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Airline Sued For Alleged Racist Rhyme
Channel Cincinnati - AP ^ | 12:49 p.m. EST February 11, 2003 | The Associated Press

Posted on 02/11/2003 6:53:50 PM PST by TSgt

Edited on 05/07/2004 8:26:48 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A March 4 trial date has been set in a lawsuit filed by two black sisters against Dallas-based Southwest Airlines. A judge ruled last week that the suit will go to trial in Kansas City, Kan.


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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Missouri
KEYWORDS: crimethink; ditty; kansascity; racist; southwestairlines
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Eenie, meenie, minie, moe; I smell money how about yo?
1 posted on 02/11/2003 6:53:50 PM PST by TSgt
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To: MikeWUSAF
That's it, I'm taking a vow of silence for the rest of my life.
2 posted on 02/11/2003 6:56:50 PM PST by Archangelsk (There, I've stated an opinion, it goes against group think mentality, and I feel good.)
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To: MikeWUSAF
How silly! My dad who would be 84 if still alive, used to say "We have three kids, eenie, meanie, and miney and there ain't no MO!" There was nothing racial to that! BTW I was the middle child so he said that made me MEANIE! LOL
3 posted on 02/11/2003 6:57:03 PM PST by buffyt (Can you say President Hillary?.......Me neither....)
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To: Archangelsk
The only people I actually hear using the "N" word are young black guys. My kids who are now ages 18, 19, 21 didn't hear the word till they went to school - and mostly they heard it in high school - used by the big black boys. The girls didn't use the word so much. My kids were SHOCKED to hear the black kids using the "N" word. They thought it was in very poor taste!
4 posted on 02/11/2003 6:58:50 PM PST by buffyt (Can you say President Hillary?.......Me neither....)
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To: MikeWUSAF
I swear this crap will destroy this country. The lawyer taking this case should be disbarred then shot then disbarred again. Money grubbing scum buckets.
5 posted on 02/11/2003 6:59:12 PM PST by KSCITYBOY
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To: MikeWUSAF
lol...oh boy, that is funny.

SR

6 posted on 02/11/2003 6:59:33 PM PST by sit-rep
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To: MikeWUSAF
Geez....just when you think people are already at the brink of stupidity.....someone crosses even THAT line....
7 posted on 02/11/2003 7:01:05 PM PST by BossLady
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To: MikeWUSAF
These knuckleheads ought to be severely fined for bringing such a stupid lawsuit and wasting taxpayers money!
8 posted on 02/11/2003 7:01:07 PM PST by proudofthesouth
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To: MikeWUSAF

Trial scheduled after rhyme upsets Southwest passengers

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (February 10, 3:09 p.m. CST) - A judge has set a trial date in a discrimination lawsuit filed against Southwest Airlines by two black passengers who were upset when a flight attendant recited a version of a rhyme with a racist history.

Grace Fuller, 48, and her sister Louis Sawyer, 46, were returning from Las Vegas two years ago when flight attendant Jennifer Cundiff, trying to get passengers to sit down, said over the intercom, "Eenie, meenie, minie, moe; pick a seat, we gotta go."

The sisters say the rhyme was directed at them and was a reference to its racist version that dates to before the civil rights era: "Eenie, meenie, minie, moe; catch a nigger by the toe."

"It was like I was too dumb to find a seat," Fuller said. Sawyer said fellow passengers snickered at the rhyme, which made her feel alienated.

The sisters are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

U.S. District Judge Kathryn Vratil last week dismissed the sisters' claims of physical and emotional distress but set trial for March 4.

"The court agrees with plaintiffs that because of its history, the phrase 'eenie, meenie, minie, moe' could reasonably be viewed as objectively racist and offensive," Vratil wrote. The second line of a modern version of the rhyme usually goes, "Catch a tiger by the toe."

Airline attorney John Cowden said there was no intent to discriminate against any passenger.

Cundiff, who is white and was 22 at the time of the incident, said she had never heard the offensive version of the rhyme. She said she learned the Southwest version from co-workers and used it as a funny way of getting passengers - who are not assigned seats on Southwest - to sit down.

Plaintiffs' attorney Scott Wissel said the sisters also want Southwest to stop using the rhyme and provide employee training to prevent such incidents.

9 posted on 02/11/2003 7:01:45 PM PST by WSGilcrest (R)
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To: MikeWUSAF
I smell another frivolous lawsuit coming.

Phew, I smell the sleazy lairs lawyers lining up now.

10 posted on 02/11/2003 7:03:04 PM PST by Mikey
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To: WSGilcrest
"...were returning from Las Vegas two years ago…"

This happened 2 years ago?

TORT REFORM! TORT REFORM!
11 posted on 02/11/2003 7:05:10 PM PST by TSgt ("Put out my hand and touched the face of God.")
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To: MikeWUSAF
Delta ad in Ebonics
12 posted on 02/11/2003 7:07:14 PM PST by hole_n_one
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To: WSGilcrest
attorney Scott Wissel said the sisters also want Southwest to stop using the rhyme and provide employee training

That's not all they want.

13 posted on 02/11/2003 7:08:04 PM PST by Semper911 (I used to have a different tagline. This is my new one.)
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To: buffyt
Yeah I know exactly what you mean.

It doesn't exactly help when you have people like Denzel Washington playing roles in movies with phrases such as "my N****a!" mispelled of course. Let's not forget the numerous rappers, celebrities, etc.
14 posted on 02/11/2003 7:08:34 PM PST by anobjectivist
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To: Mikey
It would be nice to hear of a counter suit!!
15 posted on 02/11/2003 7:13:55 PM PST by RaceBannon
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To: MikeWUSAF
Well Mother Goose says it goes like this:

EENIE, MEENIE, MINEY, MO

Eenie, meeny, miney, mo
Catch a tiger by the toe,
If he hollers, let him go
Eenie, meenie, miney, mo.

www.mothergoose.com

16 posted on 02/11/2003 7:16:49 PM PST by PackerBoy
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To: MikeWUSAF
Sad thing is, I'm sure that this line had been used by that attendant on numerous other occasions to get people to sit down. Only morons would be offended by it...and only scam artists would file a lawsuit.
17 posted on 02/11/2003 7:17:01 PM PST by mass55th
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To: Mikey
Really!

Now if they said "Eenie Meanie Minie Moe, find a seat you stupid 'ho!" I'd say they had a legit lawsuit.
18 posted on 02/11/2003 7:23:24 PM PST by LaraCroft ('Bout time)
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To: PackerBoy
I've heard the version that included a dubious slang word for another (native american) ethnic group... But I think the original really was "Catch a whitey by the toe" (hey, I'm white - I can say that) I am the group that is really offended by this nursery rhyme and they should be compensating me, for saying it and for misrepresenting it...

(I WANT MY MONEY)

19 posted on 02/11/2003 7:24:10 PM PST by HetLoo
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To: RaceBannon
It would be nice to hear of a counter suit!!

"It was my favorite nursery rhyme as a child. Sob.

My dear departed Grandma used to sing it to me every time we played. Sob.

And now those two women and their racist lawyer have permanently scarred that sweet childhood memory of dear, dear, departed Grammy. Sob. I can't eat. I can't sleep. I can't love. I can't trust. I'm an emotional wreck!! Sob.Sob.

There is only one thing that can make me whole again.....Money.....Lots and lots and lots of money!!!"

20 posted on 02/11/2003 7:26:44 PM PST by Polybius
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