Jack Peterson was just trying to show some love for his country on its birthday. But a brief announcement on the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway turned his Independence Day completely upside down. Within hours, he went from steering a historic train car to standing right in the unemployment line.
It all went down on the afternoon of July Fourth. Peterson was working his seasonal gig as a conductor on the famous Chattanooga tram. He grabbed the microphone to wish his passengers a happy holiday. What he said next lit up the internet and cost him his job before the fireworks even started.
Peterson looked out at his crowded car and delivered a message that split people right down the middle. “To the very, very few Americans in here, happy Independence Day,” he said. He did not stop there. He welcomed the rest to the greatest country on the planet and told them they could leave if they disagreed.
A tourist named Nathan Scherer caught the whole thing on video. Scherer and his dad had traveled up from Florida for a nice holiday getaway. Instead, they found themselves riding up the mountain in what they called an uncomfortable silence. They felt the conductor made disparaging remarks about foreigners right from the start, so Scherer’s dad sent the clip straight to the transit authorities.
The bosses at the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority did not waste any time. They saw the video and fired Peterson that very same afternoon. They called his comments totally unacceptable. The higher-ups stated that the conductor’s microphone is for safety and history, not an opportunity for regular folks to share personal views.
But Peterson is not backing down or apologizing for his words. He believes he did absolutely nothing wrong by celebrating America on the Fourth of July. To him, telling people they have the right to leave is actually a special American freedom. He notes that many other countries around the world simply do not offer that choice.
Now, a huge crowd of online supporters is rallying to back him up. Peterson launched a GoFundMe page titled “Support Jack Peterson After Job Loss” to help pay his bills. In just a few days, regular everyday people poured in nearly $12,000 to help him hit his goal, proving that his patriotic message struck a deep chord with hundreds of folks.
Interestingly, the story might not be completely over for the ousted conductor. While local transit officials initially swore he would never work for the railway again, the agency’s top chief executive has since reached out to Peterson. They are reportedly talking about the impact of his words to see if there is still a path forward for him to get his old job back.
