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Arlington Cemetery pic sparks outrage, calls for woman's firing

The "Silence and Respect" part refers to the tomb.

Everything has a context.

The context of the sign refers to the tomb. The context of her picture does not.

Its not complicated.
 
I don't think the woman should be fired, but I have to say, if she were a friend of mine (anything other than wife/daughter/mother/sister), this'd cause me to rethink our relationship. Whatever problem I may have with the military, or the military "mindset," is beside the point. When someone has been killed in combat for their country, they have earned the right to be respected, in all but the most extreme cases*. Someone who does not treat any veterans' cemetary as sacred ground at least to the extent that they behave in a dignified and respectful manner has little concept, IMO, of what it takes to have and maintain a civilization. I would begin to question when and whether this woman would find it expedient to betray me, since betrayal begins in disrespect.

*The extreme cases I mention would be if the soldier turned out to be something like a serial molester of children, or to have engaged in wholesale crimes against humanity (you won't find me expressing, for example, quite the same attitude over tombs of unknown Nazi Einsatzgruppen. They may have died for their country, but their duty clearly lay in resisting orders to perform manifestly evil acts). I suspect the vast majority of our honored dead don't fall into these sorts of categories.
 
In what universe does that individuals political beliefs effect her job?.

It's not about her beliefs. I don't care what she believes, but the moment her actions went public, firing her was fair game. No employer needs their business associated with those actions. It's no different than the firing of the idiot who posted a youtube video of him tearing into a cashier at Chick Fil A. It went viral, he got fired. Wasn't his beliefs, it was the fact that he made himself an embarrasing spectacle that would blemish his employers reputation and good standing.
 
Spare us the "holier than thou" nonsense, she made a poor taste joke by a stupid sign. That's all folks!

Why is the sign stupid? Is it stupid to post a sign in front of the tomb of the unknown soldier asking for silence and respect? If so, why?
 
In what universe does that individuals political beliefs effect her job?

Look I don't agree with what she did, but a) she is entitled to our First Amendment and b) what she did has no barrings on her job, but at the same time the company she works for has the right to hire and fire anyone they want....

All I'm saying is progressives opened the door to political discrimination at the workplace.... IMO, people shouldn't be fired for their political views but progressives created an atmosphere where that is acceptable..

It's become quite common that employees are fired for crap they post on facebook - progressives don't have a problem with it when someone is fired for posting anti-Obama rants, but now they have a problem with it when it's one of their own getting fired.

But like I said - people shouldn't be fired for their political beliefs. What people do with their own personal time is their business.

What about the FIRST AMENDMENT DOES NOT APPLY TO EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES don't you understand?
 
Welcome to America, where the First Amendment protects you from government prosecution, but you still have to own up to the consequences of your actions.

I am amazed at the number of people who don't understand this simple fact.
 
I'm not partisan, but at the same time I'm not stupid....

Progressives like you call for progress - well here is your progress.

I've read numerous news articles about people getting fired for being anti-Obama and sharing their politics online or holding non-progressive views...

Well now these authoritarian ideas have come back to bite a progressive in the butt...

Would this be anything like all the right wing bosses who announced they were going to lay people off if Obama won the election?
 
Well, I wouldn't and cant imagine a conservative would give the bird to the tomb of the unknown soldier. Conservatives would find that highly offensive and immature.

I would never think to do such a thing..... I suppose one who would think to do such an act would have a problem with our military, and those who have a problem with our military are generally progressives.

I don't see conservatives crying about the "military industrial complex."

Then you obviously don't know much about Conservatives. Not Neo-Cons, who never met a war they didn't like as long as they didn't have to fight it. But true conservatives. Who in the hell do you think it was that first warned America about 'the military-industrial complex'? Jeez, go and read some history.
 
She is clearly giving the bird to "Silence and Respect".

Not to the tomb.

Anyone who honestly thinks otherwise is just plain stupid.

REally? How in the hell do you know that?
 
Why is the sign stupid? Is it stupid to post a sign in front of the tomb of the unknown soldier asking for silence and respect? If so, why?

If people are too dumb to not know that already, then they can't read or they make a joke about it. Either way it's a stupid sign.
 
