There are, alas, no minorities or women in the Cranston fire department — the only Rhode Island city so stained. But the city is aware of the ignominy and is aggressively trying to find suitable applicants — and indeed it admits to “loosening” its hiring requirements in order to solve this problem.
But just a second: Is it really a good idea to be lowering standards for those in charge of saving other people’s lives?
Councilman Michael J. Farina apparently thinks not. “Maybe minorities don’t want to be firefighters,” he says. “I can’t see lowering our standards” to hire them, he added.
So forget David French: I nominate Michael J. Farina (who earlier this year switched parties, from Democrat to Republican, by the way) for president.