Today, the region is now down one 30-year veteran firefighter, who was caught (and punished for) making at least one violently racist post on his Facebook page this week.
When Michele Barth scrolled through her Facebook feed earlier this week, a posting by a firefighter identified as Chris Bush jumped out at her.
“It was deeply concerning to me,” Barth said.
The Facebook status read: "We should buy deer feeders, fill them with pinto beans, put them up at the border and make a new hunting season. I wonder how many Texans would buy that hunting license and how many tags we would be allowed."
He seems like just the guy you want helping you when you’re a person of color in need of care.
Bush, who stupidly set the privacy on his xenophobic murder proposal to “Public,” soon found himself the subject of public outcry.
The post was shared numerous times by people concerned that a first-responder would publicly advocate shooting Latinos. The concerned citizens also contacted Bush's places of employment.
For all the folks who tend to defend bigots who get named and shamed and lose their livelihood, you may want to click away right now. You’re going to find this upsetting for all the wrong reasons.
Chris Bush, Fantasy Hunter of Humans at the Southern Border, ultimately faced all the fires this week, and he couldn’t put ANY of them out.
First, let’s hear from his hometown.
The city of Bellaire, where Bush worked part time, released the following statement regarding Bush's employment:
"Wednesday morning we became aware of an inappropriate and offensive social media post by a part-time firefighter. Upon learning of that post, we took immediate and appropriate action, and the individual is no longer employed with the City of Bellaire."
Next, let’s check in with the city where he worked the longest.
Bush spent the most time at Westfield Fire Department, where he first joined as a junior firefighter volunteer more than 30 years ago. He was a paid part-time firefighter there, where he worked alongside Chief Stephen Whitehead for three decades.
"Shocked, disappointed, outraged for the shame it brought to him and the department," said Chief Whitehead, who says Bush's 30 years with the department is now over.
Whitehead also mentioned that Bush knows he “messed up” and is sorry, and wishes he could “take it back,” but we all know he is just sorry he got caught. An apology in air quotes, if you will.
Bush found no tolerance for his disgusting dream of shooting brown people with the folks in Harris County, where he worked as an EMT for a company known as Acute Medical Services.
Acute Medical's President, Dr. Setul Patel, released the following statement:
"Mr. Bush is no longer employed at Acute Medical Services. We at AMS champion diversity and respect all dimensions of life, and do not discriminate based on age, race, religion, ethnicity and national origin, accessibility, disability, gender and gender identity, sexuality, class, marital status, veteran status or any other human dimension. As public servants, we have a duty to serve all human life that needs our help."
Reporter Miya Shay from ABC13 in Houston visited Bush’s house in Bellaire. While his wife, Cindy, refused to let Shay and her camera operator anywhere near her newly unemployed husband, she did offer this super-remorseful comment.
In trying to get his side of the story, Eyewitness News tried to talk to Bush, his wife Cindy answered the door and defended her husband.
"Well, I don't believe we should let other people over until we take care of people under our freeways," said Cindy Bush.
Clearly, Bush and his family are actually probably really tolerant and compassionate when it comes to their feelings about people from other countries attempting to immigrate to the United States, and they probably work really hard to help “people under (their) freeways” get help.
It’s refreshing to see continued consequences for bold and blatant acts of bigotry—especially when they come with a big scoop of violence—but it’s key to remember that these vile mindsets also exist in private. Thanks go to folks like Michele Barth, who made Bush’s brutal hate known to his employer.
Let’s all do our best to fight bigotry wherever it surfaces, even though it’s a near constant in the White House. After all, it’s not just enough to be Not Racist—we need to be Anti-Racist.