# free speech



## powpig2002 (Mar 11, 2011)

first student fires school bus driver for having rebel flag w/redneck sticker on truck parked on school grounds. opinions?


----------



## hammer (Mar 11, 2011)

powpig2002 said:


> first student fires school bus driver for having rebel flag w/redneck sticker on truck parked on school grounds. opinions?


None that wouldn't violate the "no politics" rule we have around here...


----------



## marcski (Mar 11, 2011)

powpig2002 said:


> first student fires school bus driver for having rebel flag w/redneck sticker on truck parked on school grounds. opinions?



I told you should have taken that sticker off your truck a long time ago, Powpig.  


(oh and it...Sounds kind of ridiculous to fire someone for that, no?)


----------



## powpig2002 (Mar 11, 2011)

i didn't think it was political. sorry


----------



## hammer (Mar 11, 2011)

powpig2002 said:


> i didn't think it was political. sorry


Just has the potential...no problem, I'm sure the mods will lock it down if it gets too :argue: :uzi:


----------



## dmc (Mar 11, 2011)

I personally find Confederate flags disrespectful to people whose ancestors were held as slaves..   The flag is a direct relic to that era.

Kinda like the German swastika flag offends people whose ancestors were killed during WWII..

i guess it depends on the rules that the school system has set up..  And if they asked him to take it down.   It may've offended some students in some way...


----------



## snoseek (Mar 11, 2011)

dmc said:


> I personally find Confederate flags disrespectful to people whose ancestors were held as slaves..   The flag is a direct relic to that era.
> 
> Kinda like the German swastika flag offends people whose ancestors were killed during WWII..
> 
> i guess it depends on the rules that the school system has set up..  And if they asked him to take it down.   It may've offended some students in some way...



+1


----------



## Morwax (Mar 11, 2011)

I cant figure out why anyone would want to associate themselves with that flag. I say let him display the sticker if he wants, same as having an L on your forehead.


----------



## gmcunni (Mar 11, 2011)

apparently the school has a policy against displaying material that may be considered racist and the driver was given a choice of losing the flag or losing the job.

while not exactly the same, our public school district in CT had a lot of drama this past winter. a group of parents did not feel it was appropriate to have a Santa at the holiday breakfast. logic being santa = christmas and christmas = christian holiday


----------



## dmc (Mar 11, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> apparently the school has a policy against displaying material that may be considered racist and the driver was given a choice of losing the flag or losing the job.
> 
> while not exactly the same, our public school district in CT had a lot of drama this past winter. a group of parents did not feel it was appropriate to have a Santa at the holiday breakfast. logic being santa = christmas and christmas = christian holiday



I remember hearing about a Indian child who was wearing a swastika for good luck to school and there was a whole deal for her to remove it...  Swastikas were actually Hindu signs for good fortune looooong before they became the symbol of evil we know today..

I can see both sides...


----------



## Puck it (Mar 11, 2011)

Anyone can take anything personally.  I take offense at this being a political thread. Lock it. 

See.  People need to be pay attention to their own lives and stay out of others.


----------



## marcski (Mar 11, 2011)

Puck it said:


> People need to be pay attention to their own lives and stay out of others.



This sentence is the most political thing in this entire thread!


----------



## Puck it (Mar 11, 2011)

marcski said:


> This sentence is the most political thing in this entire thread!



Now, you did it. 

I am offended and I have pressed the button to notify the mods.


----------



## Puck it (Mar 11, 2011)

dmc said:


> I remember hearing about a Indian child who was wearing a swastika for good luck to school and there was a whole deal for her to remove it... Swastikas were actually Hindu signs for good fortune looooong before they became the symbol of evil we know today..
> 
> I can see both sides...


 
Not just Hindi.


----------



## dmc (Mar 11, 2011)

I also noticed a lot of 6 pointed stars on Mosques in India..  Apparently it's not just the "star of David"


----------



## Puck it (Mar 11, 2011)

dmc said:


> I also noticed a lot of 6 pointed stars on Mosques in India..  Apparently it's not just the "star of David"



You do remember that three religions all believe in Abraham as their connection to God and the same God.  So it is not surprising.


----------



## dmc (Mar 11, 2011)

Puck it said:


> You do remember that three religions all believe in Abraham as their connection to God and the same God.  So it is not surprising.



I think it's just a cool Islamic art geometric design used by the Mughals occupying India...  A design amongst a myriad of other designs... I love Islamic geometric stuff   

Point is... It's possible for a design... to just be a design... .


----------



## riverc0il (Mar 11, 2011)

gmcunni said:


> apparently the school has a policy against displaying material that may be considered racist and the driver was given a choice of losing the flag or losing the job.


If that is the case, then this is sound. Especially if the guy was given a choice. Conditions of employment that are not "protected classes" and enforced consistently with everyone are not violations of free speech. I can't go into work and say anything I want and not get fired. As a representative of an employing organization, I can have my speech curtailed to meet the needs of the employing organization.


