“They” may be right, mostly due to being able to weasel or buy their way out of trouble. But in your case? Take a lesson from this instance and note forever the now global image of a public “FAIL”.

The woman in this picture and her companion were attending the NBA playoff game in Miami featuring the Heat against the Chicago Bulls. The Chicago player in the picture is one of their star players, and as is often the case star players are the target of taunts and insults. Happens at every sporting event around the world. The Heat had just won big over the Bulls, evening their playoff series at 1-1. Miami faithful were still bent after losing the series opener on their home court with Joakim Noah a big part of that defeat.

When players come off the court, they are literally face to face with a certain group of fans, those who have the financial ability to afford such often ludicrously priced tickets. As someone who has covered thousands of sporting events over the years, and plenty of NBA games, I can tell you from experience a lot of these people are the “entitled few”, who expect to be treated differently because they can afford such seats. Thus, they often feel empowered to show their “fervor” and believe they can get away with it.

Not this time.

It didn’t take long thanks to the power of social media and a global web to identify the woman. In typical fashion of one who has enough money to burn and doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her, Filomena Tobias remained arrogant, blamed the attention on “internet trolls” yet took no responsibility for her actions. There was no apology here, and I didn’t expect one from the first second I saw the picture. Even Tobias’ daughter laughed off her mother’s obscene gesture by instead focusing on her mother’s alleged beauty. It just goes to show the apple does indeed stay close to the tree.

As I noted, Tobias is that 1% or less of the world’s population that has all the money she needs, doesn’t need a job nor any more friends, very likely enjoys being the center of any attention, and would also likely give you or me the finger if she saw us in person. Her type is very typical of the wealthy and empowered. They live by another set of rules, and they know it.

You, however, do not live by those rules. And even if you do, would you really want to be known for this sort of behavior? Children behave better than this, and adults are supposed to know better. Tobias doesn’, and doesn’t care.

There is no doubt that sporting events bring out passions in everyone, and we live in a society where being foul-mouthed is often excused for being in that “heat of the moment”. This moment will cost her. Forever.

And in one sense it did within hours, for now that she has become known for being a foul fingered woman, all of her past indiscretions and allegations have returned. Turns out this woman has one Hell of a backstory that includes being accused of murder. What is it I have always said about the past that never goes away?

Filomena Tobias, the angry Heat fan who gave Joakim Noah the finger, has a crazy backstory

By Dan Devine | Ball Don’t Lie

THIS ENTIRE ARTICLE AND LINKS CAN BE READ HERE AT YAHOO SPORTS

After the photo of her middle-finger farewell went viral late Wednesday night, many of us found ourselves wondering, “Hey, who the heck is that angry blonde lady who flipped off Joakim Noah?” Well, we learned Thursday, and boy, is the knowledge mind-boggling.

From Ihosvani Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel:

The woman whose one-finger salute has become an Internet sensation overnight is Filomena Tobias, the widow of former CNBC commentator and financial wizard Seth Tobias, said Filomena Tobias’ daughter, Victoria Racanati, when reached by phone by the Sun Sentinel.

“She’s embarrassed, but she is being a good sport,” said the daughter told the Sun Sentinel on Thursday. “She was having fun just like any other fan. All she has to say is that people need to get a life.”

Good call, ma’am. If there’s one surefire way to get people — especially Internet people — off your case, it’s by saying they need to get a life. That’ll definitely put a pin in this important investigation; surely, there will be no more digging into Ms. Tobias’ background and affairs.

Hmm? What’s that, Chicago Sun-Times?

Then you Google her and things become interesting. Like the fact that people — including Seth’s brothers — think she murdered him.

Wait, what? From the Nov. 4, 2007, edition of the New York Times:

[Tobias'] brothers, Samuel, Spence, Scott and Joshua, claim that Filomena Tobias drugged her husband and lured him into the pool, where he drowned. A former assistant to Seth Tobias has told the police that Filomena Tobias confessed to him that she had cajoled her husband, who was on a cocaine binge, into the water, promising him sex with a male go-go dancer know as “Tiger.” A lawyer for Filomena Tobias has called the claims outrageous.

Before we go any further: Filomena Tobias didn’t face criminal charges in connection with her husband’s death.

