A Dissenting View
 
To the Editor:

I must agree with Battalion Chief Delbert Coward's assessment (Feb. 8 letter) of Deputy Chief Paul Mannix's Jan. 25 letter.

When will Chief Mannix realize that he is not the self-anointed gate-keeper of the FDNY? Stop it, Paul. Stop it now. The self-anointed gate-keepers of the FDNY are in fact John Coombs, president, FDNY Vulcan Society; Paul Washington, former president, FDNY Vulcan Society; and newly-designated "activist" and now Battalion Chief Delbert Coward, FDNY.

These apparently are the men who have all the answers as to what's wrong with the face of the New York City Fire Department. Simply stated, it is too white. It is not black enough.

They stressed that the FDNY and our Commissioner failed the citizens of this city, as hard as they tried to diversify. If Chief Coward wants someone to say it straight and in uncomplicated English, I will. If you are a black firefighter in this department and you have an opinion, then speak up, brother. If you are a female firefighter, then you may speak up as well. However, if you are a white male firefighter, keep your bigoted, racist opinions to yourself.

Are you happy, Chief? I have also spoken out in this paper about the merit system and have been called both a bigot and a racist for expressing those opinions. God forbid someone started an FDNY white firefighters association. Imagine the field day the race-baiters would have with that.

I am tired of listening to black and female firefighters who have earned their positions in this department or who have risen through the ranks on their own merits and yet condemn the same system that facilitated that rise. Chief Coward has excelled at one entrance exam and three promotional exams to attain his current position. And he is well-respected for it.

Now he feels the need to engage in full-blown personal attacks against a man who has written a letter that states nothing but facts. But who cares about facts? Chief Mannix has a passion, as I do, for preserving the merit system, and he has a firm grasp on the facts surrounding this disgrace of an exam and the idiots at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services who perpetrated it.

Unfortunately, the people in power at the Mayor's Office and the City Council think this is okay. It is disappointing that only Chief Mannix is sounding the alarm. The frenzy to diversify this department (and only this department) at any cost will lead to its future ruination. Then the Delbert Cowards of the FDNY will really have something to cackle about.

MICHAEL F. GALA Jr., Battalion Chief, FDNY