UPDATED WITH APOLOGY IN COMMENT BELOW POST: Is it a great idea to have an Air Malta pilot boasting on Facebook that he’s “proud to be a racist”?
Published:
May 23, 2013 at 9:35pm
A reader has brought this to my attention. That reader has already put in a complaint with Air Malta, and was told that the matter “will be dealt with internally”.
That was earlier today and pilot Kevin Whitehead’s “proud to be a racist” remark is still up and visible to all on his friend’s Timeline.
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Some Libyan friends of mine intend to recommend a boycott against Air Malta if action is not taken against their employee.
Is this action not racism against the rest of Air Malta’s employees?
really now !
Kevin Dickhead.
Rudolph Grima (PN) is also on Facebook sharing Woolwich-related images, one of which is asking for the murderers to be hanged. Very liberal, I must say.
Any person who commits atrocities against his fellow man ….be he black, white or of any creed should be dealt with in the strongest manner.
I am far from racist but cannot accept what the world is turning into.
There are provisions in the law against extremist actions. Why do you feel the need to say you’re far from being racist, if skin colour doesn’t matter?
It’s not Whitehead. It’s Dickhead. Kevin Dickhead.
Careful! Your words are not a reflection on the person but a reflection of who you are.
May I remind Mr. Dickhead that it was a white Norwegian who some months ago murdered over 70 innocent youngsters on an island in Norway. This does not mean that I was not shocked with this brutal murder.
My apologies if I offended anyone but I was so upset after watching that video. I have thus removed my comment.
Most normal people were upset at watching the video; most also noticed that the two women “protecting” the body were black too.
You cannot judge everyone in the same way; as a Maltese person, I certainly would not like to be compared with the likes of, say, Emy Bezzina or Albert Gauci Cunningham.
Too late, turkey. Just switched to Ryanair.
Your new chosen airline is below the standards expected by our presidential family .
Writing something and regretting it is even more embarrasing than saying something and regretting it. Your apology here is nothing more than a vain attempt to save face with people who matter.
Why apologise, Mr Dickhead? Thank you for letting everyone know that you are a racist.
Being upset is not an excuse for anything. I would NEVER write that I’m proud of something I actually strongly detest.
Proud not to be a scumbag like you.
Sorry Kevin, but “proud to be a racist” isn’t something that just comes to one’s mind during a distressing moment.
It is something that one feels and thinks over a long period of time and only lets it out once around those who they feel would not object to it.
You were an idiot to think that facebook offered that sort of platform to begin with, but I am glad that it is out in public.
In short: I don’t believe your apology.
And by the way, being racist is nothing to be proud of. Not only does it mean that you will be shunned by most of society, it also shows that your IQ is lower than average, as a recent scientific study shows. In fact, that study was once put up on this blog too not so long ago.
Apology not accepted … your gut reaction showed exactly what you are.
Air Malta should not be sanctioning you unless you behave in a racist manner at work. But you should have known better before you went to shoot your mouth off. It was just stupid!
I and people like you were all upset …the goody goodies who want to fill Malta with a strange culture to ours who are not.oon they will call Christmas ” festival of light” and stop hanging crucifixes not to offend them.Instead of they adapting to our way of life we will have to do it ….look at Stockholm too and all the trouble were Muslims are.It is a fact and you goody goodies want that future for our children
This is a little late, Mr Whitehead. I find your sentiments highly offensive.
Why offensive may I ask ? For being shocked by what happened ?
Will we have to stop celebrating Christmas and change OUR way of life to accommodate them ?
[Daphne – Don’t exaggerate, Silvio. Who in the ‘Christian’ world has had to stop celebrating Christmas because of ‘them’?]
AirMalta should take the matter seriously. A racist is a racist. Are all races welcome aboard AirMalta planes?
Did Air Malta discipline the pilot who kept a plane waiting for Joseph and Michelle Muscat?
Again I apologise for the impulsive comment and I assure everyone that I am no racist. I sincerely hope I did not hurt anybody with my statement.
Oh, we believe you. And pigs fly. Wait…they really do. One of them flies Air Malta planes.
I think you should be bloody laid off.
why because of murderers
Then why did you say that you are a racist? If you said that you are anti extremist and want people who condone and spread hate to be held to account for the events that take place due to their rants then you could claim a moral stance.
