Air marshal official sidelined for 'culturally insensitive' comment

[RamboLiberal]

Source: CNN

A senior administrator with the Federal Air Marshal Service has been removed from his leadership position while the agency investigates a "culturally insensitive" remark he made on a recent conference call, CNN confirmed Tuesday.

John A. Novak, assistant director of the service, dismissed a black colleague's suggestion that the agency hold regional meetings to improve communications by saying such meetings are "nothing but traveling minstrel shows with people with banjos and guitars," said a senior government official familiar with the investigation.

The reference to minstrel shows, in which white performers in blackface lampooned African Americans, was offensive, the senior official said.

"It was dumb. It was stupid. It was egregious," added the official, who spoke on condition of not being identified by name. The official was not authorized to speak about the case publicly.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/09/air.marshals.suspension/index.html?hpt=T2

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Unless there is something else in this case IMHO this is a bit of PC run amok.

[enlightenment]

1. I agree.

If that was all there was to it, it didn't require anything more than a verbal smack upside the head - preferably delivered at the time of the offense. If this was a pattern of behavior, then perhaps removal is warranted - but it doesn't sound like it was this man's standard mode of operation.

Removing him from the post won't get his attention nearly as well as being told he's a stupid, insensitive clod with no more sense than a protozoa - by the people who heard him make the remark.

[nyc 4 Biden]

2. Removing him from his post won't get his attention?

I doubt that.

Also, IMHO, most opponents of "Politically Correctness" just want to defend their not-so-subtle racism.

[enlightenment]

5. Sure, it will get his attention -

but it won't change his attitude - because he's a human being and human beings love to rationalize their failings by pointing the finger at others. Losing his position may be appropriate, but it may not be the correct response to the situation.

If his colleagues - and I gathered from the article that he was on a conference call with others in similar positions of authority, not with underlings - had called him on the comment at the time and made it clear that is was an unacceptable remark, he would have gotten the message. Given that the article suggests he has no history of this sort of thing, it might have proven an enlightening educational moment with much better and longer effect than feeling aggrieved at losing his job and rationalizing his part in the dismissal.

Could I be wrong? Of course. Like you, however, I am entitled to an opinion - and frankly, I'm entitled to have it without having someone whip out a straw man response.

Unfortunately, that is pretty much what constitutes discussion on DU these days, so I'm not surprised to see it.

[nyc 4 Biden]

7. I wasn't referring to you.

You didn't complain about Politically Correctness. I wasn't referring to the OP either. Just a general opinion I have on most people who do whine about PC. I apologize that I didn't make that distinction.

[enlightenment]

15. Apology accepted, thank you.

Thank you for clarifying your position, also.

[nyc 4 Biden]

6. delete

dupe

[Hosnon]

8. How does "Removing him from the post won't get his attention nearly as well as..."

morph into "Removing him from his post won't get his attention"?

[mudderfudder77]

3. Well I'm an idiot.

I had no idea the term minstrel show referred to that. I just always assumed to was analogous to a farce. Guess I won't be using that term.

[pennylane100]

9. I remember a group in the sixties called the New Christry Minstrels.

They were a folk group and were quite good, but that was a lifetime ago.

[enlightenment]

16. They actually took their name from one of the

most popular of the Minstrel Shows - Christy's Minstrels. I've always thought that a bit bizarre . . .

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/foster/peopleevents/p_christy.html

[Blasphemer]

12. This is why I think there was an overreaction to his remark

I think many people would not be knowledgeable about the racist history of the term. I understand why the black colleague would have been offended but it seems likely that this person had no idea that what he was saying could be considered offensive. I would imagine he will be re-instated if it is in fact true that he genuinely did not know.

[Xithras]

14. The problem is that it's still often used for valid, non-racist reasons.

As any SCA re-enactor can tell you, a "minstrel" is simply the term used for a traveling singer from medieval times up until the early 1900's. The term "minstrel show" meant, and still means in many circles, "a show where a minstrel is playing".

The problem is, in the 1800's a number of American minstrel shows began performing racist, anti-black skits. Anti-racism campaigners tend to focus on that particular era, and often consider the term offensive.

Personally, I don't consider it a racist term. Calling a "minstrel show" offensive because some minstrels were once racist is like calling "bluegrass concerts" racist because some bluegrass singers used to sing racist songs. Some minstrel shows were racist. The majority weren't.

Xith
^^ hasn't been an SCA geek in over a decade, but always liked minstrels.

[Sonoman]

4. 'Keystone Kops', anyone?

After all, weren't they just a bunch of idiot Irishmen (or something)?

Gee, whiz...

Sonoman

[Skratchez]

10. I don't get it.

It's like, making fun of something you don't like by comparing it to something stupid and racist = racism?

Fucking Godwin's law makes you a Nazi or something. Seems like there is a problem with conflation in this dumb country.

[durkermaker]

11. he should have just dismissed such meetings in another way

because his is right about that

giant waste of time and money

and, a great time to plan an attack, when all the region's air marshals are grounded in a hotel conference center

[blackspade]

13. Minstrel has other references as well.

A minstrel was a common site in Europe for centuries.
In fact whole troupes of them traveled around.
That said, the addition of 'banjos and guitars' to the mix does add a racial overtone that was not appropriate.

[ManiacJoe]

17. How does "banjos and guitars" add a racial overtone?

It's not like folks are playing lutes any more.

[KansDem]

18. Hey, I play banjo!

Never could do much with guitar. I always preferred five strings to six strings anyway--one less to worry about...

[bigworld]

20. True. Unless there are other incidents of racism in this guy's past,

I would give him a pass.

[ceile]

19. Really?

What a joke. You're correct, RL, PC rum amok. What if instead he'd said "nothing but traveling minstrel shows waving ribbons and playing lutes"? Would Renaissance Fare people complain?

[Xenotime]

22. REally? I find his comments rather offensive

[Nye Bevan]

21. Political correctness gone mad. (Oops, I meant political correctness gone mentally challenged).

[Renew Deal]

23. I doubt the guy even knows what a minstrel show is

He's probably just repeating something he's heard.