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Detroit Firefighter Fired for Bringing ‘Racially Insensitive’ Watermelon to Work
Breitbart ^ | 8 Oct 2017 | Katherine Rodriguez

Posted on 10/08/2017 7:14:13 PM PDT by Lera

A Detroit firefighter was fired before he officially began his first day on the job for bringing a watermelon to work.

Robert Pattison, 41, introduced himself to his fellow firefighters at Engine 55 at the corner of Joy and Southfield in Detroit by bringing a welcome gift, WJBK reported.

Second Battalion Chief Shawn McCarty calls this welcome gift “a tradition” for Engine 55’s firefighters.

“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.”

Pattison, who was a probationary firefighter, decided to stand out from the crowd and bring a watermelon with a pink bow on top.

Some black firefighters were reportedly offended by Pattison’s gesture since 90 percent of the firefighters 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.”

McCarty said that some people at the firehouse claim it is “racially insensitive” to bring a watermelon to a firehouse.

Pattison argued that he did not bring in the watermelon as a joke and had no intention of offending his colleagues.

(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: bluezones; detroit; firefighter; ohlawds; raciallyinsensitive; snowflakes; urban; watermelon; workplace
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To: Lera
I guess the transgender firemen would be offended if he brought nuts 🥜
21 posted on 10/08/2017 7:34:43 PM PDT by gitmo (If your theology doesn't become your biography, what good is it?)
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To: Lera

Maybe we should not bomb Pyong Yang after all... the hysteionics in this country are enough to deal with


22 posted on 10/08/2017 7:34:48 PM PDT by lavaroise
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To: clearcarbon

“I’m very concerned that single payer health care might turn out like public education has. How is it that watermelons have become symbols of racism.”


Huh?

What do watermelons have to do with single payer and public education?

.


23 posted on 10/08/2017 7:36:33 PM PDT by Mears
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To: EinNYC

Sue Detroit? He won’t get anything.

They barely have enough money to pay for the fuel for the department.

If you can find it, watch the documentary “Burn”


24 posted on 10/08/2017 7:40:39 PM PDT by 2CAVTrooper (Democrats... BETRAYING America since 1828.)
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To: vladimir998

Whites still live in Detroit? Why? They must be gluttons for punishment.


25 posted on 10/08/2017 7:43:57 PM PDT by txrefugee
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To: Lera

The Obama/Holder insanity continues.


26 posted on 10/08/2017 7:45:37 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The Second Amendment. NOW more than ever!)
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To: Lera

This is just ridiculous. How can watermelon be offensive?


27 posted on 10/08/2017 7:46:50 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Vacate the chair! Ryan must go.)
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To: neverevergiveup

Or banned watermelon.


28 posted on 10/08/2017 7:47:00 PM PDT by liberalism is suicide
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To: clearcarbon

” How is it that watermelons have become symbols of racism.”

Because a watermelon can be classified within the everything group


29 posted on 10/08/2017 7:48:02 PM PDT by dsrtsage (One half of all people have below average IQ. In the US the number is 54%)
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To: Lera

You can bet your sweet ass I wouldn’t wear 100% cotton undershorts if I worked for the loony Detroit “fire department”.


30 posted on 10/08/2017 7:48:34 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The Second Amendment. NOW more than ever!)
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To: Lera

What was his intent? The PINK ribbon is suspicious and very odd, unless HE is a homosexual. I would like to hear more before trashing the abrupt firing.


31 posted on 10/08/2017 7:50:06 PM PDT by Reno89519 (PRESIDENT TRUMP, KEEP YOUR PROMISES! NO AMNESTY AND BUILD THAT WALL.)
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To: Lera

I wonder if they were offended enough to not eat the watermelon.


32 posted on 10/08/2017 7:50:30 PM PDT by lacrew
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To: Lera

People have absolutely lost it! What if he brought a pot of spaghetti or a pot of stew? Dumbass people!


33 posted on 10/08/2017 7:52:36 PM PDT by Road Warrior ‘04 (Molon Labe! (Oathkeeper))
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To: Jamestown1630

I’m white, and I’d be put out if there were no watermelon at the summer party!


34 posted on 10/08/2017 8:15:19 PM PDT by Taxman (Replace the income tax with the FAIRtax and abolish the IRS!)
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To: Lera

This is insane! Any firefighter who unravels over seeing watermelon is not qualified for the job.


35 posted on 10/08/2017 8:18:31 PM PDT by apocalypto
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To: Lera

I don’t know about nuts but bananas are right out!


36 posted on 10/08/2017 8:33:32 PM PDT by TigersEye (0bama. The Legacy is a lie. The lie is the Legacy.)
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To: neverevergiveup

Me either. I never understood how watermelon and fried chicken became racial indicators in the first place. I am white and I like both (as do millions of other non-black people).


37 posted on 10/08/2017 8:38:07 PM PDT by Cecily
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To: clearcarbon
How is it that watermelons have become symbols of racism.

You can do a web search for all the ads from a century back featuring African-Americans and watermelons.

38 posted on 10/08/2017 8:48:05 PM PDT by x
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To: clearcarbon

[[How is it that watermelons have become symbols of racism.]]

It’s really rather idiotic- Black folks apparently think they are the only ones who eat watermelons on hot days- and evidently think that if a cracker brings a watermelon- He must be making fun of them

on the flip side though- maybe the department will fire all black folks who eat ‘white folk’s food’ whatever the h e double hockey sticks that is


39 posted on 10/08/2017 8:54:49 PM PDT by Bob434
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To: Lera

I like watermelon. What’s the beef?

Sounds like those black firefighters need to get some big boy panties and let go of the stereotyping.


40 posted on 10/08/2017 8:55:34 PM PDT by Boomer (The dem party has become the North Korea of American politics; unreasonable, dictatorial, fascist.)
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