@kevin=== He can be the greeter at Walmart.

They do drug testing there.

He looks to be of an age when some people experience personality changes. I have a friend whom I have known for decades who has always been unusually sweet and considerate. As he is aging, he is experiencing moments of hostility and even rage.

It would be good to know if this kind of behavior is typical of his personality ten years ago, and he certainly should have a geriatric psyche examination.

On the other hand, if he was just a drunken POS, someone needs to slap him across the face a few times.

He was apparently drunk, don't let him off with the excuse of age. He sounds like a mean drunk and shouldn't be around people, especially children!

@tpabob---- I can dig that one.

I often thought airlines should establish a seating arrangement where all kids and babies have to sit together with their parents

Yeah, preferably strapped to the outside of the fuselage.

Badda boom...

...but seriously folks, the airline should have a self contained area at the rear for young children and their parents when possible. Kids are subject to all sorts of possible discomforts (like air pressure changes affected ears) and boredom on especially long flights., There's no reason that I should have to be discomforted with them for a ten hour stretch. I've got a lot of patience and love kids, but I also have a last nerve that can cause me to look at a child as potential material for the microwave.

Being on a plane isn't much of a picnic to begin with- add alcohol, a bad attitude & a screaming child and this is the outcome

he was drunk and in all probability has a serious mental problem(alcohol is used a lot in excess by mental illness people, to attempt to cope), either way he really screwed up badly.

You are a racist p....

i want to know why a part of the report didnt say, "and a man next to the incident got up and kicked his a$$" i dont care who u are, i see u hurt a child like that and im stomping a mudhole in u. how come no one did is what i want to know?

Drezz, the video report said that other passengers changed seats so that the mother and child could sit the rest of the way away from him.

For those of you who would have snapped too, I doubt if any of you would have used the "N" word before slapping, or slapped the baby so that it bled, as this man is accused of doing.

@dick, yes I have! I traveled many thousands of miles with my own child and can tell you first hand that all children attempt to misbehave regardless of the parents disposition. This a$$wad should have stopped at "shut that __er baby up"! There is a special seating section for drunk a$$holes who accost other passengers... it's downtown at the PoPo station! BTW, if you don't like being treated like the average person that you are perhaps you should buy first class tickets. Most travelers don't purchase first class for children.

Hjack, the prejudice was when he used a racial slur towards a baby. He could have asked for a different seat or at least spoke to the flight attendant. I'm sure the airline would have been happy to accommodate him in any way possible. I just wonder if he would have reacted the same way if the baby had been white.

They walk amongst us....the alcohol induced "truth" came out....and it wasn't nice.

Come on people. The man is from Hayden, Idaho; connect the dots.

What I find amazing here are the posters who are actually defending this drunken MORON. If you can't handle a small child (who doesn't understand why their ears hurt or why they have to sit for so long) expressing their discomfort, then you need to reassess yourself as a human being... who's the baby here???? If you're too immature & selfish to be able to deal with a crying child, you need to grow up and pay more to sit in first class. Yes, I've traveled a LOT for my career so I do know what it's like... and I actually put my own exhaustion or grumpiness aside and try to help the parent in any way that I can. How many of you go on and on about family values but sure talk a lot intolerance towards small children? Some of you are such HUGE hypocrites and need to stop displaying your total lack of character and/or class!

Ed, you can say that about any notorious case that hits the web.

Personally, as much as he deserves to be charged with assaulting this child, the fact that he is/was/presumed to be drunk at the time set off fireworks to me.

I see LAWSUIT against the airline, for either serving him more liquor, or letting a knowing drunk on board to start with.

jkatze

Come on people. The man is from Hayden, Idaho; connect the dots.

And now you, a real liberal fair-minded person, has no problem condemning every single man, woman, and child in an entire state... of which I'm sure not a single black person, or any other ethnic individual, lives. Because if they did, they would have packed up and left long ago... right?

If this man had insulted my baby, let along slapped him, they would have had to place ME in restraints. He made that baby bleed? That old guy would have left the plane with a broken nose, at the least.

That Hundley was terminated from his employment in such a rapid manner over a weekend, makes me believe this was not a first incident for such boorish behavior. He'll be a real man among men when he returns home, "I showed that little N— — — — _".

Profreedom;

So being on a plane, being a drunk with a tude and you would slap a small child for screaming? This is the out come, is it? So civility, patience, and common sense no longer apply, is that it?

Really?, Well, all I can tell you is if it were my kid the outcome would be you getting a beating and time in the hospital. You don't touch someone else's kid, ever. It doesn't matter how you feel about it, you don't touch a child not your own.

Small children can be noisy, they cry, scream, throw fits, I could go into a whole things about raising kids, but it means nothing. The thing is it's PUBLIC mass transportation. If you want a quite seat, try first class or a private plane. If you going cattle, i.e. coach, it's just a flying grey hound bus. If you think you're above all that, pay the extra cash for first class or charter a plane. If you are going on the cheap, then deal with it. But keep your hands off kids that are not yours. You aren't any better than the next person on the flight. It's coach, it's not the library, it not a court room, it's coach, if you expect something more, spring for first class.

Sometimes I think children shouldn't be around adults.

@Dick: please don't put this on the children. It's on the parents to make sure the kids aren't bothering anybody. I left a restaurant more than once when my children were very young because they were fussy. Sometimes little ones are cranky. In a situation like like an airplane, I have been irritated far more often by an obnoxious adult than I have by a child.

Wow, a little bitter that walker tried to stop the unions from completely raping the taxpayers are we? The worst part is 3 idiots voted up your pathetic, childish, petty rant.

LOL @ myname: keep drinking the kool-aid--or should I say tea? Walker is doing nothing more than jamming ALEC's agenda down the throat of WI citizens and using public employees as a scapegoat. Milwaukee County is still paying for all the crap he pulled when he was their County Exec. Now he's doing the same thing at the state level. He's doing such a bang-up job representing the citizens of WI that he let the GTac mining company write their own mining legislation, which rolls back every environmental regulation that has been in place for decades. More than 80% of WI citizens are opposed to the mine, but because GTac lobbyists have paid out hundreds of thousands of $$$ to Walker and his cronies, they are pushing the mine through.

He's turned down billions in federal money, (don't kid yourself that it won't cost you), Forbes has WI ranked at the bottom of the country for business and his inner circle keeps getting sent to jail for felonies. Oh and there's the 250,000 jobs that he promised....LMAO yeah, okay.

you're such a good little mindless minion

http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2012/12/12/forbes-wisconsin-one-of-the-worst.html
http://duluthreader.com/articles/2013/02/16/1449_who_cares_what_you_think_wisconsin

http://www.wisconsinwatch.org/2013/02/06/tracking-pro-mining-cash-gets-dicey/

on his Divide & Conquer strategy:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/a-transcript-of-the-walkerhendricks-union-discussion-805952v-151052965.html

why the hell didn't the mom go ballistic on his sorry behind???

When I read this story on MSN on Sunday 2/27/12 it didn't mention any thing about the baby bleeding or the man being drunk. I think this story is going to get worse as the lawyers line up. I can't imagine any airline letting him board the plane while drinking. You do go thru some check points. If it was my child I would have made damn sure the police were waiting at the gate. But then if my child was crying enough to bother other passengers I would have taken her to the bathroom until she was feeling better. I feel so bad for children on planes, the pressure bothers me, that's the reason I never flew when my children were young, I didn't want them to feel like that.

to

SteveH USA

Or maybe Dick Cheney????

I am a white woman from Idaho and prejudice abounds and flourishes here! Hayden, Idaho was the county seat for the Aryan Nation until the Feds came in a couple of times and wreaked havoc. But, they, those haters of color, are still there, hiding in the trees.

I grew up in North Central Idaho right on the Nez Perce reservation in a family of haters. Yes, a hater of color raised his children on a reservation and all three daughters married and had colorful children. He had ulcers. He never would meet my husband and he called his grand daughters 'squaws'. One of them has accomplished much to be proud of now. The other died of SIDS.