A racist is what these people create and what they are.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130525/local/Air-Malta-action-over-proud-to-be-racist-pilot.471100
let these goody goodies talk …do not worry about them…we are supposed to be a free country and you have a right for what you feel….is it this way now because of immigration…no thanks
I have known Kevin as a personal friend for more than a decade and he has never shown any signs of being a racist with any of our friends (coming from all ethnicities).
I agree that the comment was a “dickhead” type (this will be a good laugh within the klikka), but knowing him it was definitely an overreaction in the spur of the moment after watching that video.
AF, here’s a little exercise for you. Think of something you strongly detest. Let me help you by suggesting paedophilia as something you strongly hate.
Now, however angry you might be, would you ever write that you are proud to be a paedophile? How is writing that one is proud to be a racist any different?
Stop making excuses for your sorry friend.
Liberal, I think Kevin screwed up, he admitted it and also apologised. As far as I’m concerned the case is closed.
Sorry but I lead a busy life and got no time to waste with exercises.
Have a nice day.
So you still don’t get it, AF. Fair enough. I’ll acknowledge your logical limitations and move on.
So your friend is being disciplined for making racist remarks, his career and livelihood are at risk of being destroyed, he has been humiliated on the national media and yet it is cause for a “good laugh within the klikka”?
I am glad I am not part of your “klikka”. With klikkas like these, who needs enemies?
[Daphne – Klikkek are malicious and malevolent, didn’t you know? That’s one reason I can’t stand them. They don’t function as a support system but as a policing/punishment system.]
You mean, he could fly his passengers into some African village in a suicide mission?
Or perhaps saying what you think on Facebook is not what clever people do, and only clever people fly planes. In other words, all politically incorrect people are uneducated.
Perhaps it IS a statement against Political Correctness, after all.
When I first heard of the term PC in the early 80s I thought it was a satirical expression. Today, 30 years later, I have come to know the source, the reasons and the aims. But that’s calculus for preps and we can’t have that here. Not on Deafley’s Nosepad we can’t.
Ghax dik ‘konspirisi, hi – mhux ovvju, lew!’
Kevvy, I appreciate that it’s late for you, with all the dishes and housework still to do. However, you must focus more before you mumble such obtuse statements.
“In other words, all politically incorrect people are uneducated”.
Not necessarily. However, studies have shown that racists have a tendency to have a low IQ. And that explains a lot.
Yes it does explain a whole lot, Liberal. Your IQ must be in the highest order, being a liberal and all that. You would have made a fabulous kolhoznik commentator back in old Brezhnev’s days. You’d have even been given a tractor to drive through the chaff.
It’s amazing how much you assume you know about me without even knowing me, kev. I’ll take this as one of your conspiracy theories.
However I must say I’m surprised that you take offence at my mention that racists have low IQ. Is that an admission of low IQ, or of racism?
Your ditties sound so much better when they rhyme, Purdie. How about a verse or two on the virtues of being politically correct – as in thinking one thing and saying another. Just like the Soviets used to do.
This is not about being politically correct. I have no problem with anyone proclaiming his racist sentiments, provided he is ready to face the (legal) consequences.
And that includes criticism, boycotts and dismissal from work for bringing his employer (Air Malta) into disrepute.
Ah, I see, so it is not about political correctness, but about facing legal consequences for speaking one’s mind. Thanks for clarifying, Liberal.
Are you ‘liberal’ as in Obama liberal, or as in European neo-liberal? I wouldn’t say you are a classical liberal for then you wouldn’t have known the meaning of PC.
I don’t know you or the pilot from Adam, but don’t you think you are over reacting in suggesting an employee is dismissed for something he appologises for in public and which he staes in his capacity as an individual not in his capacity as a pilot?
Everybody has a right to publicly express their oppinion and if he is a racist, though be it in my opinion wrong, it’s his problem as long as he does not exercise it in his job, which would then call for disciplinary action, if he did.
A Facebook page is a personal page and please don’t misunderstand me – I dont agree with racism but I don’t judge others either – like I don’t blame some Jews for still hating the Germans today.
Oh, I see, dear fascist kev. So according to you, liberalism means that an employer cannot fire a person for bringing his business into disrepute.