“Based upon the evidence available at this time, including the autopsy and toxicology reports, there is no indication of criminality in the death of Mr. Tobias,” Assistant State Attorney Mary Ann Duggan wrote in a Feb. 11, 2008, letter to the Jupiter, Fla., Police Department.

The Tobias brothers and Filomena Tobias settled their civil case in June 2008. Sam and Spence Tobias received complete control of Tobias Brothers Inc., while Filomena received “the balance of the estate,” including the couple’s $3.3 million mansion. The two sides released a statement saying they had “amicably resolved their differences and the allegations of the petition” — namely, that Filomena had murdered her husband by sneaking him sleeping pills before tricking him into heading to the pool so that he could have a secret homosexual encounter — “will be withdrawn.”

Those allegations and plenty more were detailed in a must-be-read-to-be-believed February 2008 New York magazine feature by Stephen Rodrick that includes the following notes:

• Filomena’s third husband, divorce lawyer Jay Jacknin, served as one of her lawyers in the cases surrounding Seth Tobias’ death, and offered this description: “She had a great body. Women love her. Men find her fascinating. I just couldn’t afford her.”

• “The police were summoned three times in 2003, and each time, Jay Jacknin said his wife was the aggressor. He said she struck him, threw a phone, and pulled his hair.” He also said she “was on a cocktail of Xanax, Vicodin, and Ritalin and kept [cocaine] in the house.”

• She had a unique method of drug-testing her husband:

In the fall of 2005, the couple was having dinner at Bice, a Palm Beach restaurant, with six other people. Just after sitting down, Phyllis jumped from her seat and placed her lips over Tobias’s nose and began sucking. She was searching for cocaine residue.

• She reportedly began “running all her decisions past her online psychic,” a gay con man named Billy Ash who’d been implicated in no fewer than a dozen scams perpetrated in South Florida in the 1990s and early 2000s, including “stealing the client list of a company that sold goods manufactured by the disabled and setting up a rival company” and telling a tabloid that Tina Turner was a patient at the Fort Lauderdale AIDS counseling center he worked at (which was a lie), and spent six months in jail for his swindles and for reportedly running a prostitution ring.

(Seriously — that’s just for starters on this thing. Go read Rodrick’s whole story. It’s bananas.)

So, yeah. That’s the lady who flipped off Joakim Noah — a Heat season ticket holder whose family attends every game, who was “fuming” at some of the less-than-friendly comments about her one-finger salute, whose backstory wouldn’t seem out of place in a serialized hourlong drama/thriller, and who did not want to comment any further on the story, according to her daughter.

I don’t blame her. I don’t know what the hell else to say about this, either.

(Also: Please, please, please don’t let the “shrieking Spurs lady” have a backstory like this. I don’t think my heart could take it.)

Make no mistake, this picture will be tossed around the Internet, photoshopped, mocked and made newsworthy for weeks, years, even decades. It’s the finest recent example of destroying an image, perhaps permanently. This women will always be angry, will always be obscene, and will always be known as someone who believes the rules don’t apply to her. Or him, for that matter. Talk about the “Scarlet Letter”, call this this “Scarlet Finger”.

In this world, everything you do in public can be recorded, played back, re-aired, posted and noted. Everything. This is a picture that could wind up on the desk of an employer, someone you’re seeking to hire you, someone in your family, or the person who wants to use it as a new billboard. It never goes away.

Want to be known as a “Class A Jerk” for the rest of your life? Go ahead. Make her day.

INTELLIGENCE: HOW PEOPLE SEE YOU ACT IN PUBLIC IS HOW THEY PERCEIVE YOU WILL ACT IN PRIVATE. ANGER IS AN EMOTION BEST LEFT IN PRIVATE AT ALL TIMES. AND JUST BECAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE MONEY OR STATUS, YOU ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM BEING FOREVER LABELED A PRIME JACKASS.

Unless, of course, the adults are out of the room and those making decisions on a specific ad campaign have completely switched their brains to “OFF”, creating what some are calling the most offensive television ad in history.

Mountain Dew speaks to a very specific part of society. Young men from the ages of 15 to perhaps as high as 25. These are the most sought after advertising targets because of their spending power. So they went out and hired someone called “Tyler, The Creator” to produce a spot aimed at that demographic. What they got has stunned even veteran ad agency reps, leaving everyone to wonder “What in the Hell were they thinking?”

