hostile workplace
Posted on 01/09/2012 7:16:38 AM PST by Morgana
TUCSON, Arizona, January 9, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - An Arizona college student who stopped in at her workplace wearing a pro-life t-shirt quit her job rather than obey a supervisor who ordered her to turn the “Pray to End Abortion” shirt inside out. Renise Rodriguez, a 21-year-old religious studies major at the University of Arizona, worked as a Girl Experience Associate for the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona in Tucson. When she went to her office on Jan. 3 during her off-duty hours to prepare materials for a meeting, she was told twice by a supervisor that if she planned to stay in the office, or attend a troop meeting, she would have to turn her shirt inside out.
“I started to get emotional because of the way I was treated so I left without preparing for the meeting and told my co-worker that she would have to get the stuff together,” Miss Rodriguez said. “As I was driving out, I called a friend crying and told her the story. I was so shocked at the way I was treated. After contemplating it for the rest of that day, I decided to write my letter of resignation.” Her letter did not specify her reason for resigning, but she plans to discuss it with another supervisor when she does her formal exit interview.
“It is the courage and conviction of young people like Renise that gives us hope that we are closer than ever to winning this battle and bringing an end to child killing in America,” said Bryan Kemper, Director of Youth Outreach for Priests for Life. “Young heroes like Renise prove this generation is a pro-life generation.”
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, applauded the young woman. “What does the pro-life movement need the most right now? It is not large numbers of people who believe abortion is wrong; it is a small, courageous band of people who are willing to risk and sacrifice everything to end abortion,” he said.
“Renise is exactly that kind of person, who has not only the right attitude about abortion, but the passion it takes to make the protection of the unborn our number one priority!” he added.
Noting the shirt Renise was wearing was designed by Stand True Ministry, a pro-life youth organization he founded, Kemper said, “We will be sending her several more of our pro-life shirts to help her stand up and be a voice wherever she is.”
Funny, nobody said anything when I wore my "The Only Reason Some People Are Alive Is Because It's Against The Law To Kill Them" or "Be Patient, I'm Reloading!" shirt to work.
“The Workplace is not the place to discuss politics or religion”.
I would add it's best to keep it out of your barber shop/beauty parlor as well...
Regards,
GtG
Most definitely. But, then again; I likely won't be fired for 'walking on the grass', will I? And 'walking on the grass' will save '0' livess, won't it? So, dramatics aside, what are you babbling about?
How does wearing a T-shirt save a child's life? Certainly you have some 'cause/effect' studies to show where a T-shirt has prevented abortions, don't you? Or, is it like wearing a freakin' ribbon? If I wear a freakin' ribbon, does it mean "I care" more than someone else? Wearing a ribbon, wearing a T-shirt; what is the difference? She wanted a reaction, she got a reaction - she was a fool.
I do not support the Homosexual agenda, never have. I don't agree with it, I find it a perversion. However, you will never see me wearing a T-shirt that says "God hates fags" either. Why? Because it's both stupid and counter-productive. I wouldn't wear it at home to clean my truck, I certainly wouldn't dream of wearing it to work. I wouldn't allow a shirt like that in my home - because it does more "FOR" the homosexual agenda, than it does against it.
Her shirt saved exactly '0' lives, just like wearing a pink ribbon cures '0' cases of Breast Cancer. What it did accomplish, was act as a catylist for her to emotionally deprive her of a means to earn a living - which is relatively stupid. She wasn't fired; she threw a temper tantrum and quit.
GSA stopped being pro-girl years ago.
Boycott Girl Scout Cookies!
We currently do Boy Scouts but I will have hard time paying dues to Girl Scouts if my daughter wants to join when older. Yes, the local charter may be nice local neighbors with similar morals but the national level of Girls Scouts seems a mess if you do a little digging. I hope some of these alternatives that are more inline with the BSA grow - American Heritage Girls
http://speaknowgirlscouts.com/
Man, if I wore that shirt to work; I think my co-workers would tackle me in the parking lot and rip it off me.
I work as a lead engineer for a contracting team; and our contract is under review every year. So, if one of us screws up; we all find ourselves without a job. If the reason that our company didn’t win a renewal, was due to a complaint about my attire - whatever company picked up the next contract, would most likely pick up the rest of the team, but not me.
Depending upon your employer, these rule may be incredably inflexable, or very lenient. When I worked in a high tech company (out of view of customers), we wore shorts and T-shirts on a daily basis. The only guides we had were that they could not be ‘hate’ T-shirts, nor condone violence (thus removing the “Halo” and other video game shirts). But, we knew better than to invoke either religion or politics. Our team consisted of Hindu, Christian, Buddhist and Jewish members. We got along great, but our T-shirts were personally screened by a fairly observant manager.