Again, let me spell it out for you. One has every right to speak out his mind, but if one does so while wearing his employer’s uniform, then one should be prepared to face the (legal) consequences.
I hope this is not too hard to understand. It does not require a high IQ. Or does it?
Here’s another who doesn’t get it.
Dear Victoria, I am not his employer, but if I were, I would dismiss him immediately for saying he’s proud to be a racist while hosting a picture of himself in my company’s uniform. There are reputations to be kept, and responsibilities that are part and parcel of one’s employment.
If it were his own company, he may do what the hell he likes, and then people would be free to boycott his services.
His mistake was not that he expressed his pride in being a racist. I’m actually thankful to him for letting us know. His mistake is his expressing his racist pride while hosting a picture of him in the Air Malta uniform.
Now it’s up to his boss to decide whether to take disciplinary action or not. I would dismiss him right away.
And no, dear Victoria, a Facebook page ceases to be just a personal page the moment you associate yourself (either through words or pictures) to your employer.
People should really learn to use social media before indulging in their nonsense.
As for your last sentence where you say that you don’t agree with racism but you don’t judge others either, I’m sorry but you’re not making any sense. If you’re against racism, it logically follows that you are judgemental of racists and racist speech.
Dear liberal Liberal, keep your eye on the ball: I’m talking about political correctness, not about employer/employee relationships.
Alla johloqhomli!
Here’s a word of advice, Liberal: never call people ‘fascists’ as the smear most often rubs on you too.
In the UK, and elsewhere in the West, people are being interrogated for stupid things they said on Facebook and Twitter. All there is between ‘hate crimes’ and ‘thought crimes’ are spoken or written words.
In the UK it’s become a total farce – if not a tragedy. One man got arrested for calling a police horse ‘gay’. I’m not joking. He was not charged only because there are still some older officers in the force with a bit of grain left between their ears.
So, to conclude, yes in today’s politically correct world a pilot proclaiming to the whole world that he’s proud to be a racist next a picture of himself in uniform does no good to that airline’s reputation.
But there is a higher level of debate. Should there be hate crimes, is where to start.
Anders Breivik wasn’t black. Nor was he a Muslim. He was a White Supremacist who shot dead around 70 children for racist reasons.
Ahh is it the time again for rusty pitchforks and baying for blood?
The man had a hasty and very unfortunate knee-jerk reaction (as often happens with social media), has recognised the errors of his ways and apologised.
The matter will be dealt with in the appropriate fora and that’s it.
I’ve had some knee-jerk reactions in the past. They never included expressing racist pride. I wonder why.
Yes, the matter will be dealt with in the appropriate fora, and that’s all that matters.
Dear Peacemakers, I am not a racist and always condemned racism but this man apologized. Isn’t that good enough? Why are such harsh comments following?
No.
Liberal (..li m int liberali xejn), why all this furore to be off with his head? I wonder what your stake is.
The man apologized, and has taken back his words, so let him be. On the other hand, your dear terrorist friend has not apologised yet, and the Maltese Muslim community has not condemned neither the London attacks nor the attacks on a Christian church in Libya.
Now chew on what I told you just a little bit before spewing any more ‘vendetta’.. and then after some thinking please come up with a decent reply.
[Daphne – The Muslims in Malta are not responsible for or connected to attacks on soldiers in London committed by Nigerian Muslim converts in that city. Nor is anybody but the perpetrators responsible for that attack on a Christian church “in Libya” (you don’t even know where). As a Catholic, do you feel somehow responsible for the abuse of children in Catholic organisations? Do you feel you have to ‘condemn’ it so that people don’t run away with the idea that you like it, approve of it, or would have done the same?]
Why such hard comments, Dez? Perhaps because we were “so upset” after reading his comment.
Of course, it upset me terribly also, but a sincere apology followed. Why can’t you be humble and accept an apology? Make peace not war …
more upset then the cold blooded murder I see
He apologised because he got caught out and probably got in to all sorts of trouble with his job, not because he’s sorry.
I would have had more respect for the man if he stuck to his guns.
A racist is a racist and since he came out proud and public, he deserves all he’s getting. I still think he should get the sack. Actions have consequences.
I do expect a pilot to have a little common sense and not write such disgusting comments on Facebook.
However, I honestly believe that his apology is sincere.
I’m sure we have all said something we regretted straight after.