Tyler is a young African-American who is frontman for the hip hop collective “Odd Future”. He cast his bandmates as members of the police lineup. Supporters say he is always “pushing the boundaries of racial stereotypes” and those who know him would understand.

But the general public is by and large neither familiar with nor knowledgeable of Tyler’s “creativity”. The fact he created the ad proves to many he is either serious about pushing those boundaries or he is just as racist as so many others. This was his creation, his idea, and his allegedly comedic take on the stereotype of black men always being the ones accused of violent assault, and also mocks such assault of women. The fact it’s a white woman here becomes, to many, just part of the racism attached. It’s not funny, not edgy, and insulting to men and women of every race.

The ad has been pulled since the uproar, but it will of course live on in viral history. I guarantee you there is at least one rep at the Pepsi Corp. wringing his or her hands in glee about all the publicity and mentions Mountain Dew is getting over this spot. This would be the same person who still clings to the ridiculous dogma that says “there is no such thing as bad publicity”.

Bollocks.

Higher ups at Pepsi knew about this ad. They knew what is was saying, how it was produced, and naturally had the last word before it was released. This wasn’t one person going rogue. It truly speaks to a lack of intelligence on their part. And also points out there is a distinct line between being funny and insulting when it comes to broadcast and print advertising. Pepsi’s not the first to make this incredible gaffe and they won’t be the last. As a monstrous global corporation, they know this will die down, the furor will be forgotten, and their various products will continue to fly off the shelve.

You, however, are not Pepsi. You are an individual crafting a positive image and realize what even one negative instance con do to that image. You would never make this kind of mistake.

Would you?

INTELLIGENCE: THERE IS A SOLID LINE BETWEEN SAYING SOMETHING EDGY AND SOMETHING INSULTING. MISTAKES CAN BE AVOIDED SIMPLY BY NOT GOING THERE. PERIOD. ALL IT TAKES IS ONE PERSON TO SPREAD THE WORD LIKE WILDFIRE ABOUT YOUR OPINION, AND THAT STIGMA WILL NEVER GO AWAY.

Mountain Dew yanks ‘most racist commercial in history’

By Jon Terbush | May 1, 2013

THE ENTIRE ARTICLE WITH LINKS CAN BE READ HERE AT THE WEEK

  

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Here’s a NYC company giving it’s employees a raise in pay if the employee has the logo of the company tattooed on their body. Sure, it’s a neat sounding gimmick. And tattoos are more readily accepted in today’s culture than ever before.

But from an image standpoint, this is an incredibly bad idea on so any levels.

Upfront, if you like the idea and are desperate enough to have a part of your body used as a permanent billboard, that’s your call. I, however, would always advise against it. Always.

First, while you are being goaded into showing company loyalty, who is to say if the company will remain loyal to you? Of course they won’t. This is a PR grab with every positive on their side. There is nothing here that helps your image. As a matter of fact, think about a future employer who learns how gullible you were at one time. Why would they even consider having someone like that work for them, especially if it’s a high profile business. It shows you’re desperate, willing to do anything for a buck, and don’t have much value on yourself.

Second, what happens if the company itself is disgraced or seen as something other than a reputable firm? Certainly at this moment they seem legit and above board, but there are no guarantees in life. And unless you can tell the future, you may be forever marked as someone who was part of an organization, company or effort that one day will be seen in a very negative light. Again, it reflects on your decision making process and your image.

Third, have you ever talked to someone about the sometimes excruciating pain one has to go thru in order to have some tattoos removed?

Image is something you work on every day. To be a successful as you can, that image must be mastered and maintained. Being a PR sideshow for a company for which there are no guarantees they will ever show you any loyalty is an image and personal fail.

INTELLIGENCE: DON’T BECOME PART OF SOME PR STUNT WHERE THE EMPLOYER IS USING YOU FOR THEIR GAIN. THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES IN LIFE ANYONE WILL BE LOYAL TO YOU FOREVER. AND DOING IT FOR A QUICK BUCK MAKES YOU APPEAR DESPERATE, NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT AS AN IMAGE.