For those of you like me whose fave GS cookie is the “Thin Mint” — Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree have cookies that are packaged the same, and taste the same (without having to support GSA). They also have a “knock-off” of the peanut butter cookies, and the Samoas - just takes a little looking. The price is right (1.50/box at Family Dollar, 1.00 at DT) and so I’m a “happy camper” again! :)
Okay her “regularly scheduled time” ie she was not “on the clock”.
Have you not gone to work when you were “not on the clock”?
I know I have.
More often, and for longer, and under worse circumstances than you likely imagine.
I still dress appropriately ... note that "appropriately" differs according to whether I am in my office or in some godforsaken pesthole in the middle of nowhere. In either case, I don't forget that I'm representing my employer.
“So, how do you suppose she will pay for her car, apartment, medical, utilities, food and other living expenses? But, hey ... she wore a T-shirt and really showed ‘them’, right?”
In all due respect to you, a ‘job’ is not the only way to generate income. Lots of ways to make money, as long as you have the guts, even in this economy. This girl has what it takes - she is not a conformist and is passionate; she’ll do just fine on her own I bet.
You know I just can’t tolerate so called Christians telling me they are libs and that it’s a choice. They know better.
I've found that the lead in Chinese foods sold at the dollar stores really adds to the taste.
I don’t think she’s a fool. She’s 21. Without knowing about common workplace rules from an older friend or family member, I can see how such a demand (turning the t-shirt inside out or leave) may have been shocking.
It’s common to believe at that age, just as teenagers, that one knows everything needed already, and when one discovers this isn’t the case, it can be shocking. Actually, the older I get the more I realize we all think we know everything once we reach a certain age; the best thing is to have reminders like these that we don’t, and never will on Earth.
Related to this overabundance of self confidence can be an over reliance upon things like t-shirts and bumper stickers to “make a point”. Such people (those who believe others not only can be but are “convinced” by such messages) are then so shocked when their “free speech” is violated by requests such as “turn that inside out” that they take extreme actions such as this woman’s.
What is often overlooked in such needlessly dramatic events is, as you pointed out, no one is ever convinced by a t-shirt or bumper sticker. When this is pointed out though, often many will decry, “Well I guess you stand for nothing”.
Myself, I reply something like the following: There are times and places for provocative messages on t-shirts, but the workplace is not one of them. What “you” aren’t considering is that there is another, much better way to effect social change. Social change isn’t (ultimately) brought about by catchy slogans or “logical rational debate”. True, lasting, social change is only brought about by Christ Himself, Incarnate through His Church today. Incarnate through His believers, today. This itself isn’t a “religious argument” that is effective. It’s the witness of Christ at the workplace that’s effective. What’s that mean?
It doesn’t mean religious debate at work that’s for sure! What it DOES mean is: Caring for your fellow worker’s lives. Caring about them. Talking to them in a human way. IOW, literally being Christ to them. It sounds simple (and it ultimately is simple) which is why we as flawed humans can’t believe THAT is how society is effectively changed. We can’t believe that Christ does the work through us, through His Holy Spirit, the only Person who can change another’s mind. We, as flawed people believe we have to “do more”, because it just can’t be “that easy” (as if it really IS easy to REALLY “love another as we have been loved”, which is what I’m talking about here). We just can’t believe it.
So we make t shirts, bumper stickers, blogs and other Internet postings, we “argue passionately and logically”, make TV and radio ads, we elect the “right people” and we get downright ticked off when these things eventually fail (or even “worse”, when we are asked to take the tshirts off), because after all, we need to “do everything in the name of human justice and dignity” or some such.
Myself, I just try to be as Christlike as I can be, wherever I am, just as described above. I fail many times but it’s the only way I can “do” anything. And again, it’s really the only way to change society for the better.
And your response it really the ‘only’ way to convince someone to re-evaluate their opinons.
Well said.
This calculation shows how you make logic the master of your reason. It's a consequentialist conclusion based on knowledge that you don't have.
She discovered who her friends aren’t. Why work for them? No doubt somebody will try to bully her into thinking she has no options but to play by the rules. Sounds beastly. There are different callings and different masters. At a certain point in time human persons become saints. They become the heroine that they weren’t the day before. They choose to sacrifice and find a different freedom under a new master. Let other clones be drones for cash and security. Someday, you too, may kick that golden calf.
If so, I pity you. If not, then why would you suppose other people cannot accomplish this fairly rudimentary feat?
hostile workplace
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When is the last time you were in a dollar store, pray tell? As if all the items (esp. food) are made in China!?!? What would you say if I told you that I buy the same name brands at a dollar store that you buy at your local grocery - probably for much less money?
I’m definitely concerned about China producing our products - especially food whether for dogs or humans. I don’t think though that when I buy a can of, for instance, Chef Boyardee at the dollar store that the company that makes that food makes the cans that go to the dollar stores anywhere different than where they make the cans that end up on your grocery shelf. A Baby-Ruth candy bar is the same if I buy it at a dollar store, or from the gas station, or from my local grocery store, or even from Wal-mart.
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