could not have hired him or anyone else during the past few months for a much more innocent reason: they weren't hiring.

Makes me wonder...

[Mears]

Oh my God--- I thought we had seen the last of this stuff! He should find a good lawyer.

[sabatino28]

I hear John Edwards is looking for work.

[CedarDave]

PING

[Retired Navy Chief]

Sounds like the New Mexico I used to live in----Although most of the rest of the state discriminates by hiring 'latinos' instead of white kids. they're sick!!!!

[ElmoMobito]

This fine young man definitely needs a lawyer. This kind of stuff is disgusting. Someone should contact him and do this for free. Wish I were a lawyer.

We could ask congress to make Iraq veterans a protected group as was done for Vietman veterans -- that would give folks like him some leverage in this kind of situation.

[kipita]

There is another side to a story like this, imagine if you were a minority who had a small business and were told, "although qualified, you need to be registered with the SBA-SDB program so we can get credit". It works both ways and should end.

[BubbaTex]

Here's why they're doing it. (The Fed quota Nazis strike again.) Hope I posted all the links correctly.

http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/apgall09-27-04.htm

Here's email addresses to the Mayor, HR Dept, etc.

http://www.ci.gallup.nm.us/emailadd.htm

Here's their home page with some phone #s

http://www.ci.gallup.nm.us/gov.htm


Freep away.

[Roccus]

Eventual
Elimination
Of
Caucasians

[kingu]

There is another side to a story like this, imagine if you were a minority who had a small business and were told, "although qualified, you need to be registered with the SBA-SDB program so we can get credit". It works both ways and should end.

We won a contract to supply libraries in a certain state with American Indian music and videos. Likely one of our largest sales for music (small compared to our normal book order.) The ink wasn't dry on the contract when the state called back to let us know that they had to cancel. "You're an American Indian owned business.. I'm afraid we already used up our minority share this year. Perhaps we can do it next time?" Best price, best delivery time, and best terms for the state, and we were too minority for them.

Love the way liberals work. Anyone ever wonders why I'm a Republican, why I'm a conservative, I let them know. Stories by the dozen.

[Cogadh na Sith]

Yep. That's the Navajos. Just awful--complete racists, and not just against whites, against anyone who isn't navajo!