A conductor at Tennessee's Incline Railway has been fired following a viral Independence Day speech that left some passengers feeling disgusted and unwelcome. Jack Peterson, who worked at the 131-year-old attraction near Chattanooga, was dismissed after telling passengers, "To the very, very few Americans in here, Happy Independence Day." He then welcomed "the rest of you" to the United States, adding, "if you disagree, you can leave."
The remarks, captured on video by passenger Nathan Scherer, were met with groans and a demand from one rider for Peterson to "shut up" as the train descended Lookout Mountain. Scherer posted the clip, which garnered over 530,000 views, using hashtags such as "racism" and "xenophobia." He subsequently reported Peterson to the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA), which operates the Incline Railway.
Charles Scherer, Nathan's father, expressed his dismay to WTVC, stating that he felt the company needed to be aware of the comments as Peterson was representing the organization. He added that he was embarrassed by the incident, especially with his granddaughter present.
Peterson defended his statements, asserting that he did not intend to cause offense and was simply expressing his patriotism on Independence Day. He told WTVC, "I truly do believe we are the greatest country on earth. My statement about if you dont like the country and dont believe we are the best then you can leave is a freedom of the USA that many other countries do not have. It is not a racist or xenophobic thing to say. If you dont believe in making this country better then why are you here?"
CARTA officials confirmed Peterson's immediate termination after his supervisor spoke with him following the passenger's report. Scott Wilson, CARTA's chief of staff, issued an apology to affected passengers and those who viewed the video. "We have zero tolerance for language that demeans or excludes anyone who rides with us," Wilson stated. "For 131 years, the Incline Railway has welcomed visitors from Chattanooga and from around the world. Every passenger who boards our railway deserves to feel respected and welcome, and we are committed to making sure that is always the case."