According
to CBS News, Ms. Brandi Johnson, was awarded $280,000 because she was the
victim of a racial slur incident that occurred while she was working at STRIVE,
a nonprofit organization. Rob Carmona, an African American male went on a four minute rant
degrading and repeatedly calling Ms. Johnson the "N word". She said
she was embarrassed and felt disrespected and shouldn’t have to put up with
these conditions in a workplace.
She gathered information and acquired a
lawyer and took Mr. Carmona to court saying that he should have to pay for his
wrong doings. Though, I feel that this situation was wrong, I believe that she
was more embarrassed by being inadequate rather than being offended by the
"N word". Because if you listen to the recordings that can be heard
on CBSNews.com website you will hear that Mr. Carmona disrespects Ms. Johnson
from the beginning even before using the "N word".
In my opinion this was all a ploy to get more money for herself
for her own personal gain. This was planned and probably not the first time
that he has spoken to her in this manner. She premeditated recording Mr.
Carmona, so this didn’t look like the first confrontation. The case focuses on
the "N word" when I feel that it shouldn’t have.
Although Mr. Carmona is an African American the jury didn’t
not let him pass even with his poor excuse for reasoning. According to CBSNews
Mr. Carmona disputed his case with the arguments "In his testimony, Carmona defended his use of the word, saying he used
it with Johnson to convey that she was "too emotional, wrapped up in her,
at least the negative aspects of human nature." This didn’t move the jury
in his favor at all, jurors coming to the conclusion that the word is offensive
no matter what your race or background maybe.
With that I feel to each its own, it was
created as a derogatory term but now is used in so many ways that you can’t
list them all. $280,000 for a word is drastic money to be losing over choice
words. The freedom of speech amendment should be thrown out if everything
someone said that offended someone else was punished that severely.
I believe they were trying to make an
example out of Mr. Carmona, because of his strong position in the community.
Ms. Brandi Johnson just used this as her free ticket to free money and I feel
that that’s exactly what the government gave her free money.
The word is used on a regular basis in some communities
and used in so many different way, I believe every person is in entitled to
their opinion and feelings. Ms. Johnson may have felt strongly about the
situation to feel that this was a statement but I feel that they used this case
as an example to the country while not really resolving the real issue and
giving Brandi Johnson a free payday.
