Talk:Frank Patti

I have added FACTUAL and VERIFIABLE information several times regarding this entry on Pensapedia only to have it deleted every time. There is no opinion or personal point of view involved. Nonetheless, I have now received notification that my entry does not conform to your guidelines. I believe it does.

Your notification states that you cannot accept "unsourced negative statements." Let me make myself known. My name is Morgan Christopher and I worked for the Joe Patti Seafood Company. Thus it is no longer "unsourced" information. As for whether it is "negative," is it your position that you will only present "positive" facts? What are those, exactly? Is that the purpose of an encyclopedia, either traditional or online? Facts are facts, especially if they are beyond question. Besides, do you assert that this individual's tax-evading criminal record is "positive" news? Would an entry on Adolph Hitler mention merely that he was an art student in college and nothing more?

Additionally, on Pensapedia's own "about" page you say the following: "It is important to realize that in contributing to Pensapedia, users are expected to be civil and neutral, respecting all points of view, and only add verifiable and factual information rather than personal views and opinions." Kindly point out where I diverge from these guidelines. I was civil, neutral (presenting only the verifiable facts), and leaving out my own opinion.

The sort of thing that I intentionally left out of my entry was that Frank Patti would use the N-word behind closed doors to his management staff to refer to the demographic that he did not want to see hired in his establishment. But then that would be my word against his, wouldn't it? On the other hand, the percentage of African-Americans he employs is not a matter of anyone's word; all you need to do look with your own eyes and the discrepancy is startling.

If you are going to censor information then perhaps you could make that clear on your home page. Otherwise it would be appropriate to restore the information as I had written it. Don't you think? —Preceding unsigned comment added by RMC (talk • contribs)

I agree that your edits to this page were done in a civil manner, but you presented information selectively with the intent to malign, which is not neutral. Because it was posted on Mr Patti's article, instead of the business itself, it is also in violation of our Biographies of living persons policy. If you could get a reputable media outlet to publish your grievance, the criticism could be included in the Joe Patti's business article. — admin • talk  22:08, 12 April 2011 (CDT)

I appreciate the guidelines you've defined. I will adhere to your recommendations.

Meanwhile, I will also try to find different avenues to present the verifiable facts regarding this man and his business. I disagree with your assessment that my primary goal is to "malign" Frank Patti. My only interest is to bring to light his actions and his policies and allow others to come to their own conclusions. He is, by virtue of his personality and past shenanigans, a public figure. As such, there is a very different set of rules that apply to someone like him. This is the essence of many journalistic decisions that surely you understand.

The latest census shows Pensacola's population at approximately 34% African-American. Joe Patti's Seafood (a family business that Frank Patti oversees) has 2 or 3 black employees on a staff of almost 120, or less than 2%. These numbers speak for themselves. Every day decent, hardworking human beings unknowingly come in to this man's business to fill out job applications hoping to earn a meager living. They're not even be considered simply because they came in with the wrong skin color. Frank Patti's establishment, Pensacola's biggest seafood market and gourmet store, is in violation of federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws and the Civil Rights Act on a more-or-less daily basis. There is nothing libelous about this statement; after all, libel requires that an accusation be false.

However, we will present that information to the media as you suggest and let them decide where the story lies.