BS: iFinger (The Motorcade)

Subject: BS: iFinger (The Motorcade)
From: robomatic
Date: 06 Nov 17 - 07:35 PM

Let us rise for a moment of silence for the memory of the job of this woman who entered internet immortality on the 30th of October this year when she rode past a Presidential motorcade and let her finger to the talking. When she realized she had been photographed and talked about (with no name associated) she conscienciously took the information to her Human Resources department and, on the next day, they canned her.

This put me in mind of a co-worker, a young fellow, who showed me how, when he had a selfie with the newly elected Governor of the State of Alaska, could not resist making bunny ears behind the Governor's head, and found himself summarily without a job.

I have sympathy for the individuals, but we live in a time where there is great variety in what is considered free speech. But free speech is not 'free' in that it has no repercussions. It never has been.

I'm pretty sure there would be repercussions to making bunny ears behind the Queen of England.

Subject: RE: BS: iFinger (The Motorcade)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Nov 17 - 08:49 PM

Perhaps the ACLU will step in and sue her employer. She was practicing free speech on her own time. End of story.

Subject: RE: BS: iFinger (The Motorcade)
From: robomatic
Date: 07 Nov 17 - 09:00 PM

It doesn't work that way. Turns out she was working for an Alaska native corporation which has delicate (to say the least) relations with the various powers that be.

Subject: RE: BS: iFinger (The Motorcade)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Nov 17 - 09:17 PM

She was on her own time. It does work that way, when it works correctly.

Subject: RE: BS: iFinger (The Motorcade)
From: John P
Date: 08 Nov 17 - 03:25 PM

Actually, Acme, the government is the only entity legally required to provide free speech. Private companies and individuals can limit speech in any way they think they can get away with. And people can get fired for any reason or no reason in an employment-at-will state like Virginia. And she wasn't fired for giving Trump the finger, but rather because she posted the photo on her Facebook page and her employer has a policy against political commentary on employees' Facebook pages. Not that I think this firing was anything other than bone-headed or that employers should have anything to say about someone's Facebook page.

Where she might have a case against them is that a male employee posted material that was substantially more offensive and didn't lose his job, either because he's a man or because his political commentary was right-wing name-calling.

Subject: RE: BS: iFinger (The Motorcade)
From: Vashta Nerada
Date: 08 Nov 17 - 03:48 PM

Her employer has no business monitoring her facebook page. Government employees have fewer rights than other employees, but she works for a contractor, a gray area. You are correct, they either fire both or fire neither if they're enforcing that draconian rule.

There should be a song challenge for this.

Subject: RE: BS: iFinger (The Motorcade)
From: Donuel
Date: 08 Nov 17 - 03:54 PM

We all know what free speech is. Its been decided by the Court.
Its money.

Subject: RE: BS: iFinger (The Motorcade)
From: robomatic
Date: 09 Nov 17 - 09:07 PM

You say that like it's a bad thing, when it's merely the way the world works.

Subject: RE: BS: iFinger (The Motorcade)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 09 Nov 17 - 09:16 PM

robomatic sez: "I'm pretty sure there would be repercussions to making bunny ears behind the Queen of England."

I always thought of those as devil's horns. I have a sophomoric brother who has illustrated many family pictures with such a gesture. My mother thought it was cute, so he got away with it. But now he's 63 and Mom's dead, and he's still doing it.

And I had a coworker who illustrated office photographs with his middle finger. Two of the four people in the photo were very dear to me, and it's the only photo I have of them.

I dunno. I still like my brother, but not the coworker.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: iFinger (The Motorcade)
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 10 Nov 17 - 05:06 AM

Can't be too specific, but a certain member of my clan thinks that posing for a photo means he has to do something stupid in it. I have to get the photos by surprise.