Having said that, I believe Air Malta should deal with this in a sensible way.
What a bunch of (politically-correct) losers you all are.
Why can’t you comprehend the simple fact that this stupid remark was dictated by someone’s emotions after watching such a socking video?
I guess modern-day lynching by FaceBook or blogs is an acceptable form of retribution against someone who has repeatedly and publicly apologised for his remarks.
You pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, ethics and principles that dictate your every decision in life…What a load of BULL…We are all racist, hypocrites and deceivers in our own little or big ways.
I wonder what the general comments would have pointed to, had this killing happened in “Strada Rjali” in Malta?
Had this poor sole been one of our sons?
I wonder who the real racists are.
Grow up and face reality.
PS Captain….You did fuck up, if you want my humble opinion, likewise however I cannot stand Hypocrisy.
Not very bright, are you, dear DIRECT.
So I suppose that if you were to watch a video of children torturing someone, your emotions would bring you to say something like “proud to be a paedophile supporter”, or would they?
Perhaps, people like you stopped excusing racists, the “lynching” you describe would stop. Just something for you to think about.
Just one other thing. When you say you can’t stand hypocricy, do take some trouble in explaining who is being a hypocrite, and how so.
My god, how absurd can you be?
“We are all racist, hypocrites and deceivers in our own little or big ways”.
Speak for yourself.
The problem here is that once you are in uniform you represent the country just as a school boy in uniform represents the school he attends, whether or not he likes it.
This is what I ommitted in my last comment when I posted that he is entitled to believe what he wants.
Unfortunately in his profile pic, the Air Malta name tag around his neck clearly depicts that he works for the national airline otherwise he wouldn’t have it.
It would have been a different story altogether had his employer not been identifiable and this is not to say that his comment is justified.
Nobody has the right to pass a comment and instigate hatred. Freedom of speech also has a line – but – as I said too I think he does what he wants when he is acts on his own accord.
I wish to state that I sympathise with him because he may not have seen the consequences, but a man in his position cannot perform his job well unless he he is above these things, so given his position it is unaccptable.
I have never met Mr Whitehead, face to face or othewise, nor do I have any connection with Air Malta – however can I point out the following:
The actions of two persons proclaiming to commit garish acts in the name of their religion does not mean that whole populations of the same colour or religion agree with them, therefore being racist is certainly not justified.
Using the same reasoning however, can someone explain how attacking Mr Whitehead’s employer is justified considering that it was an individual who made the stupid remarks. This unless somone can show us that AirMalta condoned the behaviour of course!
Seems to me a bit ironic that some seem to be attacking a person for displaying negativity for the whole group rather than the perpetrators when they are in fact doing the same.
Having said this I must say that as soon as the ‘help for heroes’ t-shirt was mentioned, my heart sank and seeing the family on TV now was beyond words……but knowing the enemy is everyone’s duty and stupid generalizations have no place in to-day’s climate, they just put us all at higher risk!
If Air Malta do not fire this individual, they have condoned his remark, apology or not..
“Using the same reasoning however, can someone explain how attacking Mr Whitehead’s employer is justified considering that it was an individual who made the stupid remarks. This unless somone can show us that AirMalta condoned the behaviour of course!”
I don’t see anyone blaming or attacking Whitehead’s employer.
Here’s something for the racist apologists to explain. What has the colour of the terrorists’ skin got to do with their despicable crime?
Liberal, if you have a problem with that you should see why Western governments have been so eager to underline the colour of the skin, as you put it, when it comes to terrorist acts.
Is it because they wanted to secure support for the ‘war on terror’? (Which they have – look at all the hatred towards Muslims!)
That is all passé now. Over the past few years we’ve seen the ‘advent’ of home-grown, white terrorists…
But here’s some ‘calculus’ for you: While those who hold power over the global money machines rule the world financially and economically, the world of political and social unrest is in the hands of a vast underworld network of intelligence/security/military entities, some more secretive than others, fixing the broth through agent provocateurs, undercover patsies, staged events, false flag operations… and don’t expect the corporate media to cover that for you, much less it-Times, which depends on them like a suckling piglet.
So, in whose interest is it to create division, conflict, wars, strife? Who is not happy with just a multiracial society with one unifying culture? Who wants it to be a divisive multi-cultural society?