Rapid Realty Employees Tattoo Company Logo & Get 15 Percent Raise

It works, and is often seen as harmless fun by many, mean spirited and foul mouthed by others. We would be here for days if noting all the various times lines of common sense and simple decency have been crossed by these shows. More often than not, the image of making a living by mocking others, including the sick, is something plenty of these hosts are happy to live with because it’s profitable.

However, most of us don’t live in this fantasy world of entertainment. We live in the real world, where such actions are rebuffed by most of the population due to the sometimes mean and harmful nature of the comments.

Here we have the parents of a Downs Syndrome child going to court after a picture of their son was used by one of these radio programs, on their website, to create what they likely thought was a cutting edge joke but in reality was nothing more than making fun of the handicapped. The station’s response was as expected, seeking to protect their programming while the case heads for court. And the show itself? Don’t look for anyone there to apologize.

Even in private company, this is dangerous and ill-advised. You never know when what you consider a joke is hurtful to those who may have a family member suffering from an ailment. There’s no reason to use the handicapped, mentally and physically challenged, or even slightly ill as the foundation for your humor. That’s a stigma that won’t go away in the minds of those who hear it, and those who are told about it second and third hand. You are marked as an insensitive boor, and the laughs you get will be few and hollow. The damage to your reputation is often permanent.

INTELLIGENCE: LEAVE CONTROVERSIAL JOKES AND HUMOR TO THE PROFESSIONALS. THEY’RE PAID TO DELIVER IT AND HAVE MADE A CHOICE TO BE BRANDED AS ONE WHO MAKES IT PART OF THEIR CAREER. THE DAMAGE TO YOUR IMAGE ISN’T WORTH A FEW LAUGHS.

Parents sue radio station, others over son’s photo

By TAMARA LUSH Associated Press

ESPN has been caught in more than a few imbroglios in the past few years, and more often than not has proven to be less than solid in their stances on issues. They, like so many other broadcast networks and media outlets, bend with the wind in creating policy. If it causes discussion and ratings to increase, then go for it. If we’re caught going too far apologize and pull back. But only after the sponsorship checks have been cashed. 

Chris Broussard is a commentator for the network. He is paid to offer his opinions. He is thus paid to speak his mind, no matter what. Of course, there are guidelines as to how things can be said. But if he is asked a direct question, he is expected to deliver a direct answer. This means he must speak from his heart and sometime deal out a hard comment on difficult issues. He is expected to be honest, or at least one can only hope he is being so encouraged.

The question came up about the Collins announcement, and Broussard took it head on. He answered with a connection to his own beliefs and what he wants his image to be. Broussard is a deeply religious man, and thus brings that to his commentary. In condemning a homosexual lifestyle, Broussard left no doubt where he stands.

Following his comments, there were various calls for his dismissal. His comments, according to those who favor Collins’ pronouncement, were inflammatory, insulting, demeaning, racist, sexist, you name it. The list goes on and on.

But here’s the image rub. Broussard is comfortable with what he said. It’s his belief. It’s an honest answer with no fear of reprisal, despite the fact one may come now or in the future. And like anyone else, Broussard has a right to say what he said, knowing full well  there may be repercussions. As his employed, ESPN could fire him. But that would show how shallow and easily swayed ESPN really is. Broussard is paid to make these comments. He did his job. And he’s comfortable with what he said.

ESPN, always concerned about how some controversial issues will affect it’s overall performance and revenue, decided they had to address the situation and offer an apology. This is not unexpected.

You have to perform a tight wire act when it comes to such moments. Employers can and will fire people for damage they believe is done to their business by something said or done by an employee. It’s their right. But if you are determined to get involved in controversial issues, have no fear of reprisals and are comfortable in your own skin with what you’re saying, then go ahead. Say it. Out loud. You may be fired. You may be ostracized. But it’s the image and reputation you want. And in that stead, you should never fear or backtrack.

INTELLIGENCE: IMAGE AND REPUTATION IS ABOUT TRUST, TRUTH AND HONESTY. HOLD THOSE VALUES IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. THEY WILL NOT ONLY CREATE YOUR IMAGE, BUT MAINTAIN IT OVER TIME. ANYTHING LESS IS AN IMAGE FAILURE.

ESPN Sportscaster Immediately Trashes First Out NBA Player: Jason Collins Is Not ‘A Christian’

By Annie-Rose Strasser on Apr 29, 2013

THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AND LINKS CAN BE ACCESSED HERE AT THINK PROGRESS

An ESPN sportscaster went on the air on Monday to publicly gay-bash Jason Collins, the NBA player who came out Monday morning in an emotional op-ed, the first active male player of a major American sport to come out.