----------



## andyzee (Mar 11, 2011)

Free speech is very over rated. Allowing people to express their thoughts can be a very dangerous thing and should be stopped at all costs.

Edit: It may be acceptable if it's regulated.


----------



## Puck it (Mar 11, 2011)

dmc said:


> I think it's just a cool Islamic art geometric design used by the Mughals occupying India...  A design amongst a myriad of other designs... I love Islamic geometric stuff
> 
> Point is... It's possible for a design... to just be a design... .



True, but the roots do merge in them.  But they want to kill each other. Too political?


----------



## powpig2002 (Mar 11, 2011)

freedom of speech(as long as you agree w/me). i  crack up when i see those stickers here in maine. but i'll defend their right to be morons


----------



## Puck it (Mar 11, 2011)

powpig2002 said:


> freedom of speech(as long as you agree w/me). i  crack up when i see those stickers here in maine. but i'll defend their right to be morons



So you will defend your family!


----------



## Geoff (Mar 11, 2011)

powpig2002 said:


> first student fires school bus driver for having rebel flag w/redneck sticker on truck parked on school grounds. opinions?



Like it or not, the school bus driver has freedom of political speach.  School grounds are public property.   A Confederate Flag is no different from an Obama bumper sticker.

If it was a private school and private property, his employer can fire him.


----------



## andyzee (Mar 12, 2011)

Geoff said:


> Like it or not, the school bus driver has freedom of political speach.  School grounds are public property.   A Confederate Flag is no different from an Obama bumper sticker.
> 
> If it was a private school and private property, his employer can fire him.



So in effect what you're saying is, if it was a private school, he could have been fired if it was an Obama bumper sticker on his car? Very interesting.


----------



## Puck it (Mar 12, 2011)

andyzee said:


> So in effect what you're saying is, he could have been fired if it was an Obama bumper sticker on his car?



I am offended by that. So yes.


----------



## dmc (Mar 12, 2011)

Puck it said:


> I am offended by that. So yes.



Of a Puckit sticker on your car...   Thats very offensive..


----------



## Puck it (Mar 12, 2011)

dmc said:


> Of a Puckit sticker on your car...   Thats very offensive..



I pressed the button, dude. The mods are coming.


----------



## dmc (Mar 12, 2011)

Puck it said:


> I pressed the button, dude. The mods are coming.



People would probably think I'm a hockey guy or something... 

Mods are either skiing or sleeping off hangovers...  haha


----------



## Puck it (Mar 12, 2011)

dmc said:


> People would probably think I'm a hockey guy or something...
> 
> Mods are either skiing or sleeping off hangovers...  haha



Uh, ya!


----------



## Geoff (Mar 12, 2011)

andyzee said:


> So in effect what you're saying is, if it was a private school, he could have been fired if it was an Obama bumper sticker on his car? Very interesting.



A private school in the heart of KKK country?   Sure.   If it has less than 50 employees, a private employer can do pretty much anything they want.


----------



## Edd (Mar 12, 2011)

Geoff said:


> Like it or not, the school bus driver has freedom of political speach.  School grounds are public property.   A Confederate Flag is no different from an Obama bumper sticker.



Are you speaking only of "political" speech?  Certainly there are limits to what statements a teacher, for example, can have on his/her shirt; profanity, and so forth.

And what does a Confederate flag say?  Can a public school teacher wear a shirt that says "White people rule?"  Does that fall under the protection of political speech?


----------



## powpig2002 (Mar 12, 2011)

i'm sure some d'bag will bring my family ninto into it BUT, in a democracy, majority rules. if 99.999999% of a towns population wants a christmas fair but 1 person finds it offensive, what happens. i'm not stating my opinion. just playing devils advocate. can a black teacher wear a black unity t shirt? just throwing it out there.


----------



## Puck it (Mar 12, 2011)

powpig2002 said:


> i'm sure some d'bag will bring my family ninto into it BUT, in a democracy, majority rules. if 99.999999% of a towns population wants a christmas fair but 1 person finds it offensive, what happens. i'm not stating my opinion. just playing devils advocate. can a black teacher wear a black unity t shirt? just throwing it out there.



No Xmas fair for u.


----------



## Hawkshot99 (Mar 13, 2011)

powpig2002 said:


> first student fires school bus driver for having rebel flag w/redneck sticker on truck parked on school grounds. opinions?





Geoff said:


> Like it or not, the school bus driver has freedom of political speach.  School grounds are public property.   A Confederate Flag is no different from an Obama bumper sticker.
> 
> If it was a private school and private property, his employer can fire him.



Going off the first post of the thread...

First student is a private company the is hired by school districts to do the bus duties.  The guy would not have had his truck at the school, it would have been at the bus depot, which would be private property.


----------



## powpig2002 (Mar 13, 2011)

all i ever get for christmas is a lump of coal


----------

