Yes The Eagle Scout Award is the highest Honor a Boy scout can earn
in Boy Scouting I earned mine in 1976 and was so proud to get it. but
My Scout Master the late Frank Russel also sat me down and explained how
I would forever have a target on my back by those who resent those who
strive to be a better individual in life .
Was Mr. Russel ever right.
I
found this out from the fall of 1976 and all thru the 1980's when
trying to find a good paying full time job with benefits in the
construction and trades field. Not being able to secure suitable
employment I decided to run my company full time starting in 1981.
It
seems back then that employers in these areas did not care to hire any
one who put eagle scout on their application and they did not want to
hire somebody with a Jewish sounding last name sad but true. I am not
Jewish my family last name should be spelled ICZ on the end we are
Ukrainian but when my grandfather came thru Ellis island and was able to
write his name on entry papers instead f making his mark like others
they assumed he was an educated jew. and immigration officials spelled
his name to sound Jewish. I often thought about changing my name like
many of my friends have done but also like some of my friends wanted to
honor my grandfather and his wishes and did not change it
I
put in 100's of applications all over. One day I walked from Neville
Island all the way to downtown Pittsburgh a total of 10 miles putting in
applications never got one call.
The company's who where very
good company's to go to work for back then where not hiring and the
mills where going down. so I was low man on the totem pole and I was not
going to kiss some ones ass to get a job like many I know did and be
beholding to some one I keep my job.When you came out of school in 70's
you had 2 choices college or military I qualified for neither Even thou I
had good grades dyslexia was always in the way and back then they had
no understanding of it like they do now.And Physical problems kept me
out of the military
I can proudly say any job I got
was on my own merits even if it was a shit hole of a job but I did what I
had to survive till I got my business going .
The
realization of having a Jewish sounding last name and trying to get a
job came very clear in 81 when a friend recommend me for a job at a
large industrial facility looking for maintenance people
The
interview went well I thought but never got a follow up call would run
into my friend couple weeks later on bus trip home from town and he told
me all about him being told they don't hire Jews after he asked why
they passed me over. Well that company is out of business when the rest
of the mills went down.Thats also when I started spelling my name
different with ICZ on end and started getting more offers so that just
showed how racist these company's where. I had a similar experience
where I applied after friend told me about an opening and he told me not
to mention I was an eagle scout they don't like people with that kind
of integrity. and Im thinking why would I even want to apply but needed
work so why not if it held me thru times . So I put in an application
did not mention the eagle scout get called for an interview and during
interview they asked had I achieved anything in life mentioned the eagle
scout and interview went down hill from there.Eagle scouts carry the
stigma of being goodie goodies
some employers don't like high achievers as well. they want a do this do dat and shut up say nothing and know nothing.
Knowing
this I would have never worked for them anyways you don't want to hire
some one becsue they have integrity like an eagle scout or have a Jewish
sounding name I want nothing to do with you and tells me everything I
need to know about you.
I have heard blacks refer to Pittsburgh as
Mississippi Pittsburgh and asked them why and they said its because
Pittsburgh is an extremely racists city and the reference is to
Pittsburgh being the most southern northern city. its a shame but its
true the Pittsburgh area and state in general has a very large
proliferation of hate groups from the KKK to Skin heads and extreme
segregationists
Unfortunately I hear the N word and the K word being used all too frequently while I work
when I hear it from people I avoid them and if its an actual customer I drop them I do not need these type of customers.
Had
a realty customer ask me one time how I could be living in Penn Hills
and let my wife shop at local grocery store because blacks shop there
also?
Tells me thats why he moved out of Penn hills he did not
want wife shopping with blacks because they can not be trusted. Needless
to say I no longer work for him.
Thats where I have
to give many of my customers credit for not allowing racism and hate
speech to go on in their places of employment they hear it or see it
that employee is warned and then fired if it keeps up.
I
also rarely mention I am an Eagle Scout because there are too many
employers who do not hire eagles seeing them as goodie goodies
especially when they are running a business where questionable practices
are condoned.
Then again same situation you do not
want to hire an eagle I do not want to work for you if you are not going
to run a legitimate company and take care of your customers and
employees and allow shady practices. See too many of these type of
company's in Pittsburgh which explains why so many last a few years and
are gone. Actually getting a good company to work for with good pay is
hard these jobs are few and far and the less than reputable company's
know this and take advantage of their employees and get away with their
shady practices.If you have no skills at all and just a high school
degree your really screwed in this city
Call it under- employment which has been a big issue in this town ever since the mills went down.
I
know plenty of hard working people who deserve to be paid and have a
descent job but do not have one because they are so hard to find
especially if your not skilled.
This is why I preach to
our young people you need to stay and keep educated and always be
looking for that next great thing because jobs and technology change so
fast
One of the reasons I have been successful with my
business is I was always willing to travel out to jobs and further away
from the big city's the better I find the quality of people I work for
sad but true. What ever it is that causes such racism and bigotry in
Pittsburgh I will never understand there is no excuse for it. But
sadly it goes on everyday.
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