*Update* (Didn't ) loose my job because of my remarks about Al Sharpton

[Vigilante Sniper]

Last night at work we were talking about the Treyvon Martin shooting and got on a discussion about Al Sharpton in the news. I commented how I'd like to call him and tell him to come march here in my parish, and I'd make him a Martyre. Well I happened to be sitting on my mike and some black operators heard me and called my boss and filed a complaint. Got a call a while ago at the gun show from my boss telling me they are putting me on administrative leave pending an investigation. My new boss is also black, what are my chances. Does my personal feelings about Sharpton constitute that I should be fired? In 30 years in this industry, I have never been in trouble so now I'm worried that with all the racial tension, that I could loose my job over my freedom of speech. But in the corporate world nowadays a white man doesn't stand a chance when it come to racial division.

To clarify what was actually said I was talking about the comments Al said about escalating on MSNBC and the discussion about MSNBC not taking him off the air or him be arrested for inciting a riot, that if I called him and tell him to march here I'd make him a martyr that I would be arrested and charged with threatening a civil rights leader.

 

[SirIsaacNewton]

Last night at work we were talking about the Treyvon Martin shooting and got on a discussion about Al Sharpton in the news. I commented how I'd like to call him and tell him to come march here in my parish, and I'd make him a Martyre. Well I happened to be sitting on my mike and some black operators heard me and called my boss and filed a complaint. Got a call a while ago at the gun show from my boss telling me they are putting me on administrative leave pending an investigation. My new boss is also black, what are my chances. Does my personal feelings about Sharpton constitute that I should be fired? In 30 years in this industry, I have never been in trouble so now I'm worried that with all the racial tension, that I could loose my job over my freedom of speech. But in the corporate world nowadays a white man doesn't stand a chance when it come to racial division.

IMO which is worth what you pay for it. Either deny what you have said or try explaining it either way it is going to be a tough road ahead of you. Good luck

 

[IfItFliesItDies]

This is why I don't ever talk about race, politics, or religion at work.

 

[Yrdawg]

Right to work trumps free speech...and this is just wrong in your case

Not like you intentionaly were name calling...and what the hey...a free trip to see Heaven ?? or is Sharpton goin for virgins

Hope it works out ...were I the boss and wanted you gone I woud find another reason and make it clean, no chance to let it fester into a racial incident., maybe it's a good thing to get the admin vacation up front

 

[charlie12]

I would say it's not good. You almost made a death threat on a well known black guy. You could have big problems. I hope not.

 

[JLouv]

Good luck, but comments like that are best kept to your home in private conversation. There's no room at work for politics or religion. Not even here on the internet behind a made up username....anything you say can and will be used against you.

 

[Speedlace]

I'd make him a Martyre.

Sounds like you were going to turn him into another MLK or Malcolm X.

But in the corporate world nowadays a white man doesn't stand a chance when it come to racial division.

What you said could be taken as a threat of assassination against a "civil rights leader".

Get a lawyer.

 

[whitsend]

Forget the lawyer, get some job applications.
Use this time on admin leave (paid?) to find your new job, then try to quit before you get "let go".

 

[Guate_shooter]

NO BUENO

I have wanted to say worst things before but I bite my tongue since Im Latino so it would be seen even worst

I would just apply somewheres else and like mentioned before IF it looks like they will indeed cut you out, it might be best to quit and leave with a clean record for future references.

Unless the contract dictates that the employer cannot discuss the reasson you were fired in case somebody would call them to get some info on you.

I know at my office all they can say is "failed to comply with company policy" but they CANNOT say exactly what you did.

 

[dantheman]

And stop commenting about it on an internet forum .

 

[Sin-ster]

Shame you're not anything but caucasian, female, gay, handicapped, or any otherwise protected group other than White American male age 18-whatever. Otherwise, you'd have a lot of back and might end up on a paid vacation for a while, instead of paid administrative leave. Not to mention grounds for a law suit... Short of stealing or just not showing up at all, you'd be almost impossible to fire.

Come to think of it-- are you old enough to get the Senior's discount at the movies?

 

[JadeRaven]

Frankly if I was an employer I wouldn't want to employ a open-voiced racist. Does no good.

 

[Cat]

I would say it's not good. You almost made a death threat on a well known black guy. You could have big problems. I hope not.

I kind of agree with this. Good thoughts headed your way, but it doesn't sound really great.