Speaking on ESPN’s Outside The Lines, Chris Broussard said that he would “not characterize [Collins] as a Christian.” He made the comments in front of his openly gay colleague, LZ Granderson:

BROUSSARD: Personally, I don’t believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle or an openly, like premarital sex between heterosexuals. If you’re openly living that type of lifestyle, then the Bible says you know them by their fruits. It says that, you know, that’s a sin. If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, whatever it maybe, I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ. So I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I don’t think the bible would characterize them as a Christian.

Broussard has previously written that he believes the NBA is “ready” for the first out player. But in that same essay, he also said it would make him “a little uncomfortable” to shower with a gay teammate. He also cast his doubt that being gay is biological, writing, “there are many scientists on both sides of the genetic debate, and I believe a truly objective person would admit the biological evidence for homosexuality is far from definitive.”

Of course, it also brought forth the uglier side of instant social media. The various outlets were jammed with messages of hate and intolerance. Sad to say, it wasn’t unexpected.

What I certainly expected was for some high profile person, likely an athlete, to try and make a snide joke out of the issue. Someone who was trying to be what in simple terms would be called a “wise ass”, seeking to trade on the news for publicity and an ego-feed.

Say hello to Mike Wallace from the Miami Dolphins.

Let’s boil this one down focusing on image. America is a land where free speech is encouraged, but there is nothing “free” about speech. Everything you say, print, write or hint at comes with consequences. If you’re going to say something, the law may allow it, but be prepared to pay the price, positively and negatively, on everything you say.

Wallace wasted no time getting on his Twitter account, which here in the 21st Century has become often little more than a global graffiti wall, and voiced his opinion.

That tweet didn’t last long. When the Miami Dolphins caught wind of it, the tweet was quickly deleted and Wallace was left to tweet an apology:

You can see the responses. Wallace was slammed by most, praised by some. But the Miami Dolphins are his employer, one who pays him an exorbitant amount of money and thus expects their employees to toe the line on controversial issues, or any issue/comment that reflects poorly on the organization. The Dolphins wasted no time dropping their apology:

“Mike Wallace has apologized for his comments, and we have addressed the matter with him. Mike’s comments do not reflect the views of the Miami Dolphins. We believe in a culture of inclusiveness and respect, and any statements to the contrary are in no way acceptable to our organization.

“We will address the entire team about our policy of inclusion and make sure they all understand the importance of respecting individual choices.”

What we draw from this exercise should be evident to those who pay attention to their image, whether it’s playing in the NFL or working the front hotel desk.

INTELLIGENCE:

1. Shut up. Leave the controversial comments to others.Put your brain in gear before your mouth or typing fingers go in motion.

2. Stop using Twitter to try and promote yourself. And haven’t we already learned that NOTHING EVER disappears from Twitter?

3. A half-hearted apology is as good as no apology as all. Wallace didn’t even try to apologize.

4. Everything you say reflects on your employer, and there’s a solid 99.999% chance they’ll find out about it no matter how hard you try to hide it.

5. If you meant what you printed and are willing to pay the price for it, don’t back down. Otherwise you’re exposed as nothing more than a coward seeking publicity.

This isn’t about “right” or “wrong”. This is about your image. Crafting a positive one and maintaining it by being smart at all times.

Mike Wallace can say all he wants from here on out. With an issue this hotly debated and so emotional, this case of “brain gas” will hang around his neck for a long time, perhaps his entire life.

And as badly as he conducted himself from start to apparent finish, that’s exactly as it should be.

It makes no difference if you’re being interviewed by the media or simply engaging in polite conversation at a dinner party. Everything you say becomes attached to your image. Everything. All it takes is one person in the crowd who questions such comments, take the time to check them out, and then issue an opinion on what you said. If you have facts on your side, no worries. If it’s conjecture, opinion, something that has not been properly checked, then don’t say it. Period. Let someone else take charge of the conversation and stay in the background.

