Then you need to read This...

Incredible. Yet this paints a picture illustrated in other articles that i've read over the last year or more.

Fancy a cop taking a Train to a depot, because there aren't enough cars to go around.

Or staff who are at the end of their tether because theres no way that they can do the right thing by everybody they deal with - because theres no more time left in the day.

Sad. Very sad...
C'mon Gummint!

Rockymountainnews.com carries an article discussing the 'crisis' that is the fact that they havn't hired any Black Firefighters since 2000.

I'm saddenned that race has to fit in anywhere, really. Shouldn't the best qualified person get the job?

Theres a comment in the article that cites that by not hiring those with criminal histories (even as juveniles) theyre eliminating potential that would otherwise be useful. And leaving themselves with the occaisional pansy. This point might be valid - but how do you make the call? So many kids who start out rough, never quite lose the trend. And many kids who are brought up in rough neighbourhoods don't actually do anything serious - and then make a name for themselves as they grow up.

My view: The calibre of a Firefighter is important. I don't see why the standard should be different for Black people over Hispanics, Whites or otherwise. Theres anologies here in terms of Maori vs European here in NZ too. :(