Lapel Pin Woes

Quote:

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An Alabama chamber of commerce employee has been fired after refusing to remove a lapel pin featuring an image of the Ten Commandments.

Christopher Word of the Hoover Chamber of Commerce said he started wearing the pin in January and was asked to remove it a couple months later. When he refused, he said, he was accused of making “political statements” on the job and removed from his post.

"The reason for my firing was that my principles were different than someone's opinion," Word said. "I lost my job for standing up for what I believe in."

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Now let me get this straight. It's acceptable for politicians to wear pro-gay ribbons, shout about how they hate America's military or President, and avoid attending a state session of congress in order to avoid voting on legilature where the opposing political party may pass a law, and all of this in the name of free speech. How can it possibly be illegal to wear a lapel in with the 10 commandments on it when viewed in this light? Frustrated with Liberalism yet? I most certainly am.

He was an employed in a right to work state, they can fire him at any time for any reason or lack of reason....thank the conservatives for that .

Right to work? What does that have to do with the question? Right to Work legislature speaks about not denying an individual employment based upon memembership, or lack of membership, in a Labor Union or Labor Organization. http://www.nrtw.org/c/alrtwlaw.htm

Perhaps he meant "At Will" state. For that I WILL thanks the conservtives. The emplyee has the right to leave employment at any time so ergo and employer has the right to terminate as any time, as long as the termination is dicriminatiry based on labor laws. So if an emplyee hangs around and surgs AO for 4 hours a day, he or she can be terminated based on that, and not months and piles of paperwork just to have him or her moved to another dept. Thank you mr. conservatives in the ether.

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Oh and what and emplyee wears at work is at the discretion of the employer, not god the government or anyone else. If this person chose to make a statement and decided he was more important than the company and it's policies, He in turn is an ******* or should be thankful that he doesn't have to work for a heathen company anymore.

Road,

I agree with you, he should have adhered to the stated dress code. (Wonder if their dress code covers lapel pins or othe pro religious jewelry) Anyways, I still think that it is another double standard used by liberals to debase religion.

I agree it's a double standard. But even if the Chamber of Commerce has a double standard and let's say they allow something like "Rainbow" lapel pins. It's their's to do as they please. If I wore a pin that said "Fee Tibet" and my dress code enforcer, who ever that is, says take it off and then I tell him to "**** off" I could expect to get fired. If I chose to stand on principle and kept my "Free Tibet" pin then the consequence is mine to bear. No one else’s. There is a double standard regarding Christianity in this country. I have often commented that politics is moving away from issues and focusing on Christians Vs. Non-Christians. You are blind not to see it, but disregarding thw wishes of the employer just simply results in termination. Walk away and stand proud knowing your principles are intact. Don't wine about it. ;)

Is it a duble standard? we wont know unless some one working for that same chamber of comerece has fired people for wearing gay pride pins or party affiliation pins..if they have allowed other political statements then there is an issue...my guess is they havent, they have proably previously warned that guy as well.

As for right to work/at will you are correct, these useualy go hand in hand though....Hy I love living in an at will state, that let me tell my last contract to kiss my ass when they threatened to sue me for breach of contract when i left for a better job, but don't claim that some one getting fired for a sperious reason is the fault of liberals...at wil means you can be fired at any time for any/no reason

bballad, that is the trouble with the country these days, everyone things they have a right to something. What if they do have a double standard, how is that and issue, they are a private organization? What if my boss was a devout christain and part of the dress code was a lapel pin. Why is there an issue with that?

At will means I can fire someone because I don't like them. Which I have done before. Why put of with an *******? ;)

RoadClosed - Your killing me here.

Although, I have to admit that post did sound very whiny. Please accept my apologies all.

My intent was to point out the inequality of the situation, not whine. If this was a privately owned company there would not be an issue here. However we are talking about the State Chamber of Commerce, a Governmental Agency, funded by taxpayers. I don't think he was asked to remove the pin out of possibly offending someone. I believe that the head of the Chamber was afraid. of the lawsuits that could crop up, under the misunderstood principle of separation of church and state. Our country was based upon Freedom OF Religion, not Freedom FROM Religion. He sould have been allowed to wear the lapel pin during the Chamber session.

I fully agree wit hyou there road, thats what im saying, nothing wrong with his fireing thats the other edge of atwill....my last company learned that when i walked out for abetter job before the contract ended without two weeks

Hey Overdue, I wasn't saying you were. I was referring to the dude in the article. :) I thought Chambers were made up of citizens that paid dues?

To the best of my knowladge even the state chamber of commerce is private org. In Il all you have t odo is pay amembership fee and your in...purely a private organzation, don't know about the rest of the states.