Charlie Kirk fanned the flames of racial controversy on his show recently when, for some inexplicable reason, he decided to make the asinine comment that he gets frightened and has concerns whenever he sees black pilots. He was trying to make a point about the Left’s racial hierarchy initiatives, such as the diversity, equity, and inclusion movement, or DEI. For anyone unfamiliar, it’s an extremist left-wing objective that promotes the advancement of people based on skin color, regardless of merit.
“If I see a black pilot, I’m going to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified,’” Kirk said on his show.
Kirk’s alleged fear of black pilots is unfounded, and such unproven comments do not help persuade people in the country that these left-wing programs are harmful. Moreover, especially given Kirk’s lack of experience piloting, the Tuskegee Airmen (or, more accurately, their descendants) would probably like a word.
Kirk’s comments deserve widespread rebuke. There are several reasons why Kirk is wrong.
First, airplane crashes are exceedingly rare. This is even more so regarding commercial air travel, the kind of airplanes most people in this country use. Each year, there are “45,000 flights and 2.9 million airline passengers across more than 29 million square miles of airspace,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Statistically speaking, air travel is significantly safer than driving.
The last major commercial airline crash was in 2009, 15 years ago, near Buffalo, New York. The crash killed 49 passengers and one on the ground, according to reports. It was a tragic accident that dominated the news cycle at the time. However, I can guarantee you that very few, if any, know the race or gender of the pilot(s) involved in the crash (without first searching it), including Kirk. Why? Because their race didn’t matter. Nevertheless, for the sake of this article, the pilots in the crash were white.
Also, consider that the pilots of all major commercial airline crashes in the United States (thankfully, there have only been a few) in the 21st century have all been white. This would completely discredit what Kirk said and prove his alleged concerns are unfounded or agenda-driven nonsense. If Kirk is legitimately worried when he sees black pilots, if he even sees black pilots, then he should be relieved to know that every historical record and statistic finds his pearl-clutching unwarranted.
Next, how often does one recall the race of the pilots on their flights? I have traveled extensively worldwide, and not once could I tell you anything about the pilots. I didn’t know their race, gender, or anything about any pilot on any flight I have ever been on. I don’t remember seeing them on my flights. They were obviously there. I just never noticed them.
My main concern, and I would argue the concerns of most people when flying, is getting to my seat as quickly as possible, hoping no one uses the storage bin above me, and wondering if there would be a malodorous stench from the person sitting next to me.
Lastly, worrying about whether a pilot may or may not be qualified is, without a doubt, extreme paranoia. No one is that well versed in aviation to know one way or the other what it takes for a pilot to be “qualified.” Speaking such things is sheer ignorance. Furthermore, if it is a genuine traveler’s concern, then that person should not be traveling in airplanes. It is just a stupid thing to concern oneself with and even more foolish to state publicly.
If I had to guess, I would bet that instead of having genuine fears, Kirk tried to say something shocking or edgy to prove a point about DEI. I would even question how often he has seen a black pilot in his life to have such concerns. His comments are wrong, easy to disprove, and do nothing to help the objective of getting rid of DEI. They lack objectivity and only resonate with people with a cultlike devotion to whatever Kirk says, regardless of the verisimilitude of his claims.
Moreover, his gall to claim that he made a logical statement does nothing but show his knowledge of the definition of the word “logic” is as bad as his analysis of piloting airplanes. He made a stupid statement, not a logical one.
I am adamantly opposed to DEI. It’s a racially motivated program that runs counter to our nation’s founding principles and the objectives of a racism-less society. I vigorously criticize it and try to bring awareness to its corruption and bigotry as often as possible. It does not belong anywhere in the country. However, there is right and wrong, and Kirk’s comments were wrong.
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And those who say such wrong and foolish things deserve to be criticized when they do. We should continue to speak out against wrong things, regardless of their political allegiances. There are legitimate criticisms of DEI, including how it is a political weapon used to hire people based on skin color, not their merits or achievements. There are many examples of why it isn’t good.
However, faux outrage and concerns over black pilots are not among them.