The reason children get abused and people get away with it is because we have not learned to tolerate their 'childish behavior' and we have tolerated man's childish behavior for far too long. The thought of having to make children sit in the back all together so they can be apart from everyone is ridiculous. I say, put all the drunks in the back and if they misbehave or shout racial slurs, write them a ticket for a quick trip to jail upon landing.

Just sayin'...

Take one self absorbed person/society, add alcohol/drugs and this is what you get. As much as I like to unwind on a long flight with a glass of wine, perhaps airlines should be more aware of how much they're serving to individuals. The guy obviously has issues but I doubt it would have gone this far if he hadn't drunk too much. As Saxon said, alcohol, drugs and or tobacco are often abused by people w mental illness to cope; it's called self- medication. In any case, there may be a reason but there is no excuse for this guys behavior.

The guys actions and words are totally out of place, but parents need to control their bratty kids and keep them from ruining other peoples flights. If you can't keep your kids quiet, then don't put them in a situation to annoy others. When my kids were that small, we drove across country to see family; mainly because we like to actually see the country, but also if one of the kids were having a bad day, no one else would have to put up with my kid. Airlines really need to have age limits where no child under 5 or 6 can travel.

You slap my kid in the face and I will be on you like white on rice. That is simply wrong. You never slap a child. Especially one that is not yours.

Kathryne - I am sorry for the pain and loss you have suffered. Prejudice is an ugly thing. My mother opposed my marriage too because my husband wasn't white but she ended up loving him and respecting him deeply. I am grateful my children were able to enjoy her while she was alive. I can't imagine how bitter I would be if she hadn't decided to accept my husband. Funny thing is she raised us to respect all races and cultures and she herself respected all races and cultures.

Justopit

Kinda with you, also, on this.

First time I heard this story, it was a slap. Nothing about bleeding. And I think, too, that the story will get more intense as lawyers get involved.

But the more puzzling thing is the Mom not knocking the hell out of him, or someone else not doing it for her. Must not have been any men on that plane. And like you, "just one witness" doesn't sound right.

@Kathryne: I don't care where you live. Every state has its racists and bigots. Most bigoted and racist state I've ever lived in was Washington state, Pasco/Kennewick area... and I'm from the Deep South.

You will never make me believe that every single person there is a racist. Good grief, I'm in MS now, a small town with one freaking stop light and we have mixed couples all over the place. Not a single racial problem in the all the years I've been here.

Jegossett - My eldest child had flown round trip from NJ to Japan 6 times by the time he was 5. He never caused any trouble on an airplane. Neither did any of my 3 children (and not because I drugged them w Benadryl). But that was pre 9/11 when you could get up and roam the airplane with your kid so they weren't bored to tears (literally). I see kids flying all the time who do great on planes. Then again, I see adults who think they're too important to turn off their cell phones when instructed to. Or stow their carry ons above row 8 when they're sitting in row 30. Or carrying huge "carry ons" that should have been checked. Or just displaying obnoxious behavior.

Some thing sounds a little fishy here...he would have been arrested, or at least separated by the stewardess/steward/officers.

None of that sounds as to have happened, think that there is some sensationalism going on here?

Can not attest to whether or not he was drunk, only says that "he reeked of alcohol". Personally, do not condone alcohol on an airplane but the confined space of an airplane exacerbates the effervescence. Heck, some one downs a shot of NyQuil and they smell like they sucked a liter of cheap whiskey.

Do not think that the employer should have the right to chuck an employee for alleged actions that occurred on personal time. The perp must be proven guilty first.

Lastly, Walker is the best governor that Wisconsin has had in my sixty years of living here.

You mean what the public unions have been doing in democrat controled states for decades?

FYI dumbass, WI was 25th in business in 2011, now they are 17th

and yet........you have no sources LOL typical. oh, and btw, FOX doesn't count, after all, they're the ones who ran footage of a "riot in WI" that had palm trees in the background.

Gail

Since you don't believe this guy is so bad, you hire him. His company doesn't agree with you. I don't either.

stopfreeloaders - why am I not surprised by your comment.

Dick - your name says it all

and stopfreeloaders - dont care what you call my kids (whities by the way) if you touch them your in for an a$$ whooooopin

Gail-3666002:

He slapped a child. Here in the United States that's a chargeable offense which can lead to job loss. I wonder how you would feel if it were your child. By your atitude you probably would laugh it off and order a drink.

Oh yeah......I look for this story to grow and grow. Watch for the NAACP, along with Jesse and Al to storm Hayden, ID.. I can't believe he was fired, either......ridiculous. I completely agree that he was pretty much a moron but, let's face it, and be honest; how many times have you been subjected to somebody's unruly brat and wanted to pound it? Especially sitting next to it on a plane?

'fork, you got it in 1.

'mimi, making comments when one cannot comprehend what others have written as it was written and when one is ignorant of social phenomena, makes one look, well, ignorant.

Put plainly, you clearly don't know what the h&ll you are writing about.

Here is what I do and I don't even have any kids. I don't fly. Boycott all airlines. I will NEVER fly again.

No more being 'felt up' patted down in public, no more being crammed between obese passengers with a shoe horn, no being thrown bags of peanuts like monkeys, no being put in a "tube of germs" and breathing the same virus laden air for hours, Nomore having back of seat kicked constantly by kids, no more having to listen to screaming babies for hours, no dealing with drunks, no having strangers fall asleep on my shoulder and drooling.

Flying is both unpleasant and expensive. Now they nickle and dime you to death as well. Put your foot down, America! Find some other way to get there. Go on a train, you can go to another car at least.

Dick-2100935

shouldn't be around people, especially children!

This is not coming from WC Fields!

Sometimes I think children shouldn't be around adults. Ever take a 2 hour flight with a kid kicking the back of your seat the whole time? Listen to a baby cry for 2 hours in the seat next to you? Having a parent place their kid in an empty seat next to you because they can't stand the kid's activity and noise? Trying to enjoy a nice dinner with your wife or date only to have kids at the table next to you yelling and throwing food? I could go on but everyone knows the other problems. Maybe it's the parents. I often thought airlines should establish a seating arrangement where all kids and babies have to sit together with their parents.

What the guy dis was bad really bad, but I do understand it. I think clueless or first time parents with kids in the air should be forced to at least READ a pamphlet or watch a short video on consideration of other passengers. It is indeed unfortunate that the plane had not been decompressed properly, but hey stuff happens. For the parents of tots, a pacifier will usually do the trick.

Saxon, "alcohol is used a lot in excess by mental illness people, to attempt to cope" You really need to knock off the amateur psychology stuff. Alcohol is used by lots of people, especially people we don't consider to be mentally ill, in an attempt to cope. Odds are, unless you never drink alcohol, you have used it to cope yourself. Bad day at work, have a drink to relax. Have a drink to help you enjoy a party more.

farmall48

Oh yeah......I look for this story to grow and grow. Watch for the NAACP, along with Jesse and Al to storm Hayden, ID.. I can't believe he was fired, either......ridiculous. I completely agree that he was pretty much a moron but, let's face it, and be honest; how many times have you been subjected to somebody's unruly brat and wanted to pound it? Especially sitting next to it on a plane?

The answer to your question is NEVER. What kind of bonehead wants to pound a child, any child? You need help before you do something stupid or illegal. Some people actually remember being a parent and understand that it seems that nothing will stop their child's fussing.

I am sure, as many have posted,that this man has been falsely accused! That is why his employer fired Him, right? Some folks just have a very difficult time thinking logically!

Now matter what the government has been insinuating lately - in America, under law you are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Not in the court of public opinion and not by way of snippets of unsupported information via gossip and guesswork produced for 'entertainment value' - the outrageous, dramatic, emotionally driven, agendized attention-getting headlines that push perpetual indignation - instead of legitimate 'news' based on an even-handed journalistic reporting of the facts.

Don, I didn't say he didn't misbehave. I think he should have been thrown off the plane. He obviously has a substance abuse problem and maybe his company should have him attend his company's drug counseling program. Unless he works with babies and is habitually drunk. Many people drink on planes who wouldn't drink at work. Given the many millions of people who fly and drink I think it's a bit too much drama that an old man got drunk and slapped a baby. Maybe there should be a screaming baby section on planes and maybe the airline should have cut off the booze. When you mix people and alcohol, bad behavior happens. I don't get the drama. it's a human interest story and people are acting like it was a hijacking.

jkatze

'fork, you got it in 1.

