this post was submitted on 23 Oct 2025
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Okay then: explain the context in which Kirk saying people should be scared of qualified pilots because they're black isn't racist.
You can't do it because it's absolutely, 100% racist. He's trying to pretend it's about diversity programs meaning unqualified minorities are being hired over the (implicitly superior) white man, but his example is a profession with clearly-defined federal standards including mandatory aircraft-specific qualifications.
A pilot flying a commercial airliner is qualified, period. There's no reason to fear a black pilot for any reason that isn't racist. Which was fine by Kirk because he was a racist piece of shit, as is anyone defending his fear mongering.
I already did, and more than once. Is reading really that hard for all of you??? Or are you all just terrified of being wrong?
Here, lets try coming at it from a different angle. Lets see if the special crayon approach works.
lets say, Im the owner of an airline, and you are whatever the opposite of Charlie Kirk looks like. I, only hire white male pilots. You, while talking about companies that hire based on skin colour say one of the following:
“Only white male pilots? Great, because obviously flying a multi-ton metal tube at 500 mph depends entirely on your skin colour and not, you know, skill or training.”
“Ah yes, forget flight hours and certifications, clearly the secret to a safe landing is having a penis and a specific melanin level.”
“Only white men? Brilliant strategy! Because turbulence, engine failure, and bad weather are obviously solved by outdated stereotypes instead of competence.”
“Of course! Forget merit; the real measure of a pilot’s ability is apparently their genetics. Who needs experience when you have arbitrary conformity?”
“Yes, let’s hire based on race and gender. Nothing screams ‘expert aviator’ like throwing decades of proven training out the window for pure bias.”
Are you, mild mannered chiliedog, now... Super-racist? Or, have you just employed wild exaggeration and hyperbole to get your point across? Whether or not you agree with his point, is another conversation. But the point he was making, is not that black men were inferior to white men. It was that hiring based on race wasnt going to get you the very best pilots(but he wasnt just talking about pilots).
Lets try something else. The NBA is currently around 13% white American. And that only rises to 17.5% if you include international white players. No one gives a fuck about diversity in the NBA, do they? Why? Because we all know that its merit based. No one is hiring white dudes to make up the numbers. If white dudes are in there, its because they earned it. Just like the black dudes did. If, all of sudden, some team started hiring white players because "diversity", youd have something to say about it. Sure, they can all play the game. But are they the best? And if they arent, are you racist for not wanting them on your team? This isnt quite the same thing that Kirk was talking about, but you get the idea. Hiring based on skin colour is dumb. No matter which way you come at it. Its dumb. Black, white, and everything in between, doesnt matter. Only skill and experience matters. That was his point.
But again, whether you agree with him on that, is another conversation.
But that's not what Kirk said. Kirk said specidlfically that he's nervous about black pilots because he assumes they're "diversity hires" and unqualified. But that's 100% bullshit. You literally can't get the job if you aren't qualified. And if you're qualified, you can di the job. That's why qualifications exist.
A pilot is a technical position, not a sport. You demonstrate the required knowledge and skills through a rigorous licensing and continuing education program. Your qualifications aren't based on the relative performance of others, but on a strict set of standards. If you meet those standards you're qualified to do the job.
The concept of "best airline pilot" is flawed, because the standards require that the "worst" airline pilot be qualified for the job. Air travel is made safe by those standards.
But, and you'll get a kick out of this, that is what he said. Thats exactly what he said. And this is the problem with cherry picking quotes and removing the context. You end up with this dumb as fuck argument, instead of putting focus on what he actually said and challenging that.
Kirk was a prick that was acting like there was a number of valid reason that someone might have a program that gave minorities a place. This is where the focus of the argument should be. When you get Kirk fans repeating his shit, shouting "FASCIST!!!!!" isnt going to get it done. You need to explain why Kirk was wrong. You need to insert the context of the hiring practice. He did the very same thing that all of you are doing. Removing context to fit your narratives. You dont like it when he does it, but you get angry at me when I dont like it when you do it... Its kinda weird, no?
The weapon against Kirk was never lies, and it was sure as shit, not a bullet. It was truth. Unsexy, hard, truth. And the more you, and others, push the out of context and cherry picked quotes, the more you convince them that he was right and some kind of martyr to a cause. Instead of what he was, just another grifter saying populist bullshit for clout.