View source for Boston Herald Pax Centurion Article June 28 2012

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http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20220629headlinegoes

Police union newsletter under fire
By Dave Wedge
Friday, June 29, 2012 

Hub cops who write for the newsletter published by the city’s police union are under fire for alleged racism and sexism — including calling Gov. Deval Patrick a “racial huckster” — prompting sponsors to yank ads and Mayor Thomas M. Menino to dismiss the publication as “garbage.”

Menino and City Councilor Ayanna Pressley were among the chorus of voices excoriating Boston Police Officer James Carnell, editor of the union’s Pax Centurion newsletter, for a string of controversial rants.

In a recent opinion piece responding to a college professor involved in the Occupy movement, Carnell called protesters “aging hippies” and “morons from privileged backgrounds” who eat tofu and brown rice and “bang bongo drums.” He suggested that “bums” joined the movement for free food and to be “showered” with “compassion” from “liberal college girls.”

He also accused the professor of using his college post to “indoctrinate” students with liberal ideas, writing: “No wonder the country is filled with so many young idiots who don’t know history, geography, math or classical literature, but can sing North Korean-style songs praising Obama.”

Referring to pay cuts for cops, Carnell wrote: “I assume that my confiscated money is now in the hands of some bum with an EBT card or an illegal alien getting free health care.”

In another piece, Carnell called Patrick a “racial huckster” and a “disgrace” claiming the governor pushed for racial profiling legislation.

A Patrick spokeswoman didn’t return messages. Neither Carnell nor Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association head Tom Nee returned calls.

Menino, a frequent target of the Pax Centurion, called today for Carnell to be fired.

“If I had anything to do with that union I’d have him off that front page,” Menino said. “I’d have him nowhere in that newspaper because the rank and file don’t deserve the kind of garbage he writes.”

Some advertisers have reportedly pulled ads while Pressley tweeted yesterday: “I’m disgusted by the continued racist, sexist & homophobic comments spewing from this man in Pax Centurion.” State Rep. Carlos Henriques (D-Roxbury) said in a tweet that he was “not surprised” by the articles and called them a “disservice to good cops.”

Other controversial articles in the bi-monthly newsletter include one on terrorists in which the writer says Muslims become suicidal martyrs because they don’t have booze and women wear “baggy dresses and veils” rather than “thongs” from “Victoria’s Secret.” Another calls Elizabeth Warren a “squaw” who will “bake you a cake.”

-— dwedge@bostonherald.com
Boston Herald Chief Enterprise Reporter. Dave Wedge is the Herald's Chief Enterprise Reporter and writes Sunday's "Pols & Politics" column. He also covers music for "The Edge" entertainment section.