'mimi, making comments when one cannot comprehend what others have written as it was written and when one is ignorant of social phenomena, makes one look, well, ignorant.

Put plainly, you clearly don't know what the h&ll you are writing about

If you weren't calling out the people of Idaho as racist, I profoundly apologize.

Otherwise.... perhaps you could write more clearly for those us with poor comprehension. When you stated: "Come on people. The man is from Hayden, Idaho; connect the dots" your implication was that the rest of the world, at least that portion reading on the Vine, understood what you meant. Pardon me if I was mistaken.

I suppose I should have limited my respone to the city of Hayden rather than the entire state. For that I do apologize.

wilsonarden:

Would it discourage you from annoying us again if I told you that nobody on this site gives a f**k about your wonderful online auction sites?

Im getting the feeling its the mother who should have been slapped.!!

This last part of the story really annoys me. Granted the actions are atrocious in and of themselves on the plane. However, his dealings with the justice system afterward are equally egregious.

He pleads not guilty and then this:

The Spokesman-Review newspaper of Spokane, Wash., reportedthat Hundley had denied the allegations.

Someone should inform this bozo that he was on the plan filled with witnesses. Hopefully the judge and prosecutor will throw the book at him on assault charges with the maximum fine and jail time for wasting the courts time. The can tack on hate crime as well with the racial utterance, and drunk and disorderly with the intoxication if they so choose.

The man's from Hayden Lake, a known Aryan stronghold. I don't think anyone was insulting all Idahoans, just the white supremacists in Hayden Lake. And a man calling a 19 month old a racist name like that sounds like he might fit the description.

Yep, a whole lot of supposing going on here in my post, but I bet I'm right. And if the little tyke in the the video above (I can't watch flash on this computer) is the child who was smacked, he's a little cutie!! I might have skutched him all flight long (or at least played peek-a-boo) if his mom would have let me.

After reading some of the post here, I wound if you should be fired from your jobs if your bosses knew the way you really felt......

obviously the guy doesn't get a pass for a racist comment and drawing blood on a toddler regardless of age, mental problems, drunk, or anything else.... I agree with one commenter that he deserved a beating

but, being a very experienced father, it IS possible for people to teach their kids to be much more tolerable in public.... it seems like the last decade or so, kids get away with murder everywhere... parents seem to know nothing about child psych, discipline, example in the home etc.... I see toddlers running the show at Target, Wal Mart, on aircraft etc... and parents owe it to the public to be better parents

What I find amazing here are the posters who are actually defending this drunken MORON.

Drunken moron or not he is still entitled to his day in court. All we know is the few sensational details that the media has presented. His employer may even be in trouble for wrongful termination.

If and when he is found guilty by a court of law then you can pass judgment.

Since the Human Genome Project was completed over a decade ago, geneticists have shown that all humans have the same ancestors and originated in East Africa. This has been shown by tracing both the Y chromosome for males and mitochondrial DNA for females. See "The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey" by Spencer Wells, a Stanford and now Columbia University faculty member, "The Human Family Tree" a National Geographic video, "The Seven Daughters of Eve" by Bryan Sykes, a Professor at Oxford University, themythofrace.com by Thomas Spelsburg, a Mayo Clinic Professor, and many other works. Then welcome yourself to the 21st century. Science has shown that race is a myth, that we are all related and that racism should be put quietly to rest.

It is also well known that young children/toddlers/babies have narrow upper airways that cause their Eustachian tubes (the tubes connecting the inner ear to the oropharynx) to function less well in equalizing the outer air pressure with that in the inner ear. The inequality in air pressure that occurs, for example when an airplane descends or ascends, causes stress on the ear drum (tympanic membrane) and pain. This can cause these children to cry. So it is entirely possible that the child was crying, not because of bad behavior, but because his ears were hurting.

I've been to Idaho to visit relatives and vacation a couple of times. Let me just say this, and this includes my relatives, they are the home of the Arian Nation. If Idaho residents resent being characterized that way then they should do something to rid themselves of racists. But again, as I said, my relatives left California to settle there because they like the Arian Nation ideal. If you could see everything I have deleted from facebook from said relatives you'd understand.

...at his age and with his disposition, he'll not find work anytime soon.

O, I don't know about that. Drunk, racist and angry - he has a great future in the Republican party!

Yes, some people think they can get away with anything... very sad story.

Now everyone on this post, including law enforcement, what would have happened if this was a white baby being hit by a drunk black man uttering racial slurs? Yeah, he'd still be in chains in jail with a million dollar bail and you know it. Double standards exist because of racist tendencies. To say otherwise is to close your eyes to reality.

Ed B-3827712 @ #1.27: No matter where he is from he will not get a
fair trial now after this has been exploited on this Website. There are two
sides to every story and I would not be surprised [sic] if he told the
person holding the baby too " shut that baby up" and this took on a
life of it's own from there, I have unfortunately, seen people embelish [sic]
too the extreme after an argument [sic] or confrontation phantom
violence and verbal abuse.

The only problem with your scenario is that, based on other accounts of the incident, several other passengers heard the epithet and saw the man slap the baby. Even this particular account points out a newspaper article that states 'another passenger' corroborated the mother's account of the incident.

Furthermore, the fact that Hundley's employer fired him so quickly after the incident suggests the evidence against the man was more than a little persuasive and he may well have had a poor track record prior to this incident.

And now, if we are going to advocate 'isolation' for parents' flying with young children, I would suggest that we also have such accommodations for inebriated passengers. We could call it a drunk tank! Or, better yet, if a gate attendant suspects a passenger is drunk or had one too many, they should call airport
security and hold the person off the plane. And, if on the plane, the flight attendants should follow protocol and refused to serve booze to a passenger after a certain number of drinks. This is already a standard practice with many airlines since the airline first of all does not want to deal with a belligerent drunk during a flight and, second, if a person gets off of a plane intoxicated, gets into a car and has a wreck on the highway, the airline could be held responsible.

So if you really feel children should be isolated during a flight, I would suggest that the far more offensive passengers, the drunken ones, should, likewise, be isolated.

Pandora6 @ #1.78: thanks for the well-stated argument unfortunately, there are still far too many 'blissful' people in the world.

I've read multiple reports on this from various sources. Other passengers witnessed the battery. Afterward, many of them changed seating so the mother and child would not have to sit next to this person. True, he has not been to trial yet, but circumstantially, he needs to work on his plea bargain. This is Federal, it was on an aircraft, and they have minimum sentencing standards that are going to bite him on this.

No one enjoys hearing a child cry. But we live in a society and when you enter the public venue, there will be children. Yes, parents should keep their children from acting like hellions, but a crying infant is not a hellion, it's simply a baby and babies cry when they are uncomfortable. If you can't handle it, don't ride in coach. When you mingle with the public, you are exposed to crying infants, potential body odor, loud-mouths who don't stop yapping and many other less than pleasant possibilities. It's life, use some self-control. What you do NOT do is commit battery.

If a mother slapped her child in public, she be investigated for child abuse. WTH would cross someone's mind to slap someone else's chld? Oh, yeah, no self-control, mixed with alcohol. Witnesses saw him drinking and smelled it on him. Then, there was that pesky domestic violence charge against him in 2007 that is being reported. So, a history of no self-control and irresponsible behavior.

Add all that up and he probably just violated the morals clause of his employment contract. So no more employment. A small exercise of self-control and he could have avoided the entire mess and had a story to tell about his latest lousy flight with a screaming child.

How can any of you condone physical assault on children especially toddlers. It is this kind of talk here that gets those lefties going about weapon control. If its ok to hit, slap or pound anyone that annoys you what would happen if you were armed with a weapon? Since when is it ok to physically attack a child? Since when does "Oh he was drunk" count as a defense for a physical attack?

I don't care what kind of offensive thing the man said. People say idiotic things all the time. We prove that everyday right here on this message board. No one should be fired for what they say here or on an airplane unless you are an employee of the airline .But when you feel that it is your right to simply assault someone because they are annoying you, I say you have gone too far.

