'Pink slip' at 82 - Airline veteran's gay-slur remorse

[MIJ-VI]

'Pink slip' at 82 - Airline veteran's gay-slur remorse
By CHRIS ERIKSON

After 54 years working for American Airlines, Freddy Schmitt says he just wants the same thing the US Army gave him six decades ago -- an honorable discharge.

Instead, the 82-year-old WWII vet was handed his walking papers after allegedly using a derogatory term for gays during a workplace bull session about "Don't Ask Don't Tell."

The fact that Schmitt was defending gay soldiers' right to serve -- "Back then, a faggot coulda saved my life" -- hasn't changed the airline's decision. Neither has his blemish-free employment record, nor the pleas of former JFK co-workers upset over the axing of their buddy known as "Papa Freddy."

Schmitt had little to say about the remark in December that got him fired last month as a ground-crew worker following a suspension and two hearings. He just wishes he could have stayed on the job until November, when he was planning to retire with a milestone under his belt.

"It would look nice, going out with 55 years," Schmitt said. "After 54 years, all I want is to go out in good faith."

Schmitt is appealing the termination through arbitration, but the process can take months, according to union officials.

Nobody disputes that Schmitt -- a baggage crew chief -- used the term, or that the pugnacious Brooklyn native didn't exactly grovel with remorse when reprimanded by a supervisor. But the context should be taken into account, say Schmitt's former airline crewmates.

"This guy is like everybody's father here," said co-worker Jack Sullivan, who said it hurts to see his colleague of 26 years tossed out.

Under the terms of the firing, Schmitt retains his pension but loses his health benefits -- and the travel privileges his wife of 45 years, Viola, so enjoyed.

*puts on editor's visor*

Political correctness run amuck! Aside from being unfair this is EXACTLY the sort of PC BS
which causes moderate Str8s to think 'gosh, the queers ARE getting out of hand'.
This veteran should be reinstated and given formal apology ASAP!
What ever happened to context?

My $.02?
American Airlines is trying to cheat 82-year-old Mr. Schmitt out of his health benefits
and his wife's travel privileges while blaming it on 'the fags'...



--------

American Airlines

http://www.aa.com
American Airlines Headquarters
4333 Amon Carter Boulevard
Fort Worth, TX 76155
Telephone: (817) 963-1234
Toll-free number: (800) 433-7300
Fax: (817) 963-9641

How to get through to an operator:
Dial 00, then say “agent”.

http://onyoursi.de/wiki/travel/airli...an-airlines-2/

[sandmangeck]

Would you feel the same way if the situation had spawned the N word?

[PSPookie]

Originally Posted by sandmangeck

Would you feel the same way if the situation had spawned the N word?

I was just thinking that this situation sounds very similar to one involving a school teacher. She was fired for using the N word in class. At 1st glance, this seems entirely reasonable until you hear the the context in which it was used: "Children, we don't say <N word>".

[DwaynieAD]

Originally Posted by sandmangeck

Would you feel the same way if the situation had spawned the N word?

in a certain time, lets say the 30's and 40's when this man grew up, both may have been the accepted vernacular when referring homosexuals and black people respectively. much like how my grandfather still calls the refrigerator the "ice box." unless you automatically decide to go on a witch hunt it is plain to see that he meant no ill will in his comment, just that by today's standards he chose his words poorly.

despite what we think of ourselves today's generations (and ones older that I) are no better than any of the other ones. we aren't smarter, we aren't better. the last two generations (or more) need to get off our collective high horses.

[SharkUSMC]

*Tongue in cheek*

Hey, a bundle of sticks can be very handy when building fortifications. Were they not supposed to be discussing military fortifications during working hours? I don't see what the problem is.

[Jimbob Jones]

+1 to Dwaine; my grandfather regularly used both of the afformentioned terms in normal conversation, he simply didn't see them as indecent or offensive.

I think Political Correctness has gone entirely insane. Nine times out of ten, the minority or group that people are worried about offending couldn't care less about what some retirement age airport worker has to say about them.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Maybe he was talking about a small bundle of sticks saving his life?

Edit - beaten to it

[MIJ-VI]

Context...

[sloasdaylight]

This is absurd.

[MJ5150]

I get tired of that defense "Oh, it's OK, he/she is really old and that word wasn't offensive back when they were younger". The word is offensive today, now. No doubt American Airlines has provided sensitivity training to it's employees multiple times. Adios grandpa.

-Mike

[nutdog]

Does this fall under tolerance or acceptance?

Get ready. More to come.

