so I was called unamerican today- Page 3

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:09pm

"She's free to say whatever she wants but she shouldn't expect to hold a job with that mouth."

And why shouldn't she expect to hold a job?

Do you have a job?

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:10pm

Oh wait, I got that wrong. I was just looking at a hate email papa sent me (the phrases "doody-head" and "colon blow" featured prominently, which naturally I reported to the mods with no success) and he accidentally sent it to me from his job at a Waldorf School.

[Jon]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:11pm

Ahh yes... he's a Muslim, and his Pastor, Reverend Wright, is his mentor.

Because all Muslims go to huge Christian Churches with gospel choirs singing the paraises of Jesus Christ, and guest speakers like catholic priest Father Pflaeger...

[KrissySim]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:13pm

A Waldorf school could be public or private.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:15pm

"And why shouldn't she expect to hold a job?"

Because people that practice discrimination and harassment get fired. Most companies especially places likes public schools have policies in place to protect employees and customers. Every company I've ever worked for has a zero tolerance policy.

Her words were discriminatory if Vilot is to be believed. She should check her bags at the door.

"Do you have a job? " As we live and breath.
Updated On: 10/22/08 at 02:15 PM

[lildogs]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:17pm

kelzama, Murtha calling YOU a racist and saying you live in a racist area are two very different things.

And all of America is a racist area.

[violet72]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:22pm

"Dramatic? Wow!! Everyone is entitled to their opinion as ridiculous as it may seem. Would you drop someone as a friend if we both didn't like the color red?"

If my friend called me a communist for liking the color red then yes. I have friends who are voting for McCain and I respect their opinions and don't try to change them. Just like they know my opinion and respect mine. She was disrespectful and a complaint has been filed. She is going out on Maternity leave in 3 months and announced today that she is moving to South Carolina (something she has been talking about doing for a while)

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:23pm

Me just-There are people with big mouths holding jobs all over the world. And I bet a lot of them actually practice even worse things than discrimination, although there is no proof that that woman practices discrimination in her classroom.

[lildogs]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:29pm

"She is going out on Maternity leave in 3 months and announced today that she is moving to South Carolina"

Did you feed her the mouse? And give her the tannis root necklace?

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:29pm

"There are people with big mouths holding jobs all over the world. And I bet a lot of them actually practice even worse things than discrimination,"

What does that have to do with what I said and what you responded to? I could also tell that Twinkies never spoil but it has nothing to do with the point.

"although there is no proof that that woman practices discrimination in her classroom."

If people heard her statement that is the proof, whether it qualifies as discrimination or harassment is decided by the victim(s) or her employer.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:31pm

"Dramatic? Wow!! Everyone is entitled to their opinion as ridiculous as it may seem. Would you drop someone as a friend if we both didn't like the color red?"

I don't know who said this but where do you draw the line? These are apples and oranges.

[kelzama]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:35pm

Gee Namo & lil dogs, I suppose then I should be grateful that he clarified his statement to "the entire region just five to 10 years ago was 'really redneck.'"

Not sure how a stupid statement on a national scale somehow minimizes the damage; it definitely perpetuates the ignorance.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:45pm

"What does that have to do with what I said and what you responded to? I could also tell that Twinkies never spoil but it has nothing to do with the point."

What are you talking about? YOU claimed that she shouldn't expect to hold a job with that big mouth. I am trying to tell you that a big mouth is not reason to fire a person. YOU then claimed that she is a person who practices discrimination. I then said that people hold jobs who practice worse things than discrimination and still hold jobs. Finally, I'm telling you that you have no proof that this woman even practices discrimination in her job.

If you still don't see my point, never mind.

[jasonf]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 2:55pm

I don't know how it is in all schools, but in my school district in our "opening day mandatory policy training session," we were told that harassment is determined by the victim - if they feel harassed, regardless of what actually happened, an investigation is launched. Of course, this is a slightly skewed policy as it automatically assumes anyone crying "harassment" is legit since it's based on the victim's perception (making it ludicrously easy to cry wolf), but at least it means that claims are taken seriously.

[lildogs]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 3:12pm

kelz, I wouldn't worry about anything anyone says about the region in which you live if it doesn't apply to you.

I mean, think of all the nasty things said about NYC that I don't take personally.

"Don't you see the rest of the country looks upon New York like we're left-wing, communist, Jewish, homosexual pornographers? I think of us that way sometimes and I live here."

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 3:23pm

namo, you dingbat! that was the waldorf-astoria.

you people better start learning to watch what you say. in obamerica, dissent is treated with a trip to the re-education complex where you can be shown the error of your ways. with 20,000 volts and a mouthpiece.

[cubanpab]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 3:46pm

i think saying "they're trained that way" is a red flag, and I think it gives more than enough cause for concern that perhaps she does treat that poor little Muslim boy in her class differently than she might treat the other kids.

i think the right thing to do was suggested earlier... speak to the principal and speak to the parent, make sure the child knows that if he feels threatened in any way he should go to the principal or to violet immediately.

i would not want that lady teaching my kids.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 3:50pm

"i think the right thing to do was suggested earlier... speak to the principal and speak to the parent, make sure the child knows that if he feels threatened in any way he should go to the principal or to violet immediately."

TOTALLY out of line. You simply cannot do things like that based on a hunch.

That child has not said they felt threatened, and to plant the seed in his head that his teacher may/will discriminate against him is just wrong and unprofessional. I'd sue your ass off if you tried that on me.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 3:57pm

I see your point, Jane.

But were the parent to hear about the remark already made, could he or she not sue the school's ass off?

To imply, if not say outright about a Muslim child in your classroom that s/he must be a terrorist because "they're all trained that way" isn't actionable, if not acted upon by the administration?

That's a real question, by the way.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 3:58pm

And Violet-make sure you don't do anything like that. If you do, and anyone learns of your taking a student from another teacher's class, and in any way intimating that the teahcer is racist, you're the one who would find herself on the unemployment line, not her. She'd have a right to take you to court.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 4:01pm

Reggie, the remarks made by that teacher were directly to Violet. I haven't seen any proof that the teacher has done anything wrong in her classroom. Her performance as a teacher is what counts, not personal conversations.

We all do and say things that we might not carry out on the job.

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 4:04pm

And as ugly as this might sound, the truth is that tons of teachers are horribly racist against all kinds of people, but they're loathe to reveal it in the classroom and cannot be taken to task for it.

Let's go beyond teaching-don't you realize that there are millions of racist people, in jobs where they'd be in trouble for revealing it there? Come on.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 4:06pm

Yes, I get that.

But (and I totally grant that it's a "but"), if the teacher WERE to say something inappropriate and it were to come out that she'd already made these remarks in the presence of other teachers and administrators, would that not make the school liable?

I agree that Violet should in no way take matters into her own hands.

But I also don't think the principal or whoever should ignore the incident. It doesn't at all sound like the teacher was just joshing around about the kids, as I'm sure teachers do all the time.
Updated On: 10/22/08 at 04:06 PM

[KrissySim]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 4:09pm

"We all do and say things that we might not carry out on the job."

Oh, I love this line. That's the very reason you all have to put up with me on this site!

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 4:09pm

No, I disagree wholeheartedly with you.

You cannot decide that a teacher, or any worker in any profession, is ineffective or harmful at their job because of something that happened or was said outside of it.

Remember that what Clinton did outside of his profession was considered to have nothing to do with being president. Please give that same credit to others.