Get over it people! What a bunch of pansies. Somebody utters a racial slur and slaps a child and he loses his job? He wasn't on duty! What is this country coming to! I think it's a funny story. He was drunk obviously! and except for the name calling don't some of us have fantasies of throwing a screaming baby on a plane sometimes? We don't really intend on doing it. So the alcohol removed his inhibitions. Bad behavior. Thank God there is somebody who is not so sterile and pc left in this world. He was old too. Lighten up people. The baby's mother should be upset and angry. Everybody else needs to move on, chuckle, and get over it. People are not yet robots. That's the next step. Let people be human once in a while. He didn't shoot the baby or blow up the plane.

Yeah right Gail. We should just forget all about this. You're right he didn't shoot the baby or blow up the plane...............HE SLAPPED THE CHILD SO HARD THEY SHED BLOOD!! A DEFENSELESS CHILD. BLOOD. I guess we should all forget about Jerry Sandusky too I mean, he did the molesting almost a decade ago. Such a funny freakin story!!!! *sarcasm*

So Gail when I slap your kid so hard (and by the grace of God I sure hope you don't or can't have children) they end up shedding blood I want YOU to.....how did you put it......oh yeah........move on, chuckle, AND GET OVER IT!!!

Mmkay?!

-_-

Oh look at that, look at the least friendly business states in the country:

CEOs named the worst states to do business as California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts and Michigan.

Gee what do they have in common? Could it be, high taxes to pay for public pensions maybe? dingdingding

LMAO!! seriously? the only source you could find was a poll from Chief Executive Magazine? A publication with a circulation of <50,000 that caters specifically to greedy, overpaid CEOs? Hardly an unbiased source, considering their main criteria for evaluating a business climate are whether or not they'll have to pay their fair share of taxes and how de-regulated the state is---meaning whether or not they'll be able to get away with as much crap as possible

and of course, only dirty union members would collapse your comments. It couldn't possibly be that anybody finds your level of ignorance offensive. *eye roll*

As for me being off work today--I'm off everyday. It's my reward for busting my butt all my life and making good investments, I get to retire while I'm young enough to enjoy it. As a matter of fact, my accountant just left--he needed me to signs some forms because he's re-allocating some funds.

oh, and btw, the reason the blue states pay so much in taxes is because somebody has to support all those parasitic red states....you know, the ones that take in more federal money than their citizens pay in taxes (according to 2010 Census data)

You're just bitter and angry LOL it must suc.k to be you. in the future, you really shouldn't come unarmed to a battle of wits

It wasn't the booze talking with this guy. There's no doubt in my mind that this guy expresses these views and words openly when he's with like-minded company. He's from a part of the country where he'd have few problems finding like-minded company. An executive of any kind with his views just needs to be careful in his choice of company; he can't be the guy bellowing and pounding his fist on the table or seen with him. I picture this guy, sober and in a private setting, sounding perfectly rational, with the occasional banter thrown in. He just had enough booze in him to become the bellowing buffoon he probably takes careful steps to avoid being seen around.

Some people like Gail and others either don't get it or they are taking the unpopular position to get attention. Some people want others to respond to their post so they just post the most outrageous comment they can think of so they can go back and forth with people, eliminating their boredom. I think its the latter, they are just posting to get responses.

Anyone who thinks he just made bad judgement because of alcohol. Answer this question. If Mike Tyson were holding the child would he still have done it?

Alcohol brings out the best in people. Hope this fool gets taught some respect while in jail.

The passenger was out of line, but I understand his point--it is very annoying to have a kicking, screaming, etc., kid on a flight. Passengers pay a lot of money for airline tickets. They are entitled to some peace and quiet. I don't think changing his seat would have solved much of anything.

@Nicodemus1946-

So being on a plane, being a drunk with a tude and you would slap a small child for screaming? This is the out come, is it? So civility, patience, and common sense no longer apply, is that it?

Is that what my post said? Apparently you have no reading comprehension. I am stating that if you mix a drunk guy with an attitude on a crowded plane and put a screaming child next to him you're probably asking for some form of conflict. The idea that I advocate such behavior is a concocted false conclusion from your own skull.

Really?, Well, all I can tell you is if it were my kid the outcome would be you getting a beating and time in the hospital. You don't touch someone else's kid, ever. It doesn't matter how you feel about it, you don't touch a child not your own.

I understand the sentiment. If someone slapped my child they would definitely be in bad shape. Guess it would be more a reflex of my military and martial arts background.

Small children can be noisy, they cry, scream, throw fits, I could go into a whole things about raising kids, but it means nothing. The thing is it's PUBLIC mass transportation. If you want a quite seat, try first class or a private plane. If you going cattle, i.e. coach, it's just a flying grey hound bus. If you think you're above all that, pay the extra cash for first class or charter a plane. If you are going on the cheap, then deal with it. But keep your hands off kids that are not yours. You aren't any better than the next person on the flight. It's coach, it's not the library, it not a court room, it's coach, if you expect something more, spring for first class.

Tell that to the shmuck that did the slapping! Meantime take a valium and relax- it wasn't your kid that got slapped.

""Shut that [N-word] baby up!" before slapping the child. This caused him to bleed and cry even harder, his mother told KARE."

I'm not saying if he's guilty or not, but IF some 1 slapped 1 of MY kids-they'd B bleedin' 2!

It is sad that we as a country have let our life's go down the toilet!! This once great county was setup by very intelligent people whom said " a person has a right to a fair trial, speedy, and one where the person was innocent until proven guilty. It seem MSN and the main stream media have taken that away from US. If you don't think so look at the comments here and the article. This person is all but hanged. For all of you self righteous people enjoy and I hope that some day you will face your peers and they will have all but hanged you too.

Who still gets drunk after they hit AARP age? No matter how many times I see it, I'm still blown away by the number of 75yo's at Costco, with more than one gallon of Vodka in their cart.

Speaking of having special sections for different groups of people - out of the hundreds of music concerts I've been to, only The Grateful Dead offered a section for concert goers that reserved a space for Clean & Sober attendees...puff on that one.

Except to see a band, I haven't been in a bar since my 30's (I'm 57 now) - I can't count the number of times a drunk has put a damper on going to see a show, so, going to a bar just to drink....fergetaboudit.

Hayden; just when the wounds start to get a scab, grandpa goes and picks it off.

Oh well, if it wasn't for people acting out, we wouldn't have half the great TV shows we have now...when will you be on World's Dumbest?

Bubby's Grandpa: The guy does have a violent past. He had a 2007 conviction for assualt.

RobWi: He was removed from the plane, and arrested. If it doesn't say it here, it has in other stories. He says he didn't call the baby a name and slap him, yet the mother said he did and it was backed up by multiple witnesses, and the baby's face & blood (it was a scratch near his eye - which could have been disasterous had it been closer). The baby is bi-racial and was adopted by the white woman.

He's not a racist. He's just a racist!

Hit that ex-executive with the book, and every animal that supports him!

rocky, rocky, wake up, you are dreaming - "This once great country" you speak of, is that the same country that let two men get away with raping my grand-mother back in 1912 - or the country that burned other citizens to death for not being Christians?

A person is far better off when the media does cover news like this - it's when the locals hush up everything, that injustice enters the legal system. Like them or not, lawyers set you free or convict you, not the media. This guy is in the media because he may or may not have lost control of his senses - he only has him self to blame for being in the media.

Most drunks just hit the easy button and claim they had no knowledge of their actions..."gee, I blacked out, I don't recall anything after take off". All drunks become Flip Wilson; the devil made me do it.

Sorry, drunks; I've taken all kinds of drugs in my lifetime - not a one of them made me forget right from wrong...but we did destroy a perfectly good frozen pizza while high on shrooms, once, they fly real good until it thaws.

I don't think he should have been fired, since he was on his own time/vacation, but, having been a public employee for 20 years, I know all about being guilty until proved innocent...thank gawd for Unions.

Yep, I remember those good old days, when you were hired because of what church you belonged to rather than on your skills...been there, seen the good old days, no thank you.