[sloasdaylight]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

I get tired of that defense "Oh, it's OK, he/she is really old and that word wasn't offensive back when they were younger". The word is offensive today, now. No doubt American Airlines has provided sensitivity training to it's employees multiple times. Adios grandpa.

-Mike

The word's offensive depending on who says it, the context they're saying it in, and whose listening to it.

Unless there's something we're not hearing, this is political correctness going way too far. Having a 0 tolerance policy for things like this is asinine.

[MJ5150]

Cool. I can't wait until I'm old and crusty so I can throw around words like this one and everyone will say it's OK since I'm old.

Would you be more in favor of a three strikes rule for PC? You can say gay and racial slurs three times, but on the fourth, you're out of here?

-Mike

[MonetBass]

First thing that came to my mind: Why is an 82-year-old still working, as a baggage crew chief no less? The dude should have retired long ago.

I agree that the firing is ridiculous, though.

[MIJ-VI]

Recently the SCOTUS ruled that the Westboro Baptist 'Church' has the 1st Amendment right to bray hate. Yet some parsimonious bean counter at American Airlines thinks they can exploit elderly Mr. Schmitt's non-malicious use of the word 'fag' as a pretext to scam him out of his health benefits etc?

[guy n. cognito]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

I get tired of that defense "Oh, it's OK, he/she is really old and that word wasn't offensive back when they were younger". The word is offensive today, now. No doubt American Airlines has provided sensitivity training to it's employees multiple times. Adios grandpa.

-Mike

If a gay guy called himself a fag in the same meeting, should he be fired, too? What about two black men who willingly refer to each other as ******? Pinks for them both?

You've drawn such a dramatic line in the sand, I'm just curious what you consider acceptable?

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

Cool. I can't wait until I'm old and crusty so I can throw around words like this one and everyone will say it's OK since I'm old.

Would you be more in favor of a three strikes rule for PC? You can say gay and racial slurs three times, but on the fourth, you're out of here?

-Mike

Context is everything.

I strongly suggest you avoid hanging about with any smokers from the UK if you take that much offence to the term in a non-malicious context

[stratovani]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

Cool. I can't wait until I'm old and crusty so I can throw around words like this one and everyone will say it's OK since I'm old.

Would you be more in favor of a three strikes rule for PC? You can say gay and racial slurs three times, but on the fourth, you're out of here?

-Mike

Mike, you're being very intolerant. The guy's 82 years old, from a time when the n-word and other terms were more widely accepted. Everybody at his work admired and respected him, and all he wanted out of life was to reach his personal milestone of 55 years on the job. My late father-in-law spoke much the same way. Things have to be taken in context. Perhaps he's guilty of a poor choice of words - and who among us is not guilty of that on occasion - but as a member of the Greatest Generation he's used to speaking this way, and he's not going to change. So I say we give them some slack and put up with it. After all, their generation fought and died face-first in the mud so we could all be so politically correct.

[guy n. cognito]

Originally Posted by stratovani

Mike, you're being very intolerant. The guy's 82 years old, from a time when the n-word and other terms were more widely accepted. Everybody at his work admired and respected him, and all he wanted out of life was to reach his personal milestone of 55 years on the job. My late father-in-law spoke much the same way. Things have to be taken in context. Perhaps he's guilty of a poor choice of words - and who among us is not guilty of that on occasion - but as a member of the Greatest Generation he's used to speaking this way, and he's not going to change. So I say we give them some slack and put up with it. After all, their generation fought and died face-first in the mud so we could all be so politically correct.

You'll find that the "tolerance" movement is populated by some of the most intolerant people on earth.

Has anyone seen the Wanda Sykes " don't call stupid stuff gay" commercial? I find it hilarious that she has become a spokesperson for tolerance. Ever seen her live show? In addition to making fun of whites, republicans, southerners and politicians, she made fun of those serving in the military. When a woman in the audience verbally objected (because her husband was killed in Iraq) Wanda lashed out inva verbal tirade that only ended....... When she didn't get the laughs she thought would follow.

Tolerance FTW.

[Kwesi]

I'm in total agreement that the word should not have been used, but firing him for the utterance of a single word after nearly 55 years of exemplary service?! Yea, that airline wants some of that money back. Even if he had said it maliciously; Would it be wrong? Yes. Would punishment be given? Yes. But, still, firing someone over a single word just doesn't sound right.

Lol, hat three strikes rule might not be a bad idea ! In this case, it's not about it being OK, because it isn't. It's about giving a man who has show that over five decades he was a good man and a good employee and that absolutely should have been considered more when he was given the boot.