Tennessee Train Operator Fired After Viral July 4th 'Go Back Home' Rant

A Tennessee train rider was fired after his July 4 video went viral. He said America is the greatest country and those who don't believe that can leave.

Jack Peterson must have rehearsed this speech several times before he blurted it out on July 4 as he took his passengers on a trip to Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Incline Railway is a 131-year-old tourist attraction that takes tourists to the top of the mountain to enjoy the view of the city. This July 4, too, it was crowded, but Peterson's statement soured the day for many. "To the very, very few Americans in here, Happy Independence Day,” Peterson, the operator, told his passengers. "To the rest of you, welcome to the greatest country on the face of the planet, and if you disagree, you can leave," Peterson said. It takes a moment for such videos to get viral. And so it happened, though Peterson was snubbed then and there by passengers for his racist, xenophobic comment. "Shut up," one said as Peterson said his 'welcome' speech. Passenger Nathan Scherer, who was on vacation with his family, posted and tagged the clip on social media under the “racism” and “xenophobia” hashtags — where it has since been viewed over 530,000 times. Scherer reported Peterson to the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, the operator of the Incline. “It just really upset me, the whole time riding down,” Nathan Scherer’s father, Charles Scherer, told WTVC. “And I kept thinking, ‘the company needs to know about this because he was the only one representing the company and I just had a feeling that they don’t know that he is saying this. “I wanted to make sure that we didn’t have any problems with the Incline, we just really had a problem that you should be aware that he’s making comments like that,” the elder Scherer said.

'It is not racist, it is what I believe'

Peterson was fired after he was reported but he defended his message and said he truly believed in what he said. “I’m very patriotic; it was the USA’s Independence Day. I was celebrating with my fellow Americans (native or non-native),” Peterson told the outlet. “I truly do believe we are the greatest country on earth. My statement about if you don’t like the country and don’t believe we are the best, then you can leave, is a freedom of the USA that many other countries do not have,” he said. “It is not a racist or xenophobic thing to say. If you don’t believe in making this country better, then why are you here?” he added. Scott Wilson, CARTA’s chief of staff, apologized on WTVC for Peterson's statement. “I want to apologize directly to the passengers who experienced this, and to everyone who has seen the video and felt its sting. It should never have happened," he said. “We have zero tolerance for language that demeans or excludes anyone who rides with us." “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.”