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Detroit’s Black Firefighters Back White Recruit Fired over ‘Racially Insensitive’ Watermelon
Breitbart ^ | 11 Oct 2017 | Ben Kew

Posted on 10/12/2017 6:51:56 AM PDT by Lera

A group of black firefighters from Detroit are backing their white colleague after he was fired on his first day for bringing a “racially insensitive” watermelon to work.

Robert Pattinson, 41, was fired after introducing himself to his fellow firefighters by bringing in a watermelon with a pink bow on top as part of workplace tradition of new recruits bringing in a gift for fellow employees on their first day on the job.

*snip*

However, a number of black firefighters from the same department reacted to the incident with a big show of support for Pattinson, describing him as an “amazing dude” who had “good intentions.”

“Just want to let everyone know he’s a real amazing dude and it was all good intentions,” firefighter Tadarius Spearman wrote in a Facebook post, alongside ten African-American firefighters. “And our entire class (is) supporting him in this. Especially us African-Americans and that’s all that needs to be said. Stay up brother. #DFD.”

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


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: detroit; firefighters; watermelon; workplace
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This is the real racist here -Second Battalion Chief Shawn McCarty

[[Yet Second Battalion Chief Shawn McCarty confirmed that some staff argued it was “racially insensitive” to bring a watermelon to a firehouse, and Pattinson was consequently discharged by Fire Commissioner Eric Jones, who described the incident as “offensive”:]]

1 posted on 10/12/2017 6:51:56 AM PDT by Lera
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To: Lera
Detroit’s Black Firefighters Back White Recruit Fired over ‘Racially Insensitive’ Watermelon

So if he'd brought lasagna to the station would the Italians be offended because he was "insensitive" and racist?

2 posted on 10/12/2017 6:54:35 AM PDT by The Sons of Liberty (Where else could 12% DICTATE TO, and live off the rest, yet claim to be "OPPRESSED"?)
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To: Lera

That means some staff are racist because they immediately associated watermelon with African Americans.


3 posted on 10/12/2017 6:56:04 AM PDT by AppyPappy (Don't mistake your dorm political discussions with the desires of the nation)
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To: The Sons of Liberty

Imagine if he had brought Aunt Jemima pancakes and syrup.


4 posted on 10/12/2017 6:58:00 AM PDT by Rennes Templar (Morning in America Again, again.)
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To: Lera

Boycott stores that sell racially-insensitive produce!


5 posted on 10/12/2017 6:59:39 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: Lera

Wow, That engine company is full of the darker shade of pale type people.


6 posted on 10/12/2017 7:01:36 AM PDT by Autonomous User (During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.)
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To: Lera
“Just want to let everyone know he’s a real amazing dude and it was all good intentions,” firefighter Tadarius Spearman wrote in a Facebook post, alongside ten African-American firefighters. “And our entire class (is) supporting him in this. Especially us African-Americans and that’s all that needs to be said. Stay up brother. #DFD.”

Good for them. Every once in a while we get a glimmer of hope in today's world that it has not gone completely mad.

7 posted on 10/12/2017 7:07:50 AM PDT by Mozzafiato
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To: Rennes Templar
Everyone loves watermelons in the south...it ain't a racial thing. Ever pour a pint of citrus vodka into a water melon overnight? YUMMMY!

However I do understand the old Picaninny ads:



8 posted on 10/12/2017 7:10:28 AM PDT by DCBryan1 (No realli, moose bytes can be quite nasti!)
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To: Rennes Templar
Imagine if he had brought Aunt Jemima pancakes and syrup.

Or fried chicken!

9 posted on 10/12/2017 7:11:53 AM PDT by DCBryan1 (No realli, moose bytes can be quite nasti!)
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To: Lera
If he REALLY wanted to be 'racially insensitive', he might have brought these:

They are now called 'Black Licorice Babies'. When I was a kid growing up in Canada, we called this candy 'Nigger Babies'. I never liked the candy not because of the name (to which I was indifferent), but because I do not like the taste of black licorice.

10 posted on 10/12/2017 7:14:31 AM PDT by A Formerly Proud Canadian (I once was blind but now I see...)
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To: Lera

Bringing a gift? F that.


11 posted on 10/12/2017 7:32:23 AM PDT by YourAdHere (Hillary 2020!)
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To: Rennes Templar
Imagine if he had brought Aunt Jemima pancakes and syrup.

He would have already committed Arkancide. 😀🇵🇭

12 posted on 10/12/2017 7:57:31 AM PDT by Mark17 (Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. In the beginning GOD....And the rest, as they say, is HIS-story)
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To: Lera

Who knew watermelon was racist.


13 posted on 10/12/2017 8:05:18 AM PDT by falcon99
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To: Lera

This is a travesty of justice. Surely intent has to count for something if they are going to impose such a huge penalty. If there was no obvious racist intent and just plain naïveté, the man should be reinstated and given an apology.


14 posted on 10/12/2017 8:09:36 AM PDT by Unam Sanctam
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To: DCBryan1

15 posted on 10/12/2017 8:19:38 AM PDT by Fightin Whitey
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To: Lera

Good to see that the Detroit Firefighters have more common sense than the NFL, NAACP, ESPN and the US Government combined.


16 posted on 10/12/2017 8:31:21 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Lera

This guy was only trying to be nice, fit in on his first day, establish comradeship and be part of the team. If anyone needs to be fired, it’s this retarded turd Second Battalion Chief Shawn McFarty.


17 posted on 10/12/2017 9:02:42 AM PDT by WKUHilltopper (WKU 2016 Boca Raton Bowl Champions)
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To: Lera

His local fruit stand had four different grades of watermelon:

1. Organic seedless (highest price)
2. Seedless
3. Regular
4. Racially insensitive (lowest price)

He’s not a racist, he’s just cheap. He bought the lowest priced watermelon.


18 posted on 10/12/2017 9:23:23 AM PDT by samtheman (As an oil exporter, why would the Russians prefer Trump to Hillary? (Get it or be stupid.))
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To: The Sons of Liberty

Only if it was from the olive garden ;)


19 posted on 10/12/2017 9:28:52 AM PDT by Trillian
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To: samtheman
He’s not a racist, he’s just cheap. He bought the lowest priced watermelon.

Would that be the kind with a thin skin and big black seeds?

20 posted on 10/12/2017 9:40:28 AM PDT by USMCPOP (Father of LCpl. Karl Linn, KIA 1/26/2005 Al Haqlaniyah, Iraq)
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