2 strikes and you’re out

Some people get infinite strikes. Some people get two.

WJZ anchorwoman Mary Bubala, who came under fire Thursday for a question she asked about the race, gender and leadership of Baltimore’s past three mayors, is no longer with the station, according to an email sent to The Baltimore Sun on Monday night by general manager Audra Swain.
[…]
The criticism of Bubala that started last week in the wake of the WJZ anchor asking Loyola University Maryland Professor Karsonya “Kaye” Wise Whitehead an on-air question about the race and gender of the past three Baltimore mayors has continued to build.

“We’ve had three female, African-American mayors in a row,” Bubala said in setting up her question. “They were all passionate public servants. Two resigned, though. Is this a signal that a different kind of leadership is needed to move Baltimore City forward?”

A few thoughts:

1. Questions about white men’s suitability for leadership roles of any sort will never not be considered radical, even if they wind up reducing the planet to a radioactive cinder.
2. I realize that racists like to wait for people who aren’t white — however white people defining white at the moment — to fail so that they can declare that the entire race is no darn good. But it takes a special kind of creep to sit in front of cameras, put on her Concerned face and ask a professor from a local university if she agrees that she’s no darn good.
3. WJZ absolutely made the right call. I imagine the fact that Baltimore  has a large African-American population made the decision fairly straightforward, but I’ll take it.
4. If you have no personal anecdotes, please remember this story if you ever hear anyone assert that racism American style is a disease found in rural and highly Republican parts of the country. Or just tell them to shut up.
5. When faced with the consequences of their decision to be racist in the most public manner imaginable, whites have shown an inability to apologize or take their lumps in silence. Is this a signal that they should be kept as far from the public eye as possible so that they don’t accidentally word themselves into trouble?

Here’s Bubala saying all the things a person says when they have no intention of understanding what they did wrong.

In my 22 years of working in TV news in Baltimore — 15 of those years with WJZ — I have always treated people with the utmost respect and dignity. I loved my job because I love the people of Baltimore.

Either her definition of people is narrower than mine, her definitions of dignity, respect and love are warped, or she’s lying.

Last week I realized I made a mistake in the language I used on air.

As is invariably the case, she goes on about how she never meant to hurt anyone, but she never gets around to sharing the language that she would have used on air if demons hadn’t seized control of the speech center of her brain or whatever she wants people to think caused those words to come out of her own mouth. This is because she realizes there’s no acceptable version of the question, but that won’t stop the whining.

Unfortunately, I now stand in the path of the tornado.

Maybe the tornado dropped a house on her so she was seriously concussed when she went on air.

WJZ was forced to let me go. I am saddened and shocked by this decision. Baltimore City has been my home for 25 years and I treasure and am so grateful for the relationships I have made with the people of Baltimore during this time. I fully intend to fight to restore my reputation because I’ve invested my heart and soul in my work and my city. Thank you Baltimore for all of your support during this difficult period of time. It means so much to me.

Well, that certainly reeks of real Charm Citizens support me, My former employer and I are the victims of troublemakers from beyond the city limits. I wonder if she’s signed a deal with Fox News yet?

Maybe Fox and CNN are locked in a bidding war.