Posted on 12/07/2009 3:03:08 PM PST by Fido969
Grard was fired by Bill Thompson, editor of the Sentinel and its sister paper the Kennebec Journal in Augusta, shortly after the Nov. 3 election in which Maine voters repealed a same-sex marriage law approved by the Legislature. Grard said he arrived at work the morning after the vote to find an e-mailed press release from the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, D.C., that blamed the outcome of the balloting on hatred of gays.
Grard, who said he’d gotten no sleep the night before, used his own e-mail to send a response. “They said the Yes-on-1 people were haters. I’m a Christian. I take offense at that,” he said. “I e-mailed them back and said basically, ‘We’re not the ones doing the hating. You’re the ones doing the hating.’
One week later, he was summoned to Thompson’s office. He was told that Trevor Thomas, deputy communications director of the Human Rights Campaign, had Googled his name, discovered he was a reporter, and was demanding Grard be fired. According to Grard, Thompson said, “There’s no wiggle room.”
He was immediately dismissed.
The week after Grard was fired, he said, his wife, Lisa, who wrote a biweekly food column for the Sentinel as a freelancer, received an e-mail informing her that her work would no longer be needed.
Maine is the problem Maine should be purged from the union. It is better a part of Quebec
You’re correct.
However, he may also have a strong case for sexual discrimination. Maine is one of the states that prohibits sexual discrimination by employers.
He is being discrimnated against for being heterosexual.
Excellent point. He’s a reporter. He obviously knows how to do research, to interview people, and to write. There must be a good number of organizations that could use his skills. Maybe he’ll be getting job offers once more sites pick up the story....
It is not objectionable to me, but I am not the person who owns the newspaper.
Moreover, it is not an issue of his being a Christian as there are Christians who are not opposed to gay marriage.
Thus, if the person had written an email that read, "I am a Christian and because of my faith believe that gays should be able to get married," I would hold the same opinion on this issue.
I am not all that sure that everyone here would hold that consistency on the issue.
And to restate my opinion, the owner of the newspaper can fire an employee for expressing a Christian view, either for or against gay marriage.
You are free to hire the reporter if you would like him to work for the newspaper that you own.
All you need to do is send him a letter with a job offer that details his salary, benefits, health insurance, vacation and the job description.
Only if we define "christian" as "a person who fancies wearing a sideways X around their neck."
The scriptures could not be more clear about homosexual relationships.
Christianity is a faith that includes many people and not all of them have the same exact view as you or I.
Therefore, I would not be so revoke a person's status as a Christian, simply because they are not in agreement with you.
Instead, I will leave that judgement to a Higher Authority.
“I just don’t understand why the gay movement is so hateful and vindictive!”
Because they hate themselves.
I would also add the provision that, back in the old days at least, reporters weren’t supposed to have an “opinion.” I also have 20+ years experience in the media, and can remember a time when I put a “Jesse Jackson for president” poster above my desk as a joke and was told to take it down because I wasn’t supposed to show partisanship. Today I probably would have been fired for that offense, for a very different reason. I can tell you that it’s very difficult to work in a news environment with a conservative outlook. I am fairly outspoken and was let go in my last two jobs in news. I sued and collected in one and wish I could do the same in the second. I hope this guy sues, too. It worth a shot, as I found out.
We are already very mad. But most of us weigh our righteous indignation and esteem for freedom against our desire for peace, comfort and security. It turns out that we value our peace, comfort and security a lot.
But there is a tipping point. Every man and every culture has one. And woe betide the left if Middle America ever reaches it.
This is business as usual.
You are punished for fighting the homosexual lobby. It is the most powerful lobby in the US and can destroy people who dissent.
He is being discrimnated against for being heterosexual.
No, he is being discriminated againt for having opinions that run counter to the prevailing elite wisdom and against the Homosexual lobby.
Because they hate themselves.
No, because they have been given a special fiat of power by the federal and some state governments to attack people and consolidate their power.
But there is a tipping point.
I am not so sure any more.
The Germans didnt rock the boat, neither did the Romans
We should likewise be wise as serpents. As much as I want this present darkness to pass away, I don't want to replace it with something worse.
Hmm, I would if I owned a paper. Sounds like a nice guy. :(
The unbiased, non partisan press continues to march.
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