 

[ajt2341]

Personally I dislike Al Sharpton for a ton of reasons, none of which are because of his color. I don't give a dang what color someone's skin is, it's how they act that's important. And Al Sharpton is a loud mouth piece of trash, it's people like him that make everything a race issue. I see nothing racist in the OP's comments. I just see someone who dislikes someone else, he never mentioned why he didn't like him.

 

[Vigilante Sniper]

Well I just talked to an attorney friend of mine and he's going to put me in contact with someone who specializes in this type of situation. I've never had an issue since working for this company, never missed a day, always did my job, alway helping anyone, but just so happens that two known trouble makers heard what I said and want to make an issue of it. Even if I don't get fired, the problem is if I catch them doing something wrong and turn them in, they'll now say I did it in retaliation. Several time I caught them sleeping, but I didn't cause trouble for anyone because I was new there and didn't want to get a bad reputation. Bad enough one of the other supervisors got turned in by his own people, and since he was a minority, our minority boss wanted to fire him, but the HR dept just put a letter in his file. Some of these union people at work are quick to rat out a supervisor, but they don't want us cause trouble for them. I don't want to see anyone loose there job so I deal with them myself without getting HR involved, but don't think for a minute that they are your friend cause they will stab you in the back first chance they get.
As far as the comment about quit posting things online, well I never post anything personal or my true feelings that can be seen by anyone on my social media sight Facebook, or in any of my emails, especially work emails. Sometimes I would love to post a comment, but with corporate looking at social media, and work emails now to spy on their employees, I know better.

 

[Yrdawg]

Frankly if I was an employer I wouldn't want to employ a open-voiced racist. Does no good.

Little dense here...you think what he said is racist ??

Elimination a trouble maker who has cost millions in damages and most likely even cost lives is not racism...causing others to rise up in the name of race is racism.

Makes no difference about the skin color of a race baiter...they are trouble makers of the worst sort in any color.

I could see disciplinary over the suggestion of violence had it been serious...this was said in passing , as a comment on another conversation.

 

[Hitman]

Forget the lawyer, get some job applications.

And stop commenting about it on an internet forum .

ding...ding...ding...

 

[GunRelated]

Personally I dislike Al Sharpton for a ton of reasons, none of which are because of his color. I don't give a dang what color someone's skin is, it's how they act that's important. And Al Sharpton is a loud mouth piece of trash, it's people like him that make everything a race issue. I see nothing racist in the OP's comments. I just see someone who dislikes someone else, he never mentioned why he didn't like him.

+1..... I absolutely cannot stand Al, for the same reasons. I have black friends, and I don't judge one by his skin color. Its your actions and the way you carry yourself that counts. People like Al Sharpton only make things worse when it comes to racism, and we, black or white, would be better off without these **** stirrers.

 

[sigfan556]

Little dense here...you think what he said is racist ??

Elimination a trouble maker who has cost millions in damages and most likely even cost lives is not racism...causing others to rise up in the name of race is racism.

Makes no difference about the skin color of a race baiter...they are trouble makers of the worst sort in any color.

I could see disciplinary over the suggestion of violence had it been serious...this was said in passing , as a comment on another conversation.

+1000

 

[Vigilante Sniper]

Little dense here...you think what he said is racist ??

Elimination a trouble maker who has cost millions in damages and most likely even cost lives is not racism...causing others to rise up in the name of race is racism.

Makes no difference about the skin color of a race baiter...they are trouble makers of the worst sort in any color.

I could see disciplinary over the suggestion of violence had it been serious...this was said in passing , as a comment on another conversation.

Well I don't think anyone that knows me would ever call me a racist, especially my black friends and neighbors who really knows me better than the people I only recently started working with. It infuriates me that when we work so hard to understand each other and our feelings about racial, religious, or political issues, the the racial issue is always the most volitile. People of different religions have been killing each other for thousands of years and it isn't going to stop soon, so racial issue's in the US that started a little over 200 years ago is not going to to stop anytime soon in my opinion either. I believe in treating others with the same respect you want to be treated with, but there are some people you just can't please. When I was a police officer, I was well liked in the community because of how I approached people even if I had to arrest them. That reputation helped me a lot when I had to go into the projects alone on a call, or to one of the bars where a fight broke out, people there always offered assistance, and you don't get that by being a dick.