Hashishi

Put yourself in this position: you're in a van owned by a professional company being transported to work with colleagues. The topic of conversation turns to immigration and politics and the majority of your colleagues voice their support for (in this case) the BNP (but feel free to replace that with any far right nutcase political party). You, being at this point apparently the only one present with an understanding of politically correct nomenclature, voice your opposition to the BNP and nationalism in general and the retorts that you receive are littered with racial slurs and bigotry. Taken aback by this overt and distasteful display of prejudice you reply that, as employees adhering to the standards of a reputable and professional contracting firm, while none of the black, Asian or eastern European colleagues working at the firm were present to hear their ethnicities slandered, you are nevertheless personally offended by their datribes and suggest that it's inappropriate to be voicing them on the job whatsoever.

Amongst many a derisory comment you are told that they're exercising their right to freedom of speech. ...Thoughts?

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Texas Toker

Welllllllllllllllllll many factors in your scenario need to be investigated. (puts on CSI:Marijuana.com hat). First and foremost: do you like your job?
Second: Do you like /dislike any of the co-workers prior to this encounter. Third : Where any members of management present for this encounter? Fourth: Will your actually saying something to anyone really make a change for the better or would you just be farting in the wind and potentially endangering your position within the company? As you ask yourself questions 2,3, and four always ask number 1 in front of it. You will come to the correct answer for you.


A long time ago a very dear friend once told me " you will have many,many times in your life when you must ask yourself " what can I live with"" if you can accept something morally without changing the way you live then you can live with it and should let it go.



Hope that helps man. /(takes off CSI: Marijuana.com hat)

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You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas. -Davy Crockett
I hate Obama and Pelosi as much as you hate Bush.

troublemaker_42

They are entitled to thier opinion just as much as you are entitled to yours. AS far as whether it was appropriate or not to express said opinions in the situation given, more than likely , no, it was notappropriate given the situation (as far as the racial comments go...otherwise, I see no issue with discussing politics on the job). However, reflect back a few seconds....have you ever done or said anything, while on the clock, that your employer may disagree with or was somehow against the rules or policy in some fashion? I won't hesitate to admit I have. Taking that into account, I don't believe its my place to throw stones while I'm living in a glass house. When I'm perfect at work, I can start imposing such standards on my coworkers. Until that point, I'm content to live and let live so long as the company's day to day business isn't affected. While I can understand your discomfort in such a situation, sometimes its easier to let things slide than make waves, esepecially when your working relaitonships may be affected by your differences of opinion. You aren't goping to change the minds of the ignornant, nor is arguing with them going to help things in the long run. While I agree they have their freedom of speech, I think its in poor taste to exercise that free speech to the point it knowingly offends people in their proximity. Legally, I don't think theres an argument to silence them, but morally/ethically they should know better than insist on talking that way around people who obviouslky disagree, at least as far as the workplace goes especially.

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Ted Nugent: "To my mind it is wholly irresponsible to go into the world incapable of preventing violence, injury, crime, and death. How feeble is the mindset to accept defenselessness. How unnatural. How cheap. How cowardly. How pathetic."


If total government control equals safety, why are prisons so dangerous?

Maximus

Politics, relationships and gossip are the 3 conversation topics you should stay away from while at work. Politics divide, personal relationship issues annoy, and gossip is just a waste of time.

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Hashishi

Don't get me wrong: it wasn't a big drama and I didn't threaten nor do I intend to press the issue or take it any further up the chain. I just have to listen to their shit near enough every day I'm working with them and yesterday I just was not in the mood to sit through another half hour of their ignorant bullshit. It makes you feel almost culpable by proximity, you know?

No management present, but the point I kind of half made was that they'd probably be forced by law to take issue with it if someone threatened to take the matter somewhere else. I think that somewhat sailed over their heads (as I said; ignoramuses) and I have no intention of doing so, but it's a valid point and a feasible course of action for a coscientious employee, right?

Conscript

I suppose they can only blame themselves if they can't compete with immigrants.

S&MPenguin

Yes they are free to express their opinions and so are you. When they start spouting their fucking bigoted nonsense let them know where you stand (don't forget to call them a bunch of pussies for not talking that garbage in front of the people their talking shit about). You're probably not going to change any minds but fuck it, it's better then holding your tongue. If they take issue with what you have to say then kindly invite them to the pub for a pint or two (Samuel Smith's is the greatest thing England has given the world since the Magna Carta) and be sure to invite the nigger, the paki, and the pollack and try to beat some tolerance in to those ignorant fucks. Again it probably won't work but it sure is satisfying.

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I think the Indians had the right idea making a peace pipe out of a hatchet. Either we can be cool and smoke some shit or you can meet the other end. Watch how you pass it.