Joe Hundley, 60, from Hayden, Idaho,

That is a really hard sixty. I guessed him at 70-75. A drunk all his life, bet. Hope he learned a lesson.

#1.98 Derek381097 - Hit that ex-executive with the book, and every animal that supports him!

Maybe try a word other than "animal" in your analysis. The Animal World's behavior is much, much nicer than the way this jerk acted, and doesn't deserve your condemnation.

oh god here come the baby worshippers...

remember when if you acted out you knew if your parents didnt discipline you another adult would and then tell your parents who would discipline you again. I do and people were well behaved. and people acted so shocked when unruly children grow into unruly adults. kids dont learn discipline by osmosis, they learn it by having it applied to them- by force if necessary.

aggrevated

Remember when you had a child 2 years old that every once in awhile would fuss and nothing you did could calm them down. Perhaps the child was tired. Perhaps sick.

You imply, based on no evidence, that this is a bad parent and a bad kid.

But if you believe that good kids become good kids by force, you are a bonehead and probably a piss poor parent.

Don97524 and aggrevatedofficeworker:

They said the airplane was descending, which procedure causes the cabin pressure to change. Unfortunately, babies and very young children (which this child was) are unable to consciously adjust their sinuses to the changing condition in the cabin which is painful. The only thing a young child can do about the pain is to complain, which I believe this child was doing, in the only way he knew how, which was to cry.

Aryan Nation was kicked out of Idaho. Try TX and PA now. All of you who assume we are all Aryan rednecks are just as ignorant as the Aryans we kicked to the curb.

I would be just as justified saying everyone in the south is racist and owns slaves. What? You expect me to read up on current status of a place?

In February 2001, the group's Hayden Lake compound and intellectual property, including the names Aryan Nations and Church of Jesus Christ Christian, were transferred to the Keenans.^[9] The Keenans sold the property to Greg Carr, a Southeastern Idaho philanthropist who donated the land to North Idaho College, which designated it as a peace park.^[5][9] The watchtower was demolished, and the church and meeting hall were burned to the ground during a firefighting exercise.

Hate groups are not born out of thin air and deposited randomly in Idaho. They are born from the people that live there. The organized groups may be banned or thrown out, but many of the people that supported these groups are still there.

That's not to say that declaring the entire state, county or community is entirely comprised of racist idiots is appropriate. However, it is fair to say that many of their residents are ignorant bigots. I've lived in the south for over 40 years. I can testify to that fact.

For those wondering how he will get a job after this, I doubt he needs one. Though NBC doesn't mention it, he was the President of UNITECH Composites and Structures.

This is old news in the Northwest apparently the National news is a bit late.

Since he was the President of the company the CEO had to act fast, not too much slack when you are that high up but not at the top of the pole.

The guy is the same age as I am. It makes me feel good because physically he looks like he could be my fathers age. On the other hand I would suggest one reason he looks so damn old is because he has a drinking problem.

Which brings us back to why they got rid of him so fast, it probably wasn't his first screw up, just the most visible one.

He will retire and live comfortably for the rest of his life.

Meanwhile all his Grand-kids will go into hiding.

I hope he goes to prison and word gets out in the general population as to why he is there. I also hope that while he is there his "celly" is a very large African-American man who has situated himself to be very dominant in the sexual politics of prison, if you get my drift, and that he decides to make this old POS his new found "friend." If he had slapped my child, there would not have been police waiting for him at the gate. There would have been an ambulance, and his legal troubles would have been the least of his concerns. It just makes me sick to think of this worthless waste of DNA consuming oxygen on this planet.

myname123, you said,

Yep blue states pay higher instate taxes because of federal handouts (which is a myth), youre a genius.

"Youre"? Learn to use an apostrophe, genius. Also what are "instate" taxes and how do they relate to red state - blue state tax inequities? Blue states pay more INCOME taxes than red states and red states use more federal money in public assistance programs than blue states. It's sad but true.

RIposter

He was apparently drunk, don't let him off with the excuse of age. He sounds like a mean drunk and shouldn't be around people, especially children!

Unfortunately, he may not remember a damn thing! I was involved in several incidents with guys getting drunk and going off. One guy would almost kill you if you got in his way during one of his bouts. The same guy the next day would greet you and ask how everything going with a smile. When you asked him how he came to get the bruises on his face, neck and shoulders, he would just shrug and say, "I don't know, do you have any idea?" He was literally the nicest guy you ever met sober. But once he was drunk, he was a psycho and don't be standing near him when he goes off.

Another guy would drink until he was plastered and then attack anything in his way. This guy weighed about 260 lbs or more at 6'5". Again, sober he was the nicest guy you ever met. But not when he started drinking. Next day, what happen? How did I get these bruises? The answer was simple. You threw one guy through a window while it was closed. And threw two other guys through the door while it was closed. The fourth and fifth guys are recovering from broken shoulder blade and fractured jaw. Now, this did not happen once but two times for each guy that I know of.

Some once said, if you really want to know how a person will handle themselves, wait till their in a stressful situation and see how they deal with it. But if you want to know what type of person they're wait till they get drunk! Because their true personality always comes out.

If your purpose is to stop a child from crying, how is beating that child going to help?

From the information in the article, this guy was travelling on his personal business, not on company business.

Sounds like he has grounds for a wrongful termination suit, unless the company has a written policy allowing them to terminate you for what you do when you are not representing the company and are not at work.

They jumped the gun on this one and should have waited until this situation would interfere with his ability to do his job.

Oh well, at least his lawyer will get a two-fer out of this.

unless the company has a written policy allowing them to terminate you for what you do when you are not representing the company and are not at work.

They do.

They have a personal conduct policy which would certainly by normal for this kind of situation. The guy was the President of one of their divisions, too high a profile position not to have such a policy.

Last year he had a DUII.

I would think he was on a short leash.

KKK should also welcome him with open arms. hats off to his employer. kids can be a PITA. but he is lucky he didn't smack my kid would be a entirely different story. can you imagine if a guy like this was allowed to carry a gun on aircraft. it's early wait till the cons come out and justify this. he was standing his ground.

what if, what if, well that didn't happen... what if....stupid statement but expected. what if the guy in sandyhook was black. what if..he didn't have high capacity weapons. what if..

IF I had been on the flight he would have been tangling with ME If he did it. I probably make 25 of the kid (and I wouldn't put up with this a-hole's SHIITE) IF he wants to be a TURD, he can go lay in the YARD. I don't like screaming kids either, but on a plane you PUT UP AND SIT THERE - IF the report is accurate, he could be sued (and if there were enough witnesses, HE SHOULD BE)

Chuck, the elections are over.....give it a rest. This story is in no way political.

he had a flash back " if I had a son, he would look just like " and couldn't take it anymore !

Between jail and flying into Atlanta, jail is the more attractive choice. ;-)

Seriously, this guy ought not have hit the squalling kid or been drinking - I'm for airlines stopping all alcohol sales once the tin can is in the air.

However, did the mother not know that planes take off and land? Give the kid a cracker and sip of water. He'll swallow, which pronto releases the pressure in his ears. A plane trip is also not the time to air test a 2-year-old boy who is newly adopted and might have some behavioral/medical issues. Just as important is that the airlines need to REQUIRE all parents traveling with a child buy that kid a seat. When they sit on a parent's lap, it is both dangerous and asking for trouble; 9 times out of time, they whine, cry and refuse to sleep. It is egregiously irresponsible and disrespectful to go cheap and put the flight crew and 250 other paying customers through the hell of one screaming kid. Still, we all know the airlines and the testy, drunk guy will end up on the losing end of this woman's legal payday.

End up on the end of this woman's legal payday???? She did NOTHING WRONG. He did.

Some people's ears do not unplug miraculously. Mine don't. Maybe this little boy's don't either.

