Mayor Who Fired Lesbian Police Chief Caught On Tape In Homophobic Tirade

[okaawhatever]

I couldn't get the video to embed, so you will have to go to the link. There is much more to this story and it is definitely worth clicking.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/18/south-carolina-lesbian-police-chief-crystal-moore_n_5170175.html

WASHINGTON -- The mayor of a tiny South Carolina town has triggered protests, prayer vigils and even a city council vote to weaken his powers after firing longtime police chief Crystal Moore, who is a lesbian and who some believe is a target of the mayor's homophobia.

The controversy over Moore's firing comes at a time when many in Congress are pushing for passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would make it illegal to fire or harass someone at work for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

Latta Mayor Earl Bullard fired Moore on Tuesday soon after she received seven reprimands, which alleged that she had failed to maintain order and questioned authority, among other offenses, according to a report by WBTW News 13. The reprimands were the first Moore ever received after more than 20 years on the job. What's more, members of the city council said Bullard, who just became mayor in December, broke with protocol by not giving Moore a verbal or written warning for any wrongdoing, or discussing the matter with the council before taking action.

By Wednesday, dozens of residents were picketing outside of town hall calling for Moore's job to be reinstated; Moore came by too, to thank them. Others in the town, which has a population of just over 1,400, held a prayer virgil for Moore.

[Zorra]

1. Recommend. nt

[DirkGently]

2. Good to see people sticking up for her.

His tirade(s) were full-on nuts. He kept coming back to how his poor children would be turned gay if they were even aware of same-sex couples.

[okaawhatever]

4. That insane thought process is what we need to protect children from. nt

[DirkGently]

5. Amen. n/t

[blogslut]

3. Here is a link to the video straight from the WBTW site

http://www.wbtw.com/story/25266895/folks-question?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=10060624

And to the original story: http://www.wbtw.com/story/25266895/folks-question

[DirkGently]

6. I think Chris Hayes had it on last night as well.

With the audio. He or Rachel. Sometimes those two run together for me.

I'd be interested in seeing the "seven citations in one day" Bullard apparently issued to Moore as his pretext for firing her.

[blogslut]

9. There's a link to the citations in the article.

[freshwest]

7. I refuse to listen to this idiot, here's the transcript. I'd tell him 2 things if I met him:

"I would much rather have ... and I will say this to anybody's face ... somebody who drank and drank too much taking care of my child than I had somebody whose lifestyle is questionable around children.

Because that ain't the damn way it's supposed to be. You know ... you got people out there -- I'm telling you buddy -- I don't agree with some of the lifestyles that I see portrayed and I don't say anything because that is the way they want to live, but I am not going to let my child be around.

I'm not going to let two women stand up there and hold hands and let my child be aware of it. And I'm not going to see them do it with two men neither.

I'm not going to do it. Because that ain't the way the world works.

Now, all these people showering down and saying 'Oh it's a different lifestyle they can have it.' Ok, fine and dandy, but I don't have to look at it and I don't want my child around it."

On second thought, make that several things starting with:

"...I will say this to anybody's face ... somebody who drank and drank too much taking care of my child than I had somebody whose lifestyle is questionable around children.

#1: You would say that to anyone? You just got into office, pal, and don't have any discretion. Oh, you really don't know where or when you are living. You need psychological assessment to see how you are oriented in space and time. Or were you under the influence?

#2: I suspect the one who would be drinking nonstop in front of a child, with the predictable results, is really teaching a bad lifestyle. I have a friend who did that, lost one child to relatives but she had sense enough to let her lesbian sister and spouse do most of the child rearing of her second to keep him out of the chaos that hers was. That lesbian couple saved his life and he did great and finished college. You are dangerously ignorant.

#3: It was good sense for her after her PTSD from being physically and emotionally abused as a child by two raging alcoholics, raped as a teen and becoming a prostitute, trying to drink it away. You don't have as much sense or class as her, with what you would no doubt judge a 'questionable lifestyle.' You're 'questionable.'

#4: Just why did you run for office? To promote your version of backward family values, that of alcoholism? Do a little reading, talk with those whose homes have been destroyed by drinking or drug abuse, and they might not approve of the lifestyle you approve of here, in fact have suffered abuse and permanent loss from it. But I suspect you already know this. And I dare say you thought you would get an easy job so you could continue your real career that of drinking? We need to look into you DUI record, or ask around, you may have a few 'lifestyle' problems. I'm sure there is a rich history of foolishness going on in your private life, but not the chief's.

#5: Ironicially (get yourself a dictionary, I'm sure you don't know the meaning of the word) your assholery is going to spur the passage of a law to make no one will pull a stunt like this again. Ain't that a kick in the pants, buddy? If you'd minded to your own job and not the job of a 20 year veteran public official, you could have drunk yourself into a stupor in your office on the public dime, but now you're gonna pay, the city council just took away your rights to control things. Because you are not competent. WTG, buddy, there is a reason these laws are passed, and you are one of them. The American people believe in fair play much more than you - that should have been your focus."

Since I won't have the rather 'questionable' pleasure of talking to this fool, I leave it to DU and whoever else spreads the word on this clown.

Now there may have been something in those seven alleged offenses, but likely not, or the council would not have slapped this guy down so hard. They should pass a motion to rehire the chief, and take out the mayor, for his actions that were 'disrupting the public order,' if it's in the city charter.

[okaawhatever]

13. Thx for the effort in putting your response together. As to the alleged offenses, prior to the day

she received 7, she hadn't received a TOTAL of 7 in her 20 years with that department.

What may come of this is a SCOTUS ruling that says she has rights even without a state law protecting gays. Since SC doesn't have a law protecting gay workers from being fired for being gay, the mayor could have fired her for being gay. His idiocy may provoke a separate lawsuit that will unravel his grand plans.

[freshwest]

14. I'd like to unravel his connection to the taxpayers. That's the only way they learn. n/t

[merrily]

8. Mayor Bull Lard?

Okay, I know that was childish. But, the firing is bullshit.

[passiveporcupine]

10. He is the one who needs to lose his job. NOW!

And she needs to be reinstated.

I'm so glad he got taped in that homophobic conversation. He doesn't have a leg to stand on now.

[Initech]

11. Asshole gets caught on tape looking like an asshole. Enjoy the next campaign!

[Babel_17]

12. K&R

I'd rather have a mayor that drank and ran around, instead of having a hateful bigot.