Yes, konspirisi tieri. But only the hoodwinked and the uninformed believe in Pollyanna’s world.
None whatsoever. Mental instability, at least in the case of one of the men, seems to have been a contributing factor.
I can see your point in that once he works for the national airline he should have thought twice about posting such a comment. A pilot is meant to be a person who should not think twice and not make similar mistakes.
They just don’t reflect well on him and the company, since in effect it only means they tolerate people who are recists and hence racism.
In my earlier comment when I wrote that one should not be judgemental and that declaring to be a racist is his problem, I omitted the fact that his photo clearly depicts the company he works for and an appology is simply unacceptable because a man in his position cannot think twice especially in an emergency and will make me think twice about travelling with that airline.
I would also add that you are right to state that my closing sentence is contradictory, and I blame myself for perhaps not expressing myself properly – one of my greatest faults….What I really meant to say is that I don’t blame some people for being intolerant of others.
Dear Liberal,
Being the “Brightest Star” in this constellation of bloggers, I would have expected you to (at least) grasp the fact that I did not excuse this person’s comment. Guess that was a lot to expect from a contributor who believes that he/she believes is endowed with extreme purity verging on the spiritually sublime.
I’m fascinated by your remark “Speak for yourself”……… May I suggest you change your pen name to “SANTO SUBITO”….but then again, given your extraordinary level of analytical intelligence…you must have already considered this pseudonym and possibly decided it would be too HYPOCRITICAL.
Enjoy your bubble.
I am aquainted to Mr. Whitehead through friends we have in common. While the comment in question will undoubtedly give a very bad impression to who does not know him, I am absolutely certain that Mr. Whitehead is not a racist and did not mean the comment as written.
I believe the only anger meant to be expressed was toward the heinous act in the Woolwich video. The apology is genuine and not just lip service.
If it’s not broken – don’t fix it.
If you don’t mean it – don’t say it.
Easy.
“the matter will be dealt with internally”
Even when an Air Malta senior officer left several passengers on an Air Malta flight waiting for him in Sicily we were told that that matter was to be dealt with internally….What were the conclusions?
This BBC video is worth a watch. I’m shocked.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22650053
I am starting to think that ‘Liberal’ has a personal grudge against this bloke…..
I have known Kevin since we were kids and I can most definitely say that he is not a racist.
When we were boysds at De La Salle College in the 1980s, Kevin had very good friends of every race and colour and to this day I know him to remain a fundamentally decent guy who does not discriminate in any shape or form.
He is a famously peaceful, cheerful and easy-going guy who always has time for people.
Unfortunately, being human, he also sometimes says some stupid things and in tjis case he has been guilty of giving air to unarticulated thoughts on Facebook without taking the time to really think things through properly.
Of course what he said was stupid but which one of us, hand on heart, has not said something foolish, crass and, yes racist in an unguarded, maybe angry moment?
Are you all so perfect to have never made a mistake?
Kevin is not a member of some lunatic, far-right movement. He is a perfectly normal, decent, middle class guy who normally does not have much interest in politics as far as I know.
There is no need to crucify him for making a stupid mistake.
Liberal.. havent you got anything better to do than post and post and post??? Get a life my friend!! And DCG, what have you become now? A facebook moderator?? Do you really have time to publish people’s comments? I will be careful from now on when commenting on a facebook post! A storm in a tea cup if you ask me…. The captain passed a comment after watching that video, which is horrific. He apologised. End of story dears! And oh, one last thing.. Liberal, get a life!!!
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130525/local/Air-Malta-action-over-proud-to-be-racist-pilot.471100
Everyone has a right to express their own feelings. Live and let live .All this has nothing to do with Airmalta . How many pilots have died in the past .. Shall we all remember 9/11, they had nothing to do with war and everyday their lives are in danger of someone hijacking an aeroplane .
I really can’t understand why this has become a state affair ,poeple have nothing of else to do but attacking a person because he has an opinion? Isn’t that racist too?
We all slip up sometime or another, let’s not try to hide behind false saintly comments. He is human, he has erred, and most important of all he has apologised.
What worries me most is that a good percentage of you are just as guilty as those terrorists, it seems to me you are after ‘blood’ here.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130525/local/Air-Malta-action-over-proud-to-be-racist-pilot.471100
Why can’t we accept his apology and move on? What is it with us Maltese that makes us so mean-spirited?
