HFD Racism & Sexism Rallies By Racists & Sexists

Update on the Rallies...
Respect Rally for women: Attendance was dismal. The media and organizers of the rally comprised approximately 75-80% of the total attendance at the rally. Of the non-media, non-organizer attendees, there were approximately 20 people in attendance and 80% were black. Deric Muhammed was there, along with several other black community activists. Wanda Adams, a Houston City Councilwoman, sponsored the rally (she actually seems like a really nice, level-headed woman). Jolanda Jones ("Jo-Jo"), the woman who recently called the HFD Union President a "House Negro," showed up late (that's how much she really cares), at around 12:33 p.m., and she went straight to the front, facing the crowd, so she would be noticed. There were about 8 black firefighters in attendance. Several women spoke, and Jane's attorney spoke on her behalf (she was not in attendance). A couple of women prayed to God that Sexism and Racism would end, and one woman even sang a song over some crappy outdoor speakers...it was awful. One woman passionately cried, while alleging that the world is out to get women and minorities. Another woman said that all she wants is equal treatment for women and minorities, then she expressed her support for discriminatory practices on behalf of women & minorities, such as Affirmative Action. One woman prayed to God that he would "stop racism, sexism, and people hating other people, just because they're different." I wanted to pray back at her, and ask God to help people understand that people don't generally hate other people just because they're different; they hate other people because they're a pain in the ass, or because they ask for special treatment, and they ask the government to legislate their requests for special treatment. I just sat back and spectated, and at one point, I was hit on by a dude, strung out on meth, who invited me to go to the library with him. For some reason, I just wasn't in the mood that day for some gay sex with a strange druggy in the library. Hopefully I didn't squander a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Flames of Racism Rally: I did not actually see the rally. It started at around 12 p.m., and by the time I arrived, at around 1:20 p.m., the flames of racism had already been self-extinguished (it was kind of hot outside...not a good day for a flaming outdoor rally). Reportedly, there were about 70-100 people in attendance, and they ended up finishing off the rally with a little mini-parade through the streets of downtown Houston. I have a feeling they did not persuade too many people to want to give equal but special treatment to the members of their particular group, distinguished by their shirts & signs, which declare their membership in a distinct group, characterized by their race. That really sounds like a sure-fire recipe for ending racial discrimination...asking for special consideration (a.k.a., discrimination) for a particular race. I went to the city council meeting which followed the rally, and apparently, the flames of racist anti-racism were not about to be re-kindled in the city council meeting. The meeting seemed uneventful, and my parking meter was about to run out, so I left.



I imagine some of the flames of racism were pre-extinguished by Captain Smith's public apology, which was issued yesterday and aired on all the major local news channels. Captain Smith spoke with representatives of the NAACP, and he explained that he was not aware that a noose was a symbol of racism, he did not intend to offend anyone, and his possession of the noose, which he has carried ever since fire school, was to remind him of the knots he learned in fire school. The NAACP accepted his apology and agreed that he probably did not realize he was offending people by possessing a piece of rope, tied in a certain knots, within his personal locker. The NAACP even recommended that the written reprimand, issued to Captain Smith by his supervisor, be removed from his personnel file, since his acts were not considered to be racist. Captain Otis Jordan responded by declaring that he did not accept Captain Smith's public apology. I imagine he did not want to accept the apology because it would have diminished the motivation of 'his people' to hold an angry, 'flames of racism' rally.

I'm not looking to oppress black people or women; I'm completely in favor of equality. I'm just tired of minorities getting their way and receiving discriminatory, special treatment, in their favor, through legislation. I hope people take a stand this time, and they don't give in, just because it's apparently not politically correct to tell black activists & feminists that they're wrong. It's time to take a stand and start telling these people that equality does not mean 'special treatment'...equal means equal. It's time we start judging people based on the content of their character, rather than the color of their skin (or their gender). Stop pointing out the color of your skin (or your gender) and asking people to give you special consideration, and maybe the rest of us can eventually start forgetting about the color of your skin (or your gender).