On October 18th, Twitter hired Gregory Gopman to assist in leading the company’s VR initiatives as the role of project manager. Gopman was then fired the next day due to a Facebook post dating back to 2013. The post in question included Gopman’s attitude to the homeless living in San Francisco. Gopman used the term “degenerates” to describe the homeless along with calling them a “burden” within the post. Below is the post that Gopman has since deleted:
Just got back to SF. I’ve travelled around the world and I gotta say there is nothing more grotesque than walking down market st in San Francisco. Why the heart of our city has to be overrun by crazy, homeless, drug dealers, dropouts, and trash I have no clue. Each time I pass it my love affair with SF dies a little.
The difference is in other cosmopolitan cities, the lower part of society keep to themselves. They sell small trinkets, beg coyly, stay quiet, and generally stay out of your way. They realise it’s a privilege to be in the civilized part of town and view themselves as guests. And that’s ok.
In downtown SF the degenerates gather like hyenas, spit, urinate, taunt you, sell drugs, get rowdy, they act like they own the center of the city. Like it’s their place of leisure… In actuality it’s the business district for one of the wealthiest cities in the USA. It a disgrace. I don’t even feel safe walking down the footpath without planning out my walking path.
You can preach compassion, equality, and be the biggest lover in the world, but there is an area of town for degenerates and an area of town for the working class. There is nothing positive gained from having them so close to us. It’s a burden and a liability having them so close to us. Believe me, if they added the smallest iota of value I’d consider thinking different, but the crazy toothless lady who kicks everyone that gets too close to her cardboard box hasn’t made anyone’s life better in a while.
“Anddd I’m fired. Thanks TechCrunch.” Gopman posted to his Facebook on Wednesday, which was soon followed with a public apology, where he stated that his “inappropriate comments trivialised” the struggle of homeless people.
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