Here’s Racism
By Bronwyn's Harbor on July 31, 2009 at 11:30 AM in Current Affairs
Justin Barrett, a two-year police officer and national guard captain, has been suspended by both the Boston Police Department and by the Massachusetts National Guard for his e-mailed letter to a Boston Globe columnist. Barrett wrote:
“Gates is a goddamned fool, and you the article writer simply a poor follower and maybe worse, a poor writer. Your article title should read ‘CONDUCT UNBECOMING A JUNGLE MONKEY-BACK TO ONE’S ROOTS’.”
As you’ll see in the screenshot of his typed letter, he used the term “jungle monkey” more than once, including referring to Professor Gates’ behavior as that of a “banana-eating jungle monkey”:
CLICK HERE, or on the screenshot, to see it full-size and in a readable form:
The Boston Globe reports:
Barrett, a 36-year-old who has been on the job for two years, was stripped of his gun and badge yesterday and faces a termination hearing in the next week, said police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll. He has no previous disciplinary record, she said. “Yesterday afternoon, Commissioner Davis was made aware that Officer Barrett was the author of correspondence which included racially charged language,” she said. “At that time, Commissioner Davis immediately stripped Officer Barrett of his gun and badge, and at this time we will be moving forward with the hearing process.”
[...][Mayor Thomas M.] Menino said he was angry when Davis informed him of the incident Tuesday night. Of the suspended officer, Menino said he told Davis: “He has no place in this department and we have to take his badge away. That stuff doesn’t belong in our city and we’re not going to tolerate it.” The mayor stressed that the incident was about one officer, and ”one officer doesn’t make up a police department.”
Menino, speaking to the Globe before an evening event in the South End, said he hadn’t seen the e-mail Menino said while the officer is not officially terminated, he might as well be “He’s gone, g-o-n-e. I don’t care, it’s like cancer, you don’t keep those cancers around.”
Along with his suspension, Barrett was also reprimanded by the Massachusetts National Guard:
The Massachusetts National Guard does not and will not tolerate racially insensitive language.
The language contained in the e-mail violates policies of the Massachusetts National Guard and what it stands for in its commitment to uphold and protect the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Constitution of the United States.
Capt. Justin Barrett’s actions and opinions are his own and do not reflect those of the Massachusetts National Guard. Capt. Barrett’s opinions are in complete violation of Army and National Guard Values and will not be tolerated.
Barrett is not just a racist. He’s plain stupid.
Even the most hardcore racists would know better than to write an e-mail to a newspaper using that kind of language.
He’s offering excuses, including a claim that he didn’t intend to be racist, and he has apologized. But his words ring hollow, and he ought to know it.























