Originally Posted by captain_drew
Well. .the short answer is . . yeah !
You have to understand the specific history of Calloway. He WAS the poster child for Affirmative Action, 'set asides' and special treatment. . . his whole life. He only got as far as he did BECAUSE he was a minority. . . .NOT because he had any special gift -or was all that smart or gifted. He felt entitled to special treatment . .because up until that point . .he had always gotten it. . . HOW DARE FedEx hold him up to some sort of standard he was never required to live up to previously!
"AA" got him into Stanford, when non-minorities -a whole hell of a lot more intelligent than him were 'stiffed'. If he were a white guy, he wouldn't have got into San Diego State!
Stanford, if you are not aware, does not 'grade' students . . . so you get through their program with a degree, based upon how they 'feel' about you. And. . WOE to any professor who did not 'feel' good about a minority. So he is standing there with a degree in his hand, just about the time Naval Aviation has a major push on to get minority pilots into the ranks.
I have never heard about his performance through Flight Training, but knowing how they lowered the bar when they wanted women pilots, I can guess. I picked up the story after his crime, when I had a chance to talk to a couple of his squadron mates at his VS Fleet Squadron. They were aghast that he EVER got an airline job.
The people hiring him at both Tigers and FedEx apparently never checked his credentials or talked to anybody in the Navy. The PIC time he had to list on his application was obviously bogus, as he NEVER was allowed to upgrade to Aircraft Commander in the Navy.
He FINALLY got to a place where the advancement was not automatic, due to Liberal pressure. Fortunately, the CO, XO and NATOPS listened to the Aircraft Commanders he flew with, who gave him the collective ‘thumbs down’ on upgrade. He, apparently, could not keep the S-3 straight and level and had no situational awareness. He was the only JO in squadron history who did not advance to Aircraft Commander by the end of his 1st tour.
So, knowing all the history I do, I take exception to your comment. He would not have even been on the property had not someone been pushing “quotas”. Someone did not do their job in checking his background, where I know they checked MY references.
My college ‘little brother’ happens to be of the black persuasion. He is a senior captain at FedEx, nearing retirement. He followed me into the Navy, after I visited campus in uniform, with fresh wings.
He has EXCELLED . . all along the way, because he was smart and competent . .NOT because he was using the system. He did a tour in Nam as an NFO . .and was then able to pass the physical for pilot and went through the program again and did another tour as a pilot. It is guys like my friend who really get frosted at “AA”, because it lets incompetents into places where they otherwise would not make the grade and casts a shadow on the bone fide accomplishments of competent minorities.
I do not deny that he could have had some "special" treatment. I also take exception to anyone (regardless of race or sex) who do not make it on their merit. No where in my posts do I deny that. I also do not claim to know Calloway's flying history. If he had a history of incompetency, so be it.
However, CB's post still stands on its own as a blanket statement which included ALL minorities, both incompetent and highly competent. You, yourself acknowledge people should be judged on their accomplishments and competency, and I wholeheartedly agree. Minority or not, Affirmative Action or not, those who are competent will always earn the respect of their peers.
Calloway was 1 in a million, regardless of his race. His despicable actions speak volumes about his nature as a human being, not as an African American. Whether he received preferential treatment due to his race or not, you can't make a blanket statement that blame what he did on a minority hiring quota and race.
Such a comment, as you say, casts a shadow on the bona fide accomplishments of competent minorities. Drew, I think we're coming from the same place, just a different interpretation of what CB said. So I'll stop beating a dead horse. Fair?