This particular story is on MSNBC only because of the characters, ages and colors. MSNBC has chosen this story out of countless other potential ones to help your thinking along - along the very specific path that they've chosen for you. Are the people divided enough yet? Angry enough? Willing to strike out against the stranger they do not know and yet learn everyday to fear and disdain? And to what end? Ask MSNBC. It's their game.

you know for those of you that somehow think that someone with small children should be forced to sit in the back, or not allowed to be out in public. perhaps you might want to think about moving out to the country so the rest of us civilized people don't have to deal with you. we wonder why we have a violence problem in this country, huh i wonder. when i was a child this type of behavior would have resulted in this guy getting the crap kicked out of him. today its a reason for those of you that think you have been somehow mistreated by someone with a small child to rant about your problem. no were does it say why she was even on the flight. do we know why she was? no, for all we know she was flying to a funeral of a family member and this was the best way to go. she might have had that on her mind and maybe wasn't as in tune with the child as she would have been. the problem with this country and most of the world is flat out selfishness. me me me. forget what someone else is going through. you people make me sick. i hope they lock the guy up.

Little Changes, I it might help to know that children under 2 are generally not allowed to have a seat of their own, and are required to sit on their parent's laps. It's not anyone trying to get by without paying. And yes, you need to pay extra for the baby even if they don't have a seat of their own.

Little baby Bennett looks like my grandson did at that age, I'd be more than happy to take Mr. Hundley for a walk out in back of the woodshed and teach him some manners. He's 10 years younger than me, that hardly seems fair but I'll adjust for the age difference.

Joe Ricky Hundley, what a nice redneck ring that has to it.

Robert Husted

in AA there is a higher power one whom will guide you in your troubles and help to find sobriety.SO how long have you been in the program?? Oh I forgot you are the higher poser and have made judgement on this person already. I guess I will start praying to you from now on. Robert help me to find humility and not to judge others by what I have done. Thank you father.

I'm gonna cut to the chase on this incident, and forgo my usual philosophical soliloquy; and say...

FINALLY !! A white bigot gets his just deserts immediately after committing his crime by losing his "executive"-level yob !! COLD JUSTICE , SERVED INSTANTLY !! That aerospace company's stock price just skyrocketed in my book!

Be a Bigot... suffer the consequences, damn you. SEE? That's the way it should be, for EVERYone.

Double DumbAss on Joe Hundley, formally an aerospace company executive in BigotVille, Idaho. Good Riddance, PotatoHead. YeeHAAAAAH !!

It is a serious problem when people are pre-judged without a hearing. Don't they have video on airplanes,with all the high jacking issues? NBC news said they couldn't confirm a witness account. So who's the real bigot @!$%#?

dd, not at all true.

The airlines and the FAA have always recommended younger children have their OWN seat, belted into a child seat that fits into a plane seat, if under 2. It is not just for convenience (and liability), it is a significant safety concern, as any turbulence means the child on a parent's lap cannot be protected from being ejected into the surrounding cabin. They also stand a better chance of sleeping. We did this when mine were toddlers and it worked like a charm, even on super long international flights. The flight crews also breathe a sigh of relief, not just the other paying customers. Don't expect the village to raise your child. If you do, then be aware there will be one witch doctor who doesn't like squalling kids in their face and inconsiderate parents who either think it is cute or allow it to go on and on.

I'm not familiar with the vernacular of your country, " That sh*tstain would have drawn back a numb had he hit my kid." Please translate into English.

Well I speak English just fine and I understand it. Only as my Mom would have said 'he would have drawn back a bloody nub...' And I agree.

blaming alcohol for such atrocious behavior is a cop out. THis guy should be put in a celll and given enough time to ponder the errror of his ways.

I competely understand and the a..hole got off easy. Every freaking person on that plane should have kicked his ass..;NEA Exec...let me know if you need translation.

that's my reaction, too.

nea exec - I will help you with the translation, I simply means if you touch my kid - i beat your a$$ you idiot

Sip of water will make the kid swallow and release the pressure in the ears. Ask any flight attendant.

Young, first time U.S. parents rely heavily on the "takes a village crap", instead of common sense, forethought and 10 seconds on a parenting site or Google.

Yup, search Youtube for SYiv76qRCkA

Just so everyone knows, this man suffered a stroke in November of last year and cannot use the left side of his body! He isnt even physically capable of doing this! Thats why he was probably sounding drunk, because the left side of his mouth doesnt work. The media needs to give all the facts!

Some big black guy needs to give Joe BillyBob some more good hard strokes, this time several dozen bent elbows to the face! Quit defending the bully, pussman. Several dozen bent elbows to YOUR face.

ZERO tolerance for child abuse.

Well, I was about to contradict opusman, but I decided to read a little first, a right brain sroke is known to

Dosn't negate the fact that he had the impulse in the first place.

so, maybe he needs to be in a care home instead of prison; but he shouldn't be loose in public.

Opusman,

First of all he smelled of alcohol.

Secondly he admitted to "one drink".

Thirdly he was observed drinking on the flight.

In 2007 he pleaded guilty to assault in Virginia.

Never happen-too much profit for them

How do you get a drink on flights? I can't even get those stupid nuts.

Alcohol has a tendency to bring about true beliefs and behavior. I actually like that I can filter out people I don't like this way.

waynero: I'm with you. Give anyone a few drinks, and you find out what they're really like.

As far as I know, alcohol is not unlimited on flights. When I was a FA, we were to cut people off, just like a bar tender. We were to also deny boarding to anyone coming on the plane who appeared to be intoxicated.

Stop with the blame game, the guy is an ahole. Put blame where blame is due!

He was drunk and assaulted this cute little boy.The airline may not have over served him alcohol.He may have had a couple of drinks before boarding. My question is,"What kind of mother doesn't smack this idiot back when he assaulted her child?" As far as the mother and witness relaying what they perceived that he said, is a he said she said.If he was drunk then his speech couldn't have been coherent.He's guilty of being intoxicated in public and assaulting a minor.If he gets jail time,which no doubt he will,he won't need a job.He'll be of Social Security age in a couple of years and won't have to travel with crying kids who have clueless parents.There are always silver linings and two sides to every story.

just a cleaning lady

Why do you and so many other believe "What kind of mother doesn't smack this idiot back when he assaulted her child?" Why do you believe the parent is "clueless"? Almost any parent who has had children understands that sometimes when you have a two year old child there have been a couple of situations when the child keeps crying and fussing no matter what the parent does .... that is where the expression TERRIBLE TWOS came from.

By the way, I am on Social Security and I still travel ..... and intend to vacation using airlines for many years to come.

Hey, "just a cleaning lady"... I don't believe FOR ONE MINUTE that the cute little boy drank any alcohol on that flight. The little buddy just doesn't strike me as the drinking type.

Yeah! No food, no booze, no water, no bathrooms. This is transportation, people! This is not a way for you to relax or go on vacation. Anita's right. All you whiners can just stay home!

OK - so try going to Southeast Asia without flying - a BOAT takes 2 weeks and i=I only HAVE 2 weeks... (20 hours, BTW)

Oh look, the Taliban is here and she is named Anita. I can go months without a drink, but when I am on a plane going on vacation or even a business trip, I like a drink. I am old enough to Everyday, hundreds of thousands of people fly and enjoy an adult beverage without incident. But once a story like this appears, the christian taliban makes their appearance to propose banning alcohol to responsible adults.

Bob Freebird
But once a story like this appears, the christian taliban makes their appearance to propose banning alcohol to responsible adults.

Sort of like the progressives banning high-cap magazines & "assault rifles". You take mine & I'll take yours.

Nope, not like that at all, smalls. I am a progreesive gun owner and I haven't banned "assault rifles". You'll take mine out of my cold, dead fingers.

Bob - See the thing is that if someone imbibes too much in a restaurant or bar or picnic and gets obnoxious, I can just leave to avoid it or even ask management to have that person be removed or change my seat. On a plane, there is no way to get away from it. On most flights the seats are full so you can't even get away from some obnoxious drunk if she/he is sitting right next to you. Okay - two drink limit. Or we could just throw the obnoxious drunk off the plane mid flight.

I'm actually pretty laid back about other's behavior. I have sat through 5 hour flights while the couple in front of me were practically having sex. I've sat beside a man who spent a flight watching an extremely violent movie on his tablet. I've sat through flights where my seat mate was so sick I just about called an ambulance when we landed to take me straight to a hospital but I really do need to draw the line when others are in your face obnoxious and personally offensive. Like I said, my solution is to not fly anymore than I have to.

