Nathan

I live..

[The Real Mike Rowe @mikeroweworks]

I want to apologize for not responding to any of the 22 thousand comments my last post inspired. I’ve been filming all week and just noticed my observations about Jimmy Kimmel and a former plumber named Markwayne Mullin have gone viral. I've also noticed that many of the comments are from people who genuinely seem to believe that Jimmy wasn’t belittling plumbers at all, but was instead, simply trying to point out that Mullin is not qualified to lead the DHS. Here's a small smattering...

Roger Bicknell...
Mikey stop. Kimmel wasn't making fun of plumbers he was making fun of Mullin.

Rebecca Piatt Gonzalez...
Dearest Mike, it's not anything to do with his being a plumber. It's him NOT being skilled in Homeland Security.

Patrick Wise...
Being a plumber qualifies you to be a plumber. Period. The issue Jimmy and the rest of us at the adult table recognize is that jobs require certain training and experience and being a plumber does not qualify you to be Sec of DHS.

Had Roger, Rebecca, Patrick and all the others who rushed to Jimmy’s Kimmel’s defense actually read what I had written, they would see that I did not suggest - even remotely - that a plumber was inherently qualified to hold a cabinet position. What I said was that being a plumber should not disqualify a person from holding such a position. Big difference. Doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, fireman, and university professors are no more or less qualified to run the DHS than plumbers, electricians, or carpenters – but should they all be dismissed as “unqualified” simply because they made a living in some other vocation?

As I wrote in my original post, credentials and diplomas are great ways to bolster a person’s credibility, especially if we’re talking about mastering a specific skill. I think we can all agree that plumbers, accountants, mechanics, and surgeons should all have to prove themselves competent before hanging out a shingle. But what do their credentials and diplomas have to do with their actual competency? Are we not already surrounded by a legion of perfectly qualified experts who don't know what the hell they're doing? Moreover, what do credentials and experience have to do with wisdom, honesty, common sense, integrity, courage, the ability to lead, or any other virtue we’d like to have in our elected officials?

There are plenty of legitimate reasons to question Mullin’s suitability for this role. But there’s no legitimate reason to disqualify him simply because he used to be a plumber. Just as there was no legitimate reason to dismiss AOC because she used to tend bar. As for the joke itself, here’s an honest question. If Senator Mullin was a retired doctor instead of a retired plumber, do you believe he would have would made the same joke?

Roger, Rebecca, Patrick...be honest. Do you really think Jimmy would have said to his audience, "So, now we have a DOCTOR in charge of protecting us from terrorism? Hey – it worked for Dr. Suess – maybe it’ll work for Markwayne!"

Personally, I don't. Not in a million years. Why? Because no one would have found it funny, that’s why. Even though doctors are no more “qualified” to protect us from terrorists than plumbers are, Jimmy knows that doctors are widely respected in society, and that plumbers are not. He knows that medical degrees and doctorates are aspirational credentials, whereas plumbing certificates are not. The entire premise of his joke was based on a personal bias that he knew his audience shared – a bias that presupposes plumbers are uneducated, one-dimensional workers who never made it to college, and are therefore "unqualified" to do anything but plumb.

Jimmy is entitled to his opinion, along with anyone else who believes that Mullin is unqualified to lead the DHS. The Constitution, however, says otherwise, and so does the Senate. Likewise, reasonable people can disagree as to what is funny and what isn’t. Frankly, I couldn’t care less. What I do care about, is the extraordinary shortage of plumbers and electricians our country is facing, and the longstanding stigmas and stereotypes that continue to discourage people from considering a lucrative career in the skilled trades. Jimmy’s joke – and his audience’s reaction to it – is proof positive that those stigmas and stereotypes are alive and well.

PS. We have a lot of money set aside to help train the next generation of plumbers. Apply for a scholarship at https://t.co/vidLSYXCf6 Who knows? Could be the first step on your road to President..

[Nathan @Nathan2point0]

@DailyMail Prison please

[Barstool Sports @barstoolsports]

Not a lot of people had more fun celebrating USA’s Gold Medal than these two mite hockey teams who paused their game to celebrate together

[Penguins Jesus @PenguinsJesus]

There are people in this country who rooted against their own country and own team in this game.

The team who wanted to share their victory with the children of their teammate who was killed by a drunk driver.

Perspective.

[Connor Griffin @RealCGriff]

“For all the young people out there, those dreams are formed now. Go chase them and go get them, because our country loves sports and it brings us together unlike anything else. And if you didn’t know that…you saw it in Team USA Hockey”

What a signoff from Tirico just now🇺🇸

[TJ Oshie @TJOshie77]

For Johnny. For the brotherhood. For America. 🇺🇸

[Bussin' With The Boys @BussinWTB]

The perfect photo doesn’t exi—

[BucciOT.Com @Buccigross]

McDavid to San Jose this summer. This is the way.

[FDNY UFA @UFANYC]

24 years later, we honor the 343 FDNY firefighters lost on 9/11 and the 402 more taken by post-9/11 illnesses. Their courage united a city and a nation.

We will never forget.

[Blues Buzz @bluesbuzzblog]

SUPER RARE GIVEAWAY 🦅

Just like this tweet to enter 👍

Retweet = 5 entries

(Gotta be following so I can DM you)

[Kevin Dalton @TheKevinDalton]

Shocking new report on homelessness and fighting fires in Los Angeles.

Last year Los Angeles spent $961 million on homelessness, while the total LAFD budget was only $837 million.

Despite the budget disparity, nearly 1/3 of fires fought by LAFD are started by the homeless.

[Nathan @Nathan2point0]

@NBCSSharks I’d love to watch it but you changed packages…

[Nathan @Nathan2point0]

@sofiiaxrose @lavaxmelons Hi

[Thomas D Murphy former US Senate candidate, SC (R) @ThomasMurphy4SC]

Gunnery Sergeant giving hard facts!

[Nathan @Nathan2point0]

@millburysshoe @Kiel_Samsing Also the damn near funniest!

[Nathan @Nathan2point0]

@CCMHockey #12DaysofCCM

[Nathan @Nathan2point0]

@NewEraCap bought two hats.. both the same size… can I get some help?

[Hear in LA @hearinladotcom]

If only the @nytimes treated LA with the respect this gentleman has.

He doesn’t look at LA like it’s some bizarre foreign land. A novelty. A quaint alternative to the majesty that is the big Apple.

Cheers, bro. Next one’s on us.

[Nathan @Nathan2point0]

@pinkwhitney @spittinchiclets @SergioP148

[Nathan @Nathan2point0]

@TeamJConr Do Oakland!