Some community members are angry after a Nashville Fire Department captain posted derogatory comments online about protesters and mask wearing, among other controversial topics.
Tracy Turner, a captain with Fire Station 18 in East Nashville, posted comments denouncing protesters, Black Lives Matter and Democratic leadership on his public Facebook page, according to Fox 17 Nashville.
“These Protesters are the stupidest people on the planet, other than the arsonist and looters that hang out with them,” Turner said in one post on a Facebook page appearing to belong to him that is now private.
“It’s not that the Anti-Fa and BLM thugs are so strong that they are able to take over part of a city…It’s that the Democrat Mayors are so weak as to let it happen. Shameful,” he said in another post.
“Lady asked me where my mask was today in a store. I told her I roll Commando!” he said in a third.
State Rep. Vincent Dixie (D-54-Davidson) told Fox 17 Nashville that the posts affected the way he viewed the captain.
“Honestly, I don’t think he should be a fireman and a first responder in an African American, a predominantly African American, community,” Dixie said. “I just don’t believe that because I don’t believe that he’s giving us 100 percent effort every time he goes out on a call and – when he sees a Black person that’s in need – that he’s giving a 100 percent effort in order to save this person.”
Dixie said Turner should “take it more seriously than anybody” because he is a first responder, adding that he should be removed from his position.
“We’re past asking for additional training, sensitivity training, and things of that nature,” Dixie told Fox 17 Nashville. “You know what’s right and you know what’s wrong.”
Metro Council Member Emily Benedict said the posts were “completely unacceptable.”
“This is completely unacceptable and, quite frankly, horrific behavior from anyone in the department, let alone a captain. Chief Swann became aware of the information yesterday as well. I anticipate that he will be swift in taking disciplinary action,” Benedict told Fox 17 Nashville. “The actions of Mr. Turner are yet another example of the institutional racism that exists in American culture today. When vulgarities like this come to light, we need to have a dialogue. We need to directly address these unacceptable behaviors.”
The Nashville Fire Department spokesperson said the department cannot comment on the matter until it investigates the posts, according to Fox 17 Nashville. The department’s social media policy allows employees to post their own opinions online, although they must clarify that it is not an opinion of the department and posts must fall in line with department policies.
Turner posted on Wednesday that all opinions posted were his own, following a memo sent by leadership reminding employees on Tuesday that, while employees were allowed to share their opinions online, they must clarify that they are not the department’s and must fall within department guidelines.
“Outside of the consequences he faces, we can use this as an opportunity to show others in the department and the community that this must be talked about today,” Benedict told Fox 17 Nashville. “We need to have a conversation about race. We need to listen, and try to look through a different lens than our own.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
Photo “Nashville Fire Department” by Town of Nashville Fire Department.
Who gives a hairy rodent’s posterior what the Communist beggars and Terrorist want!!! Let them move back to Chicago or California
Dave, the only way that free speech will R.I.P. is if “free and brave” people fail to exercise their right of speech in opposition to the bigoted hate of these Marxist, terrorist organizations AND stop patronizing companies and pro sports who grovel to them in craven appeasement.
I am convinced that when a politician/candidate claims to “work for the Black Community”, what they are saying is that they will stand watch and be ready to cry out when a “racist” comment is placed in public.
Okay, I have to ask, why is it the the representative of NORTH NASHVILE is complaining about the comments of a fireman assigned to EAST Nashville? I may be wrong, but I don’t think that’s his constituency. It is very easy for Mr. Dixon to make such comments, as the Republicans have no candidate for his district in this year’s election. (I should know, I live there!) When you’re sitting in your Democrat stronghold, behind the bastion of your “protected status”, it’s very easy to blow raspberries at other people’s districts.
Captain more power to you. If BLM can say the want to burning it all down with no repercussions then you can say your peace as well. Tell em to go pound sand.
This is an outrageously bigoted attack on the Captain for expressing an opinion about an admitted Marxist organization like BLM and Aldo ANTIFA. Repudiating Marxist and Communist ideology has absolutely nothing to do with racism! It is condemning the hatred which that ideology espouses and it’s known, historical record of imposing slavery, tyranny, poverty and mass murder:
“We make war against all prevailing ideas of religion, of the state, of country, of patriotism. The idea of God is the keynote of a perverted civilization. It must be destroyed.” –Karl Marx
“We must hate. Hatred is the basis of communism. Children must be taught to hate their parents if they are not communists.” – Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
“Bolshevism committed the greatest human slaughter of all time. The fact that most of the world is ignorant and uncaring about this enormous crime is proof that the global media is in the hands of the perpetrators.”
–Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn
We live in a country where we have free speech! Please leave the man alone and let him live his life! He has not harmed anyone and was speaking as an individual not in his official capacity.
Well done Tracy Turner! Those of us that are not blinded by the SJW BS and that continue to think critically must speak their mind. We must hold our ground and give no quarter to this socialist/marxist movement under the cover of racism. This has nothing to do with racism and everything to do with divide and conquer to move the socialist/marxist agenda forward.
Soon to be yet another victim of the one sided cancel culture. R.I.P. free speech!