I don't care how much you drink or where you drink as long as your inebriation does not invade my space, safety and peace. If we are in circumstances where that can't be managed, the drinking should be limited or eliminated.

As long as airlines make money off of alcohol, they will never stop selling it. I will never stop buying it. Win-win for everyone.

Anita-90210,

I also wish the USA had High Speed Rail. But you gotta remember... the USA is a 3rd World Country. Even China kicks our a$$ technologically in terms of nationwide transportation.

*** different topic *****

Alcoholic angry ranting gun owners scare the BuhJeebus outta me...

That's why its important to always charter your own private planes.

No taking off your shoes, no TSA gropes, all the booze you can load onto the plane.

While Gulfstream IV's are very popular, Cessna has several that are more affordable.

Of course, if you have the money, you can pick up a 737 or an Airbus fairly easily.

And don't forget to let his new neighbors know how he feels about "N!$#*rs"

if he makes it to the "big house" Bubba will indoctrinate him to his new job as "bitch"

Don't you find it funny that their were no witness.

stopfreeloaders - where did you read the story? The one on this page said there was a witness.

Oh... there WAS a witness? Well well , then...

... Mr.ButtHole BillyBob Klopek will learn the hard way why Bubba And Friends call prison The Slammer...

YourTube video of Beavis -n- ButtHead in "Scared Straight"

Someone was recently fired from his job for berating a Chik-Fil-A employee (who was just a cashier,and has nothing directly to do with Dan Cathy or his politics), and people applauded that dismissal. Why should this be any different?

Most executive contracts have a personal conduct clause. Shoot, I worked for a bank and wasn't an executive and MY employment agreement had a conduct clause. I would be willing to bet that this idiot's employment contract did have such a clause and under that clause being arrested for assault would violate the contract and he would be subject to termination.

Just a thought.

The chick fil a guy went about putting his escapade on the internet. There is a bit of a difference there. He thought he was being cute and funny and set out to make a fool of the poor clerk giving him his water. This guy on the plane, while no doubt being a total A$$ was on personal travel and did not pack a video camera to show everyone how big of a D!c# he could be.

I do not condone his actions and find him to be just as loathsome.

There is nothing politically correct about a company acknowledging that anyone who's going to get drunk, use racial slurs, and slap a baby is probably not going to be a leader and inspire people to work hard. He demonstrated himself to have exceptionally poor judgement, and the company decided they don't want to be associated with him. Contract clause or not, there is a limit to what a company will tolerate in personal conduct from employees at nearly all levels. Except for your damn unions and the Illinois police that are legally allowed to drink on the job.

JoeMike - At the company I work for we are representatives of the company even when "not on the clock". Because like it or not as soon as we do something as stupid as this guy did someone is going to find out where you work and it's going to be a reflection on everyone else that works there (as unfair as that it is). All salaried employees here go through training explaining why our "personal" actions can have "professional" consequences. If we don't like it we're free to work elsewhere ;) It's not that big a deal and I certainly don't feel like chattel. I would be PO'd if one of my co-workers did something like this guy did..

You don't feel like chattel because the conduct your company expects is the same conduct you already exhibit. It's just not that hard to be a decent person.

joemike404

Wait

Some guy calls a Baby the N-Word then slaps they baby making the baby bleed and your bothered by the fact that he lost his job? WTF is wrong with you not only should he be fired from his job he should be in jail its called assault and i dont give a $h!t if he was drunk or what ever excuse you want to use the guy deserves to be fired.

I worked at a Kroger store, and even that had a personal behavior clause in the hiring papers.

Also, we were instructed not to discipline children, not to touch them, and we couldn't even tell the parents that their kids were messing things up for other people, or to tell the parents to tell their kids to sit down in a shopping cart. If a kid was falling out of a cart, that was the parents' business.

joe:

Most companies don't want people working for them that are willing to slap someone else's children in public or private. Chances are the leadership doesn't condone racism or assault. They can fire someone for cause - and his behavior certainly qualifies.

He must have selected his victim carefully - had he not, he'd likely been unconscious for the remainder of the flight.

Welcome to America, Joe. You should always consider how your actions will reflect on your place of work, especially if you happen to be a member of the executive class.

Jay, I was about to give you a thumbs up on your comment, til you had to throw unions and Illinois police in there. If a union member did what this twit did, he'd probably not only get fired, but get an attitude adjustment from several of his union brothers, who are parents. If you work for a living, whether you've ever paid a dime of union dues or not, you owe a debt of gratitude to unions.

Sorry joe - you ARE under your employer's thumb BECAUSE you can bring discredit to them NO MATTER WHETHER ON OR OFF THE JOB. Your employment is at their discretion (unless you happen to be "union" - but any respectable union would not represent you in this situation)

John Bryant, the reality is that unions protect all union members regardless of their offenses. Yes, at one time they served a common good for the working class. Those days are over.

Oh, I forgot. You really think police unions having in their contract that they cannot be disciplined for having alcohol in their system while they're working is a good thing?

Yeah, It sounds like maybe this was a forced retirement.

When you're a President or a CEO of an organization, there is behavior that is required, whether you're on vacation or not. Usually, you will have displayed talent, leadership skills, ingenuity, etc in order to get the position. "For hire" is not just for the rank and file.

Jay, you are so wrong about unions. Unions do protect workers that are wrongfully singled out for discipline or termination, but I know for a fact that there are many offenses that unions come down harder than the company does on members. When I was a union coal miner, it was illegal, and rightfully so, to carry cigarets or any flammable substance into a mine. Any miner caught with such materials was instantly fired by the company, but the union would remove him/her from local rolls and further blackball him from ever having a union job. Sure, some unions have outlived their usefulness, but to condemn all unions is the same thing as saying that all corporations are corrupt.

hakstarr, You did read the part of my post where I indicated that I was NOT condoning his behavior, right? If he did the things he is accused of, is there not time enough to fire him after he is convicted? Or is guilt by accusation now the rule of the land?

Having read the above posts I would now say that I also find it disturbing how blithely most of you accept that our employers should have such overwhelming control of our lives outside of their employ. Disturbing, but not surprising based on how willingly we accept constant surveillance by the government and the total loss of privacy, confidentiality and essential liberty.

So, since we know that everyone tells the truth and eyewitnesses never get anything wrong, if the guy is in fact, innocent, as he claims, does he get his job back or is he just screwed?

John, anecdotal evidence is not a good way to view a much broader scoped situation. Unions today cause 10 times more problems than they solve. Trade unions are much better than labor unions, but to pretend a few good experiences (yours merely involving common sense) outweigh the harm unions have done to our economy is shortsighted and simplistic.

Parents can't even spank their children today.

I call BS. I spank my children, even in public, and no one has said anything to me.

But yes, spabking other people's children is a good way to to get assault charges thrown at you, and for good reason.

No, alcoholism is not an illness. That's just something people say instead of being realistic about why people become alcoholics.

RelaxJay.... you are simply ignorant. It has been medically proven for years and years that alcoholism IS a disease. Too bad you can't claim that "stupidity and ignorance" are diseases. You would be a candidate for disability!!

Probably a combination of things got him fired. Being drunk, disorderly, bítchslappin' a kid coupled with lousy performance on the job. This guy is a loser of the first order but on the other hand I really dislike political correctness so why is it that we need to see" the N-word" as opposed to what the word really is?

Yes, it can argued that alcoholism is a "disability" and falls under ADA. But, simply being drunk doesn't make one an alcoholic. Until, and if, he makes that claim, in most states his employer is free to terminate his employment for any (legal) reason, or no reason at all.

Yes, it can be argued. Anything can be argued. It's just not true. Addictions are not diseases. It's not a matter of science to some people, it's just a rationalization to deal with it.

relaxjay:

"Addictions are not diseases."

The CDC and the AMA.

"Addictions are diseases."

Take your pick.

The fact that people are willing to accept nonsense about alcholism being a disease is why people don't get treatment for their addiction.

RH, I don't know what state you live in, but if it's in California, you essentially can't fire a teacher. They're a protected species here. (I have family who are teachers, and we agree. They pay their dues and don't have any say.) We can't even fire known child molesters with paying them off.

