Yes, You Will Be Made to Care

[GURPS]

There’s a Twist in the Story Surrounding Oregon Bakers Who Face a Major Fine for Refusing to Make a Gay Wedding Cake


Questions of bias are emerging over communications between the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries and Basic Rights Oregon, a gay rights group, according to the Daily Signal, a conservative news site run by the Heritage Foundation, which reports that the two appeared to be “working closely.”

Records indicate the officials with the government body were “participating in phone calls, texting, and attending meetings with Basic Rights Oregon,” including claims that commissioner Brad Avakian met multiple times with the group — developments that Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky called a blatant conflict of interest.

Emails published by the Daily Signal show communications between the state agency and Basic Right Oregon, with the outlet reporting that Avakian took a call from a co-director of the gay rights group in October 2014, and that an organization employee wrote an email to the commissioner in December 2014 calling him a “coalition partner.”

Avakian is also reported to have purchased tickets to attend galas and events hosted by Basic Rights Oregon.

 

[GURPS]

According to a follow up interview Sims gave to News.com.au, the firing stemmed from a Facebook post the employee had put up, publicising her view that the same sex marriage referendum would turn problematic. Sims and her brother apparently approached the employee and asked her to take the post down. When she refused, they booted her.

"Today I fired a staff member who made it public knowledge that they feel 'it's okay to vote no.' Advertising your desire to vote no for SSM is, in my eyes, hate speech," Sims posted. "Voting no is homophobic. Advertising your homophobia is hate speech. As a business owner I can't have somebody who publicly represents my business posting hate speech online."

“It’s not okay to vote no. It’s not okay to be homophobic," she went on. "This isn’t a matter of opinion or even religion. It’s a matter of the love and livelihood of real human beings. Freedom of speech is there for a reason and so are consequences. Vote against homophobia. Vote for equality. Vote yes.”

After making the initial post — and after the post went viral and sparked fierce online debate — Sims returned to "clarify" her remarks and ended up making her situation worse, claiming that she'd known for some time about her employee's contrary views, and simply could no longer tolerate her intolerance.


http://www.dailywire.com/news/21260/sacked-australian-company-fires-employee-over-emily-zanotti

 

[glhs837]

To me, this is the chilling part.

This isn’t a matter of opinion or even religion

Damn, don't we have societal methods to decide these things?

 

[GURPS]

To me, this is the chilling part.

Damn, don't we have societal methods to decide these things?

you will think how we want you to think, or you will be fired / sent to reeducation camps / sensitivity training

 

[This_person]

To me, this is the chilling part.





Damn, don't we have societal methods to decide these things?

I think the societal way to handle it was used - the employee was fired according to the post.

This is how it is supposed to work - you have the right of free speech, but no one has an obligation to agree, employ you, or anything else.

 

[glhs837]

I think the societal way to handle it was used - the employee was fired according to the post.

This is how it is supposed to work - you have the right of free speech, but no one has an obligation to agree, employ you, or anything else.

Hmmmm, if you post that on the company feed, or wear the company shirt in your profile pic, or even have a "works at" line in your bio, I can see it, and that might be the case. But I think what you say outside of work when you are not identifying who you work for, unless it's illegal, should not be a reason for firing. Legal, yes, right, I dont think so.

 

[This_person]

Hmmmm, if you post that on the company feed, or wear the company shirt in your profile pic, or even have a "works at" line in your bio, I can see it, and that might be the case. But I think what you say outside of work when you are not identifying who you work for, unless it's illegal, should not be a reason for firing. Legal, yes, right, I dont think so.

While I agree with you, "right" is in the eye of the beholder. Some Muslims think it is "right" to honor kill, others do not, for example.

What we can do, as a society, is decide what is legal. In every way, this should be legal.

 

[Hijinx]

you will think how we want you to think, or you will be fired / sent to reeducation camps / sensitivity training

I went to sensitivity class. Walked out ten minutes after it started.

 

[Wishbone]

I went to sensitivity class. Walked out ten minutes after it started.

It's much more fun to stay and make the Sensitivity Instructor cry.