Rocky21 Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 School bus driver fired over Confederate flag The Associated Press Wednesday, March 9, 2011; 8:49 PM GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- An Oregon school bus driver fired after he refused to remove a Confederate battle flag flying from his pickup truck has enlisted the help of a conservative civil liberties group in hopes of getting his job back. The Rutherford Institute of Charlottesville, Va., sent a letter Wednesday to First Student Bus Transportation Services demanding that Ken Webber of Medford, Ore., be reinstated. The institute says flying the flag is covered by his First Amendment right to free speech. More at the link.... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/09/AR2011030905303_pf.html His truck was parked in the parking lot at his work. He wasn't flying it on the school bus. Discuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 If he was fired for just driving around town with the flag on his truck I'd say his employer was clearly in the wrong, but I guess if the parking lot is privately owned, the owner can decide what is displayed on it? I'm not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Seems excessive,but his contract probably allows for firing over such things The employer has rights and responsibilities to it's other employees and in this case the public. I don't agree with the decision, but understand it. added I hope he prevails in a lawsuit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimmySmith Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I am sure that there is more background to the story. On the face of it, it seems extreme, especially since it was parked on government owned property. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Associations you make reflect upon you. They always have. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 a confederate flag flying in the school parking lot? **** him. what a loser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky21 Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 Not to sound like one of those guys but I wonder what the school system's repsonse would be if he was celebrating his Puerto Rican heritage by flying the flag of Puerto Rico on his truck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 a confederate flag flying in the school parking lot? **** him. what a loser. Aaaaaaand here we go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Aaaaaaand here we go. well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Not to sound like one of those guys but I wonder what the school system's repsonse would be if he was celebrating his Puerto Rican heritage by flying the flag of Puerto Rico on his truck? I wonder what a school system in Atlanta, GA would think if one of their employees flew a big flag that said "The South lost! Get over it!" with a map charting Sherman's march to the sea on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky21 Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 I wonder what a school system in Atlanta, GA would think if one of their employees flew a big flag that said "The South lost! Get over it!" with a map charting Sherman's march to the sea on it.Henry you mean you think this is politically motivated? Where does it end? Scouring the parking lot for Pro Choice or Pro Life bumper stickers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Henry you mean you think this is politically motivated? Where does it end? Scouring the parking lot for Pro Choice or Pro Life bumper stickers? I think it's culturally motivated. The battle flag of Lee's army is offensive to a lot of people up north. Just like the flag I described would be offensive to a lot of people in the south. I don't think the flag of Puerto Rico is comparable in any way. Nor is a bumper sticker stating a political position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skin'Em84 Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I wonder what a school system in Atlanta, GA would think if one of their employees flew a big flag that said "The South lost! Get over it!" with a map charting Sherman's march to the sea on it. I need to get one of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madison Redskin Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Broadly speaking, employers can fire employees for just about any reason unless they have agreed otherwise in an employment agreement or CBA. Setting aside the legal issues, I think it's wrong to fire him. I'm sure the ACLU will be interested in the case; contrary to popular belief, they've represented right-wing clients in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Associations you make reflect upon you.They always have. ~Bang I like this post. I think I agree with this. Ultimately, depending on the letter of the law, I could see this decision being reversed. However, I don't mind that someone flying the stars and bars gets his cage rattled a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Not to sound like one of those guys but I wonder what the school system's repsonse would be if he was celebrating his Puerto Rican heritage by flying the flag of Puerto Rico on his truck? We're comparing the confederate flag to any random nations flag now? Hmmm interesting. I can easily argue the south rose to defend the institution of slavery. It's not a hard argument to make being that Southern leaders at the time of the civil war have already done all the work. At best I think the flag represents a failed attempt to destroy the United States of America. At worst I think it represents a time in this nations history where brother was made to kill brother in order to keep human beings as property. I don't get the same vibe off of a flag representing an unincorporated territory of the United States of America. Are there any other such areas you feel equate to the confederate flag? Does the little boat in Guam's flag bring out feelings of injustice when you see it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I like this post. I think I agree with this. Ultimately, depending on the letter of the law, I could see this decision being reversed. However, I don't mind that someone flying the stars and bars gets his cage rattled a bit. the law probably will find in his favor (as it should), but the message should be pretty clear to the guy. Living as a pariah sucks. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I didn't know Oregon was part of the Confederacy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I wonder what a school system in Atlanta, GA would think if one of their employees flew a big flag that said "The South lost! Get over it!" with a map charting Sherman's march to the sea on it. That another carpetbagger has arrived?....would you support a firing over that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 That another carpetbagger has arrived?....would you support a firing over that? Did I support the firing over this? That wasn't my point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGoodBits Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I didn't know Oregon was part of the Confederacy. To be fair, the town is in southern Oregon. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=grants+pass+oregon&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Grants+Pass,+OR&gl=us&ei=_-l4TcfsI-6D0QHwhrnkAw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CC0Q8gEwAA At least he's got that going for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 That another carpetbagger has arrived?....would you support a firing over that? Assuming the person survived long enough to be fired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I'd like to know the back story. If one of my employees was doing something like this that I felt was detrimental to the company but easily fixed, I'd give them the opportunity to correct it. And if they refused they'd be gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 We're comparing the confederate flag to any random nations flag now? Hmmm interesting. Perhaps a better example would be flying a Mexican flag in Texas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky21 Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 We're comparing the confederate flag to any random nations flag now? Hmmm interesting.I think it's possible that someone flying a Confederate flag on their personal vehicle could be celebrating his American Southern heritage like someone flying a Puerto Rican flag could be celebrating his Puerto Rican heritage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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