How did this flight attendant discriminate against these women? What terrible act did she perpetrate on their personages?
As the two were trying to find seats on the crowded plane, Cundiff said over the intercom, "Eenie, meenie, minie, moe; pick a seat, we gotta go."
Sawyer and Fuller said the rhyme immediately struck them as a reference to an older, racist version in which the first line is followed by the words "catch a n——r by the toe." They testified at the two-day trial that they were embarrassed, humiliated and frustrated. Fuller said she suffered a small seizure on the flight home, which said was triggered by the remark. Later at home, she said she had a grand mal seizure and was bedridden for three days.
I do not understand why these women felt they were discriminated against simply by the attendant encouraging all the passengers on the plane to be seated. They do not have to appreciate the particular rhyme used. They can even be offended by it, if they so choose. Offense is not equal to discrimination, and the rhyme was not directed in a discriminatory (selective) manner toward them. It was selective only in that is was directed towards passengers who were cushion impaired (those not yet seated).
I, for one, had never heard of the alternative version of the rhyme. It was always 'tiger' when we were choosing who was destined to become 'it'. (On the advice of my attorney, I respectfully refuse to admit ever personally voicing this nefarious verse.) It sounds like the flight attendant also was unaware of any racial connotation to the rhyme:
Cundiff, who had been a flight attendant for eight months at the time, said she had used the rhyme before on other flights. She said that it was not until she showed her mother the letters complaining about what she said that she learned about the racist version of the rhyme.
Little known fact: Freedom from offence is not one of rights granted by the Constitution of the United States. Unfortunately, it seems these two litigants remain unware of this:
"If we had jurors of our peers then we would have won the case today, and we should have won the case today, with all the evidence shown," she said.
"It's a shame that the jury pool we had to draw from did not have one black and not one minority," she said. "Something has to be done to make sure there is justice in America for blacks."
It would be interesting to know what the actual dollar figure was on the lawsuit. My research has only revealed that they were suing for "unspecified financial damages." Perhaps the were not interested in placing an upper-limit on the potential fortune to be gained from Southwest Airlines.
Flying Southwest airlines is a little crazy, but the humor provided by the attendants helps lighten up the trip. They need to continue to provide it, despite the fact that hypersensitive passengers may occasionally choose to be offended.