Thou without a sin cast the first stone, afterall everybody is human and bound to make mistakes.
So let’s give this person another chance, he deserves it after his explanation
The people who are so indignant actually ‘protest a bit too loudly’. Are they scared that they are racist deep down? I hope you are reading ‘Liberal’.
I agree that passing a remark like that was highly irrational and just plain silly.
If the person were actually racist too it would be just plain disgusting. However, it is almost impossible to pinpoint who truly is a racist and who just writes off the cuff random remarks on their wall.
Racism is so unnatural that it is hard to believe that anyone could be racist. Studies have been conducted and curiously found that many people who claim to be non-racist actually ended up being revealed as more racist than the self-proclaimed rednecks.
I often find overreactions such as the hateful spite directed at this fellow by the likes of ‘Liberal’ as suspicious. I too have been the victim of racism in the past but I never went running to the police or hoped that the perpetrators faced legal consequences.
I was always comfortable in my skin knowing that I was as good if not better than they were. Never condone racism but never mimic the very behaviour you are aiming to prevent others from engaging in. No cause, no matter how noble, can justify this. Moderation is the key.
To Victoria, who said Facebook is a private page. No, it is not. Facebook pages are owned by Facebook.
Deep down inside 99% of humans are racist………Its a matter of admitting it…..or not.
Dear Liberal,
I can see your point in that once he works for the national airline he should have thought twice about posting such a comment. A pilot is meant to be a person who should not think twice and ALWAYS.
“Proud to be racist” – Kevin Whitehead
Oh no he didn’t. Shit gonna get ugly yo, so raise your pitchforks and oil the stake, liberals, because there is someone whose opinion differs from ours.
He posted his bullshit opinion while using a photo in which he wears the Air Malta uniform.
So now let’s use some other airline where there can’t possible be one single person who is a racist – you see they have anti-racist mind reader thingys that screen out all those people who we don’t agree with.
But oh well, as long as they keep their opinions to themselves – in fact why doesn’t Daphne close down this blog and we can all keep our opinions to ourselves.
The Mintoffians would be so happy. Such a happy place if nobody said controversial things about their personal beliefs to ‘offend’ others.
Last I checked he wasn’t the one inciting violence, the one in the video Kevin Whitehead watched was.
To be honest, what he writes on his Facebook is his business. Air Malta should only sanction him if ever he behaves in a racist way at work.
[Daphne – You are wrong. Let’s say a pilot gets into a brawl in a bar and slashes some man’s face. He’s not at work, but the airline will still discipline him. There’s another flaw in your argument: a racist is a racist is a racist. If you boast about being proud to be a racist, then it follows that you’re a racist at work too and not just on Facebook. No, there is no room for racists to be put in charge of other people and their safety. I hope that beyond discipline, which only makes racists more determined in their views, this pilot sees his way clear to some kind of help, if those really are his views and not just a stupid boast. What would you say to somebody/think about somebody who boasts about being a misogynist? Why is it all right, in your view, to boast about hating people on the basis of their ethnicity, but perhaps not OK to boasting about hating people on the basis of their gender?]
I did not say “it is all right”. I said “if he does not bring his beliefs and attitude to the work place, then the airline should not interfere”.
That is nothing but an act of the nanny state. How far will you go? Are you going to monitor people’s marital life to see whether they’re abusers; check their political affiliations to see whether they vote far right?
[Daphne – Racism and misogyny pose a general threat to others, Joe. That’s where the line is drawn. Not being a woman, you have no direct experience of how stressful it is to have to work with a misogynist in the office, still less a misogynist as your superior, or sit round a boardroom table for a meeting with men who literally behave as though you are invisible and that your views are somehow to be discarded. I always imagine what it must be like for black people, or Chinese people, having to work with that level of hatred and suspicion.]
I am with you 100% Daphne. I am just trying to differentiate between private and professional/public life.
Some of my best friends are racist bigots.
Maybe Mr. Whitehead’s comments were not right but all your blood thirst comments are not right either. Do you have to take your pound of flesh? Do you realise that this man might have a family and you are destroying his career and his family’s bread and butter? Please show some sympathy and learn to forgive! How can we call ourselves Christians?