If people are too dumb to not know that already, then they can't read or they make a joke about it. Either way it's a stupid sign.

Well, perhaps in your country nobody ever disrespects those who have given their lives for their country.

Oh wait, there is this:


Student who urinated on war memorial spared jail | UK news | The Guardian

Maybe that sort of stuff doesn't outrage you. It actually does outrage me, and I'm not even a Brit.

But then again, you thought all of this was just mock outrage by Conservatives, right?

And no, there's nothing 'stupid' about the sign. Signs are always geared for the lowest common denominator.
 
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It's not about her beliefs. I don't care what she believes, but the moment her actions went public, firing her was fair game. No employer needs their business associated with those actions. It's no different than the firing of the idiot who posted a youtube video of him tearing into a cashier at Chick Fil A. It went viral, he got fired. Wasn't his beliefs, it was the fact that he made himself an embarrassing spectacle that would blemish his employers reputation and good standing.

With the continuing explosion of social media, how public is public? Is public if you put it up on your friends-only FB area, only to have it get passed around? How about if a total stranger captures and publishes it? How about if a total stranger just tells the story and the story gets around until an enterprising investigative journalist connects the story with the person's name months down the road? Should an employer have to demonstrate that their customers or other employees actually recognize the person at the center of the conflagration, or it is enough to simply not find that person's behavior inappropriate even if that behavior wouldn't negatively affect business?

In other words, where is the line between what someone does in their off hours and what behavior an employer is actually able to penalize?
 
I am amazed at the number of people who don't understand this simple fact.

Of course there are consequences for everything we do. I'm not questioning that, I'm questioning what consequences it is appropriate for society at large in general and the woman's employer in particular to inflict upon her.
 
With the continuing explosion of social media, how public is public? Is public if you put it up on your friends-only FB area, only to have it get passed around? How about if a total stranger captures and publishes it? How about if a total stranger just tells the story and the story gets around until an enterprising investigative journalist connects the story with the person's name months down the road? Should an employer have to demonstrate that their customers or other employees actually recognize the person at the center of the conflagration, or it is enough to simply not find that person's behavior inappropriate even if that behavior wouldn't negatively affect business?

In other words, where is the line between what someone does in their off hours and what behavior an employer is actually able to penalize?

It's easy-peasy. The second something is posted on the internet, it's fair game for distribution with permission or not. Don't be a dummy and post stupid crap like this on the internet, because if you work for me, and something you post cases public outrage, I'm cutting you loose so my business doesn't loose face.
 
Of course there are consequences for everything we do. I'm not questioning that, I'm questioning what consequences it is appropriate for society at large in general and the woman's employer in particular to inflict upon her.

Well, there was never any question of society imposing consequences on the women, other that public condemnation. An employer is generally free, in most cases, to take disciplinary action against employees who's actions reflect negatively on the employer. It happens every day.
 
why did she think this would be a good idea?
 
It's easy-peasy. The second something is posted on the internet, it's fair game for distribution with permission or not. Don't be a dummy and post stupid crap like this on the internet, because if you work for me, and something you post cases public outrage, I'm cutting you loose so my business doesn't loose face.

People have been doing stupid crap since the dawn of man. The difference between stupid crap 100 years ago and stupid crap today is that today it's much more visible. People aren't getting dumber, we're just privy to more of their stupidity. That doesn't give us license to punish it everywhere it pops up.
 
Well, perhaps in your country nobody ever disrespects those who have given their lives for their country.

Oh wait, there is this:


Student who urinated on war memorial spared jail | UK news | The Guardian

Maybe that sort of stuff doesn't outrage you. It actually does outrage me, and I'm not even a Brit.

But then again, you thought all of this was just mock outrage by Conservatives, right?

And no, there's nothing 'stupid' about the sign. Signs are always geared for the lowest common denominator.

Let's face it you have more than enough of those to go around on the Conservawhine network.
 
If this was a walmart employee who got fired because he decided to post a picture of himself on facebook wearing a walmart sucks ass shirt while pushing carts into the store, would anyone be complaining? If this was a McDonalds employee who got fired because she posted a facebook picture of herself pretending to give a plastic Ronald McDonald statue a blowjob, would anyone be complaining?
 
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