... without paying them off.

Serolod-1843041- alcoholism is used as an excuse one too many times. You hit my kid and I will ensure that there won't be anything left of you to arrest.

RelaxJay, I beg to differ with you as does most of the medical professions who specialize in addictions such as drugs and alcohol. Alcohol dependence is defined as "A chronic disease characterized by a strong craving for alcohol, a constant or periodic reliance on use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, the inability to limit drinking, physical illness when drinking is stopped, and the need for increasing amounts of alcohol to feel its effects." Alcoholics may be physiologically or psychologically dependent on alcohol. This would suggest there is more than one disease where the excess consumption of alcohol is a symptom. I should point out though, that not all drunks are alcoholics but, about 10% of the worlds population do appear to be alcoholics. That 10% holds true for the U.S. too.

All of which merely puts less onus on the individual to deal with their addiction. Labeling alcoholism as a disease merely points out another situation where personal accountability is diminished. At best it's ignoring the details of addiction and dependency, and at worst it's just another excuse for an addict to delay or dismiss treatment entirely. It's a ruse inflicted on weak minds.

I disagree, RelaxJay. Alcoholism and addiction is a disease. I'm a retired substance abuse counselor and have helped people deal with the disease. The programs of AA and NA do not remove personal accountability, but rather helps the person to ACCEPT that he/she has a disease for which he/she is responsible to get help for--the responsibility lies in getting help. The 12 steps are geared to that. Just because a person has a disease--any disease--doesn't mean that the person is not responsible to do their part once they become aware that they have a disease. Think of it as being like diabetes. Once the person realizes they have diabetes, they are responsible for doing their personal best to do their part to treat that disease and get it under control through following doctors orders. If they don't follow doctors orders, they risk a host of further health problems, and even death. It has a predictable outcome, death, and so does alcoholism and addiction. Finally, I have to add that just because someone is an alcoholic doesn't mean that they are not legally responsible for the crimes they commit when drunk. In fact, an important part of breaking the denial is having to face the consequences of ones drinking--it's called 'hitting bottom' and many an alcoholic and addict had to hit bottom before the denial broke and they were able to admit to themselves that they have a problem and found themselves at Step Zero--"this s&it has to stop!"

Thanks for making my point. It's not at all like diabetes. 12 step programs having nothing to do with medicine or science. Pretending addiction is a disease devalues both.

Diabetes also isn't at all like shingles but both are diseases, as is alcoholism. To become physically addicted is definitely a physiological problem that can be addressed by science and medicine. The science and medicine come into play when the MD at an inpatient treatment facility prescribes an anticonvulsant to alcoholics and certain addicts (who are addicted to central nervous system depressants) to prevent seizures which if left untreated, would lead to death in a small percentage of cases. Much has been discovered and is continuing to be discovered about the genetics involved and also the physiological changes that occur in the brains of alcoholics and addicts. Studies involving MRI's and PET scans have revealed much over the years. Another way that science and medicine come into play in treatment: utilizing good nutrition, enough sleep, stress management, and cognitive techniques in order to lessen the effects of what is called Post Acute Withdrawal (PAW). PAW can last upwards of 3 years into sobriety due to certain toxins that can remain in the system, particularly in the fluid in the spinal chord and brain. (have you ever heard of THIQ's?) The 12 Step Program is quite helpful in the realm of cognitive approaches. And for those who cannot afford to go to a treatment center, it is a life saving alternative. There is even less funding today for treatment centers, and not all insurance companies cover it. Many treatment centers highly recommend AA attendance once the person 'graduates' from the treatment center. It is vital to keep up the cognitive reinforcement for the recovering person.

Being drunk is not alcoholism. Being from a particular state is not a basis for anything other than geographical location. Being older is not a statement of belief system. Being alleged to be a racist is not being a racist. Being charged with a crime is not the same as being a criminal. The fact that an employer fires someone based on possible negative implications for the company - not on any validity based on proof - is their desire to skirt business losses and possible 'guilt by association'. A story without anything more than superficial information is not a foundation for anything more than conjecture. Like the vast majority of 'opinions' on this thread they are based on emotion, not reason, and not on the weight of any exculpitory evidence and most certainly not law. This is a story whose storyline is incomplete, is not proven, is thinly clarified beyond inuendo. It is a story - one of thousands - that news organization use to weigh 1. the level of intelligence of its audience 2. the political leaning of the posters 3. the level at which suggestion can manipulate a desired response, which defines control. Shockingly, many Americans are demonstrating they are easy to manipulate, irrational, biased and intellectually inept. Opinions so eagerly displayed in the 'ongoing poll-taking' behind the production of these media stories, reveal that a huge number of posters easily equate to beef cattle who will react as expected to the slightest prod.

Yes, addicts have withdrawal when they quit. Toxins introduced by drinking take time to leave the body. These things do not make addiction a disease. You and all the other weak-minded fools can keep labeling it as such as much as you'd like. It's a fallacy and does more damage to the treatment than good.

To alim-2810059-yes, being drunk is not necessarily alcoholism. Many normies in this country have been drunk at least a few times in their life. One of the big differences between a 'normie' and an alcoholic is that the yucchiness of the hangover or whatever other problem it may have caused is reason enough for the non-alcoholic to cut down their drinking to healthy levels, like a couple of beers on the weekends, or one cocktail at a party, or a moderate size glass of wine at Sunday dinner. For the non-alcoholic, light to moderate drinking does not cause any problems.

To RelaxJay: Yes, toxins take time to leave the body and eventually they usually do leave the body. But there are changes in the brain that are permanent for the true alcoholic/ addict. It still meets AMA criteria for a disease. "You and all the week-minded fools can keep labeling it as such as much as you'd like." I find this sentence of yours to be very interesting, since some of the strongest, most beautiful hearts I've ever met are those within recovering people, since to get clean and sober they had to reach deep down inside and pull back out stuff that was hard to look at, hard to work through, that many people in this world will never have to do in order to save their lives. As for the concept of addiction/alcoholism being a disease--it's what a person does with that concept that makes a difference. Does the person use it as an excuse to keep doing what they always did, or do they use it as a springboard to seek help and make the changes they need to make.

I too would have unleashed a whole level of crazy that would have made his worst nightmare look like a happy place.

he wouldn't have worried about getting fired - he'd leave in a body bag and we'd be talking about MY trial.

He beat a helpless child. I would have beaten him like he were helpless.

Interaffairs - Beating?

alim

Yes, beating. Or is there some minimum number of blows to a child needed to define beating?

Hey ST2012 wtf would you know about a job little man.

I surely would've done something to help fix your 'stupid.' Nothing a nice knuckle sandwich can't cure.

Silver, have you ever flown? the pressure adjustment that takes place in the ears is uncomfortable for an adult, and must be unbearable for a baby. Like an earlier poster said, he should have invested in earphones, which the airlines provide for private viewing of television. If he'd invested 3.99 for this option, he would most likely still be employed.

Hey "silver"... is that you, Joe Hundley? What a cretin you are! If that had been my child (or anyone else'!), I'd have been punching YOU in the face for ever touching ANY child in any way that was in the LEAST bit abusive!!! Time for you to go get ready for your AA meeting.

HI YO silver - blow it out your WHAT? IF the kid was continuously crying, the parent(s) didn't do enough preparation. IF it was a matter of a pressure change, the kids don't understand what is happening and cry. Sure, I don't enjoy it but the kid gets a free pass on this.

Silver - first do you have kids? (lets hope not for their sake) IF so has one EVER been sick? Mine have and would not stop crying. I didnt slap them because they dont feel good.

Second - if you dont have kids, dont. You reaffirm my opinion that some, if not most people should not reproduce!

silver-594739-go have another drinkypoo. you are such a lowlife. good thing it wasn't me on that plane. you would have had to pull me off of the jerk. wanna know what its like to get slapped like that? It would be much, much worse for the perp.

Do you think they would have doneit hadit not made national news?

She could have used it to knock the kid out! I have been told that children are a neccessary evil though. I'm just glad I was never one.

You commit assault, you get arrested.

back: Maybe he declined to mention these character flaws during the interview process. Just guessing.