Race and the FDNY

To the Editor:

It seems Chicken Little has ruffled a few feathers.

Battalion Chief Delbert Coward's Feb. 8 letter - which cannot be described as a rebuttal to my Jan. 25 letter, since he doesn't rebut or refute any of my points - isn't really worthy of a response, but I think one is necessary if only to reiterate an important point I made in a letter a few years back.

At that time I was also called a racist because of my positions, and I made it clear that although this tactic of name-calling had worked well to intimidate and silence people in the past, it was not going to work with me. It won't work this time either.

Once you sink to the level of name-calling, you have lost the argument, and Chief Coward wasted no time in throwing in the towel. In the second sentence of his letter, he uses code ("gatekeeper of the status quo") to label me a racist and even says I am "warped." Later in the letter he includes quite a list of pejoratives, including the curious "terroristic." This lame, pathetic attack is disappointing, Chief - I know you are capable of better.

I also know that you are better than the cavalier attitude displayed when you sarcastically write of the citizens shuddering in their boots and state that it's a wonder the city is still standing. Yes, the fires are going out and they will continue to do so - but if standards continue to be eviscerated there will be incidents where civilians and firefighters are injured or killed because there will be too many weak links in the chain. As Chiefs, we should not be rolling the dice when it comes to the safety of the firefighters we lead or the citizens we have taken an oath to protect.

Regarding that oath - it is taken and upheld by NYC firefighters no matter where they happen to live. Hessians were mercenary soldiers, and a mercenary's sole motivation is money. To characterize firefighters in this way is - I won't use "offensive" since I'm sick and tired of seeing that overused and worn-out term - but it should be embarrassing for you, Chief. You've been with the FDNY long enough to know that one of a Chief's toughest jobs at a fire is preventing firefighters from getting hurt, because they are taking risks they probably shouldn't in order to protect people - and this is true no matter how far they drive to work.

And some people drive pretty far. You write that "everybody wants to come here" and that's true, because the FDNY is the greatest fire department in the world. It didn't get that way because of low standards, and it won't stay that way unless efforts to undermine those standards are confronted and opposed at every step. Self-appointed though I am (and it was a beautiful ceremony), I would welcome help in this endeavor from anyone who wants to get involved.

But maybe I won't need any help, if Chief Coward's letter is indicative of the opposition I am facing. It was disjointed, confusing and petty, and the author's anger obviously got the better of him. The best example of its many flaws was the bizarre reference to Gus Beekman. His stated belief that nobody should expect special treatment is perfectly in line with my philosophy - why in the world would I show him any disrespect? You didn't think this one through, Chief. Fair warning - I am going to reference a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. later in this letter that I have used before; I beseech you to avoid referring to that great man as "some faithful darkie" like you did to Commissioner Beekman.

Now to John Coombs (Feb. 15 letter). I hope the editor of this paper again grants me a large part of his publication for my letter, as I have quite a lot of comments to make regarding Firefighter Coombs. I'll be as brief as possible on each one.

First, the FDNY can hardly denounce my call for an investigation (which I herein repeat and offer my assistance in conducting) since it actually conducted one, half-hearted though it seemed.

Next, John, if you believe my letter was a "tirade of deception" and that I speak half-truths and lies, then highlight and refute the deceptive points. Be aware, however, that my letter included a bibliography with nine footnotes to back up what I wrote.

Be advised that city employment is not distributed; it is earned. I thought I had explained this to you when you admitted in a meeting that you had no idea how or why civil service testing came to be. Jobs used to be distributed, John, and it led to widespread, pervasive corruption and inequity. Objective, competitive testing - while not a perfect system - is a damn sight better than patronage.

Speaking of competition - I have successfully competed on numerous entry-level tests as well as five promotion tests (one in the NYPD). I have also worked a side job over the last 12 years helping firefighters prepare for very competitive promotion tests, so I am happy that there is competition (and not simply for altruistic reasons). You, on the other hand, have stated that there shouldn't even be a test to become a firefighter (I then explained civil service testing to you) and lobbied to change the competitive written firefighter test to a pass/fail format. You also, to my knowledge, have not yet competed on even one promotion test, so it might be prudent of you to keep your opinion about others' supposed fear of competition to yourself.

You are vexed that I did not acknowledge what you call valid points raised by others. Well, this is easy to explain - I do not go along to get along. If I disagree, I disagree.

I am vexed that you make a call for elected officials to get involved, since one of the Vulcan Society's most ardent supporters is former Black Panther/City Councilman Charles Barron. He just may be tempted to send his aide Viola Plummer after me, and she is fond of threatening opponents with assassination. Maybe I'll get off easy and she'll just hit me with a leftover Sonny Carson street sign. (By the way, if Mr. Barron is still looking for a white person to slap to aid his mental health, I'm easy to find).

I am also vexed about this set-aside for white men that John claims exists in the FDNY. Contact me, John, and I will work with you to expose and eliminate it. A set-aside for any group is wrong (as you unwittingly acknowledge when you complain about this one) - as is hiring or promoting someone because of their race or gender. Yet that is what you and your "like-minded agents of change" constantly demand. Individuals who happen to be women, or Asian, or black or Hispanic are all capable of becoming firefighters and the opportunity for them to do so exists. They should not, however, be hired simply predicated on their membership in a group. If we adopt your mantra that employees in a geographical area must reflect the population, there are going to be a lot of very tall, very angry black men who will no longer be able to play in the NBA. If they ask me why, I'm gonna tell them it's your fault!

Dr. King dreamed of the day that his children would be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. The Vulcans, apparently, disagree. A Supreme Court Justice once stated that the best way to end discrimination based on race was to stop discriminating based on race. Demanding equal opportunity is admirable; demanding special treatment makes you Sharpton.

One more thing - I have a task for Firefighter Coombs. John, if you truly believe that I am racist, bigoted and not fit to work in the diverse neighborhoods of New York City, then as a leader in the African-American community you are obligated to lodge an official EEO complaint against me. It's time to put up or shut up.

PAUL D. MANNIX, Deputy Chief, FDNY