Omar Thornton Victim of Racism and Union Management Corruption

Omar Thornton Victim of Racism and Union/Management Corruption

(With Permission from Broadway Stagehands Democracy)

The editorial staff held a meeting yesterday regarding the murders in Connecticut. We concluded that when Omar complained to union and management about racism that the Teamsters and Management built a phony case of stealing against him to cover their Racism and Lack of Union Democracy. We have seen the same story repeated over and over again in Local One IATSE. Complain and they set you up. Omar was not correct in his shooting spree but he too was a victim.

Kristi Hannah, girlfriend of Omar Thornton, recalls gunman's goodbye, racism concerns

BY Matthew Lysiak In Enfield, Conn., and Corky Siemaszko
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Originally Published:Wednesday, August 4th 2010, 11:37 AM
Updated: Wednesday, August 4th 2010, 12:06 PM

CT shooting suspect Omar Thornton with his girlfriend at left Kristi Hannah.

Hill/AP

Authorities converge on Hartford Distributorsin Manchester, Conn., Tuesday.

The girlfriend of the Connecticut truck driver who killed eight of his co-workers said Wednesday that on the morning of the massacre "he was in a daze."

Speaking exclusively to the Daily News for the first time since Omar Thornton ended his deadly rampage by shooting himself, Kristi Hannah said she did not he was planning to unleash hell - but she knew something was not right when he left her apartment.

"That morning he seemed like he was in a daze," she said, speaking at her mom's house. "His eyes weren't right. They were empty. I kept asking him what was wrong but he wouldn't tell me."

Thornton, she said, "was quiet."

"He gave me a weird hug," said Hannah. "It was really long. And a kiss and said goodbye. He looked at me hard and told me he loved me."

Then he was gone.

A short time later, Hannah said, the cops showed up.

"Two detectives showed up asking for Omar," she said. "I texted Omar and asked, 'Why are two detectives at my door? You've never done anything wrong in your life.' He didn't answer. I texted him again, 'Are you okay?'"

Still, there was no answer from Thornton.

Then, Hannah said, she saw the reports flashing across the screen of her TV and a horrible realization set in.

"I saw the news and I collapsed on the ground," she said. "I couldn't even move. I felt so sick."

Hannah said that all their plans for the future crumbled in an instant.

"We were engaged, we were talking about having a family," she said. "I fell in love with him because he was the most gentle man I had ever met. His eyes were so kind. He would never hurt another creature."

Hannah said she can't reconcile her memories of Thornton with the cold-blooded killer who turned the beer and wine wholesaling business where he worked into a slaughterhouse.

"Omar was very kind," she said. "His sister had a drug problem and Omar spent a lot of time caring for his nephew."

Hannah also backed up claims by Thornton's kin that the 34-year-old gunman finally snapped after years of being subjected to racist taunts by co-workers.

"Everyone of \[the victims\] was a person I heard Omar mention," she said. "He didn't go around randomly shooting people. He knew these were the people who harassed him."

Thornton, a black man, "was very sensitive about his race," said Hannah.

"If you called him a n----r he would go off," she said. "But he kept it inside. He kept it all bottled up."

Thornton was reportedly about to be fired for stealing cases of suds, but his girlfriend denied he was a thief and claimed he was a good worker who was recently promoted to driver.

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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

What Do Public Tirades Say About Our Current State of Civility?

Kanye West, Serena Williams and Joe Wilson All Recently Lost Control in Public

By DAN HARRIS and REBECCA LEE
Sept. 14, 2009

Taylor Swift's music often centers on the drama and hostility of high school: mean girls, cheating boyfriends, and unrequited love. But at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, the teen singing sensation encountered a new breed of incivility.

PHOTO Serena Williams is shown on Sept. 12, 2009, left, Kanye West is shown on Sept. 13, center, and Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C, is shown on Sept. 9, 2009.

From left, Serena Williams on Sept. 12, 2009, Kanye West on Sept. 13 and Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C, on Sept. 9, 2009.

(Getty Images/AP Photos)

Moments after Swift received the award for "Best Female Video," rapper Kanye West stormed the stage, plucked the mic from her hand, and announced in front of the entire audience and millions of viewers at home that Beyonce Knowles had the best video and that she, instead of Swift, deserved the Moonman.

West's stunt came less than 24 hours after tennis giant Serena Williams unleashed a profanity-laden tirade against a line judge at the U.S. Open after what she apparently thought was a questionable call that put her a point away from loss in her semi-final match against Kim Clijsters.

The outburst cost her the match, when she was penalized a point for her behavior. And, on Sept. 9, Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina shouted "You lie!" at President Obama during his health care speech to a joint session of Congress.

Kanye West Creates Chaos at VMAs, Again

Serena Williams Fined After On Court Tirade

'You Lie' Congressman: No Double Apology

By all accounts, last week was chock full of bad behavior. But are these outbursts merely circumstantial, or are they an indication of a shift in our nation's values?

As one might imagine, the recent outbursts have touched off a cascade of talk about the "coarsening" of our culture.

"There is an increasing coarseness to American discourse," columnist George Will said. He blamed our impulsivity and rudeness on a "culture of entitlement" where we celebrate "emotional exhibitionism" on football fields, cable television, and the Internet.

"We've decided that it is therapeutic to express oneself no matter how coarse one's thoughts, and that whatever is therapeutic is good," Will said. "I think we're seeing a kind of emotional exhibitionism whereby people say, 'I said something ghastly, but I said it honestly and sincerely.' And honesty, sincerity, and authenticity are self-legitimizing."

Facing stiff penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct, Serena Williams said in a statement released Sunday she "handled the situation poorly" and thanked her fans "for understanding."

"Last night everyone could truly see the passion I have for my job. Now that I have had time to gain my composure, I can see that while I don't agree with the unfair line call, in the heat of battle I let my passion and emotion get the better of me and as a result, handled the situation poorly. I would like to thank my fans and supporters for understanding that I am human and I look forward to continuing the journey, both professionally and personally, with you all as I move forward and grow from this experience," she said in a written statement.

It was not until today that Williams made any public apology to the lineswoman she berated, to Clijsters, and to the U.S. Tennis Association, which runs the U.S. Open.