If you’re asked to comment on such stories and issues, cite facts. If you don’t know them, say you need to look deeper into the issue before you issue an opinion. This will leave the impression that you are not willing to engage in rumors and innuendo, rather would rather deal in facts. This will raise your reputation no matter what group you’re talking to. And it gives you time to craft a proper opinion that will reflect positively on you.

If you are in the media and using them to promote yourself, using such information will only make you come off as something of a buffoon and crackpot. You may believe what you’re saying and may think you have solid information, but citing third rate web sites run by conspiracy theorists will only make you the target of mocking. Is this really the reputation you want? Not in my book.

This is a touchy game to be played, but it’s easy to learn with practice. And just as easy to lose if you choose the path of ego and self promotion.

INTELLIGENCE: DON’T COMMENT ON ISSUES UNLESS  YOU HAVE ALL THE FACTS, AND THEN USE THOSE FACTS IN YOUR OPINION. USING RUMOR, SECOND HAND GUESSES, INNUENDO AND POINTS FROM SHAKY SOURCES TURNS YOU INTO A RUMOR-MONGER THAT MANY PEOPLE WILL CHOOSE FOR GOOD REASON NOT TO TRUST.

“I’m just asking questions, man.”

That’s the common rebuttal you’ve likely heard from that conspiracy theorist who cornered you after your freshman-year political science class to just “tell” you about how the plane that hit the Pentagon on 9/11 was actually an American missile and the New World Order just wants everyone to keep quiet about it. We’ve all experienced that person before.

And it looks like Fox’s Red Eye got a dose of something similar earlier this morning.

In the first segment of the show, while discussing bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev‘s Miranda rights, sports radio host Dino Costa shocked his co-panelists by taking the discussion into crazy-town with a screed about how there was this one track coach present at the marathon who claims to have overheard a police officer telling the crowd “It’s just a drill” immediately after the explosions occurred.

Costa seemed baffled by the fact that “nobody wants to talk to this guy” about what he saw. Guest-host Tom Shillue jokingly humored the suggestion by feigning ignorance, asking, “Tell me the website? I’ve got to go to these places!” Michael Moynihan piled on by mocking: “It’s called InfoWars dot com.” At another point, Costa lamented that all of the reporting on the bombing has come from “the authorities,” and thus represents potentially untrustworthy information. Watch below:

Later in the show, during Andy Levy‘s “Halftime Report,” the ombudsman confronted Costa, leading to a slightly uncomfortable exchange:

Someone secretly recorded a Division police officer in the City of Auburn Alabama talking to a room of fellow officers before they headed for their shift, standard procedure. In discussing what might be on the horizon, he uses the word “idiots” when talking about potential lawbreakers and also notes some “good arrests”. The web site “Campus Reform” got possession of the audio, put it up on their site and proceeded to lambast the officer for the language and seek to infer this is what’s wrong with the local PD when it comes to students on the Auburn campus. The web site is notorious for taking very small molehills and making Mount Everest out of them in order to service a partisan audience, just like to many other purported news outlets. The aim here was to shame the local PD, make them appear as if all they want to do is pile-drive law abiding students, and get local officials to tamp down any law enforcement aimed at keeping the peace.

“Campus Reform” failed miserably. Yet they did succeed in providing another excellent lesson for law enforcement.

Even in your own squad room, you can be secretly recorded. Obviously someone in that room was seeking to create havoc or have what they consider “harmless fun”. So even when you’re in a room with people you believe are trustworthy, there can always be someone there who obviously cannot be trusted. Your words and actions can always be used against you, especially when the subject is law enforcement and doing their job properly and legally.

From the image standpoint, I see nothing wrong with what was said. The officer in question has nothing to be sorry for. But it does mean this PD and every other one has to be cognizant there are always people out there who want to make them look bad and thus remove some of their effectiveness. History has provided numerous examples of cops gone bad, and that is the image many people will choose to remember. So be prepared for someone to take a pot shot at you because they believe you as law enforcement as an easy target. Also be prepared than when and if the legitimate media comes calling, you have facts and truth on your side.

INTELLIGENCE: RECORDING DEVICES ARE EVERYWHERE. SOMEONE IS ALWAYS SEEKING TO MAKE YOU LOOK BAD. ALWAYS KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE, WATCH WHAT YOU SAY, AND BE PREPARED TO IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO ANY SUCH ACCUSATIONS AND ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE OF POWER. IF YOU’RE INNOCENT, IT’S AN EASY NEXT STEP.

Auburn police officer calls students ‘idiots,’ praises ‘good’ arrests in secret audio recording

A secret recording of a City of Auburn Police Division meeting reveals an officer calling Auburn University students “idiots” and celebrating a number of “good arrests” the department made on campus last year.

“We have a whole new group of idiots that come here every fall,” said Lieutenant Matthew Coffey, a City of Auburn Division police officer, on the recording, which was obtained by Campus Reform late last month.

“[W]e need to stay on em, you know, learn em quick, learn em early,” Coffey continued.

“You know a lot of this stuff they are out here doing ain’t gonna be tolerated,” he said. “Going out getting drunk and doing stupid stuff, walking around carrying a beer. There’s gonna be consequences to it and we are that consequence.”

The recording was made by a former police officer on August 19, 2012, beginning at 5:12 p.m. The officer, who was terminated from the division, is considering legal actions against the department alleging an abusive and aggressive quota system.  

The identity of Coffey, as well as the veracity of the recording, has been independently confirmed by Campus Reform through multiple sources including an active police officer in the City of Auburn force, a former officer, and an Auburn University student.

Coffey did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Campus Reform.

Let’s be honest ourselves for a moment. Murrow should not be looked upon as a God, or someone that speaks for the righteousness of society in every aspect. Even he would have chaffed at that characterization. What he was, at the end of the day examining his legacy, is simply a man who told the truth. He knew that truth would make him a pariah to many at that infant time in broadcasting. He likely never cared about the fame it did or would bring him. He was a broadcast journalist who believed there was nothing more to tell than the truth.

In that stead, he needs to be admired and held to the high standard he set. For telling the truth is the most important part of everyone’s reputation. It is that integrity that you either have or you don’t. You either believe in it or you think it’s just a word. You either chose to have truth and integrity attached to your image, or you chose to be a fraud. It’s your choice. Just remember you have to live every single day with that choice.

The speech Murrow made in 1958 before his peers was never captured on film, but a transcript exists. Here, from the motion picture “Good Night and Good Luck, is actor David Strathairn portraying Murrow and delivering that speech. It’s not Murrow, but it’s damn near perfect. Close your eyes and let the words, the cadence, and the meaning that was Edward R. Murrow sink in.

The words speak to a troubled industry, but can be used for almost every instance in our professional and personal lives.

INTELLIGENCE: THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTION FOR HONESTY AND INTEGRITY. NONE.

Oklahoma Representative Dennis Johnson comes from a time when lines such as “Jew me down” were not only accepted, they were part of the daily lingo. This is, of course, no explanation for his complete lack of common sense, knowledge of how the world has changed, and how to apologize for doing something incredibly stupid.

Using the phrase in a public forum is one thing. On the floor of the State Senate is another. Being told you just did something stupid and making joke about it is a third strike for which no further apology is needed nor able to completely cover up the mistake.

Politicians need to be smarter than this, of course. And of course, we see too many instances where they are not. They’re human like everyone else, or at least we hope they are, and with so many instances of their fellow elected officials saying and doing foolish things you would think they would understand the need to be more cognizant of what is said. This is simply about controlling your image. For all we know, Rep. Johnson may be a raging anti-Semite, or he may be one with a deep soul that would never mean to hurt anyone with such words. For our purposes, it makes no difference. His image to many now, despite any further apologies, will be a man who obviously has something against people of the Jewish faith. No matter what he says, this will stick to him for the rest of his life.

To say nothing of the fact that after being told of his epic gaffe, he chose to pseudo-apologize and then dig the hole even deeper. An immediate and heartfelt apology might have made a difference. However, he chose to show everyone how out of touch with reality, and his reputation, he really is.

INTELLIGENCE: THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR USING OLD, INSULTING STEREOTYPES UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. YOU PRIDE YOURSELF ON BEING SOMEONE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE? DOING SOMETHING THIS STUPID WILL PROVE TO EVERYONE THERE’S NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF SMARTS LEFT INSIDE WHAT LITTLE GRAY MATTER MIGHT REMAIN.

Rep. Dennis Johnson Apologizes For “Jew Me Down” Slur

THE REST OF THE ARTICLE AND LINKS CAN BE READ HERE AT POLICYMIC