-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Lindsey Stone, a 30-year-old Massachusetts native, has been terminated because of the photo (shown left) she posted on her Facebook page. Lindsey worked for LIFE (Living Independent Forever), a Cape Cod-based nonprofit organization that assists adults with learning disabilities. Jamie Schuh, who took the photo, and Lindsey’s supervisor at LIFE, was also terminated.
The two were on a company-paid trip to Washington D.C. when the photo was taken. The photo shows Lindsey mocking a sign at Arlington National Cemetery. The photo went viral and over 30,000 people liked a Facebook page set up to demand her firing. The two have apologized for the gag:
We never meant any disrespect to any of the people nationwide who have served this country and defended our freedom so valiantly.
While the photo obviously mocks the sign, many apparently thought it mocked those buried at Arlington National Cemetery. A sign demanding “Silence and Respect” deserves to be mocked. The wording of the sign projects a sense of arrogance and entitlement common to institutions that view themselves as sacred cows.
Adding the word “Please” to the sign would change the command to a request, a more sensible sentiment.
H/T: Mano Singham, Gawker, Boston Herald.
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it is amazing that some people can take any story and turn it into an excuse to personally bash conservatives, Bush, and anyone else that doesn’t follow their same politics. Rather pathetic, really.
Jeff…. YOU may not like it… BUT fact is… Bush did lie to get us into a war…..he and his buddies were looking at Iraq WAYYYY before 9/11…. then after 9/11 Bush had his people do ANYTHING they could to tie it in with Iraq….
The CIA kept saying that Iraq had NO ties to 9/11…. and Bush pushed them, until they would find the ties he needed……
and fact is… The Republicans went after Acorn for NO REAL reason but a bunch of scare tactics about how Acorn was committing voter FRAUD…..
when what was going on was Voter Registration Fraud….
that is something that is caught before people are even allowed to vote….
BUT, because Acorn was an organization that helped the poor and minorities, and their main voting demographic was Democratic…..
Had that Acorn been helping Right wing Christians….. They would not have raised a fuss……
http://youtu.be/uL6OGwsp9_o
America is already one of only countries where freedom of speech is universal and not just applied to sweet flowery speech.
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This is NOT TRUE at all……
It saddens me when people say this…..
I was once arrested for telling a Police Officer to F*ck off….
I was not at all violent and was doing as I was told…..
I said to him….. “F*ck off!!”
He then proceeded to tackle me to the ground and arrest me
The charge was Obstruction of Justice…..
Fact is… I was obstructing NOTHING…..
It was a bad stop… They stopped us because we were not dressed the way they would have liked and the guys had long hair….
This man was arrested at Hidden Beach in Minneapolis Minnesota….
http://www.pixiq.com/article/foul-mouthed-man-arrested-for-swearing-in-a-park
another man was arrested Michigan for using Vulgar language….
he was sentenced, but it was later overturned…..
Look how many words are not allowed on Network TV…..
In UK and in Sweden they will say words like f*ck…. sh*t… etc…..
even the major Newspapers will not write these words in the USA… BUT, in the UK and Sweden, I know they do…..
You THINK that the USA has Freedom of Speech, but that is only because they seem to protect the racist speech such as Westborough Baptist Church……
I’ll summartize in one sentence. The constitution did not give us free speech to have it then taken away by employers, or other substitutes for big brother.
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Right on the money Idealist……
This becomes a VERY dangerous precedent……
The Pitchforks and Torches were rewarded for their ill behavior……
What or WHO will they come at next????
OMG that “Black Friday” tape is so appalling! I do remember standing in line from 4 a.m. in front of the museum in DC in six-below-zero weather to see the Vermeer exhibit. But to buy a plastic toy, OMG, it’s too much.
it is amazing that some people can take any story and turn it into an excuse to personally bash conservatives, Bush, and anyone else that doesn’t follow their same politics. Rather pathetic, really.
Anyway this is not a free speech issue. Lord knows I am a major advocate for free speech. I am sickened by the number of cases where our freedom of speech is being taken away. America is already one of only countries where freedom of speech is universal and not just applied to sweet flowery speech.
However Freedom of Speech does means you are protected from consequences of any sort. It simply means you have the right to such speech and can be arrested for it.
Making fun of a person with a disability is disgusting but it shouldn’t come along with jail time. Making fun of your boss with disability should not result in jail time but that doesn’t mean you can’t be fired by your offended boss.
Showing disrespect in a public manner, getting a large number of people upset with you can result in personal consequences not involving the state.
This is especially true when your actions have an effect on the bottom line. When tens of thousands of people are calling for your firing you may very well be fired. It isn’t a freedom of speech issue. It is nothing but business. Her actions did or appeared to hurt the company’s income. Her actions caused grief and strife, upsetting the running of the business. Her actions resulted in massive bad publicity. No doubt her fellow employees who rely on the income from her would rather have her fired than see a reduction in bonuses/hours as a result of her actions.
tldr: yes, The company bent to the will of the Torches and Pitchforks. As all companies must when they rely on the money from those torches and pitchforks.
Very interesting and well-inforrmed POVs,
I swung like a windvane, having been military, PR man for a multi-nat operating in USA etc, and a devotiee of free speech resulting from free thought.
I’ll summartize in one sentence. The constitution did not give us free speech to have it then taken away by employers, or other substitutes for big brother.
Frankly, I feel that too little free speech is the major cause of the ills of this nation. That is a subject requiring long discussion and a POV requiring much support. Later..
This particular case id an example of the ills of our not defending free speech. That she may be regarded si or so by those who know her is her risk. That she uses social media for one of the major reasons that it was created is a praiseworthy practice for which we should be obliged as citizens to defend in the name of our constitution. All else is mob rule, even if the corporations lead the pack in the name of profits.
.How many are willing to be a Husling or a Manning? Could there be some connection to our fewness to being ruled by our employers.
If we work at Ford, we can still buy and pari in the lot with a Chrysler. So, thje right to think (or not) and speak must be defended.
A couple of points about the commands on the sign:
The first tells the reader what not to do. “Silence” is the absence of any sound – physically impossible for humans. “Quiet” would be better to indicate no disturbing sounds.
The second tells the reader what to do. “Respect” cannot be commanded.
Maybe the sign was designed by the military wherein commands and obedience are a natural occurrence. Doesn’t work that way with civilians.
I tend to think we fetishize the military too much in this country. And, I don’t see the photo as intentionally being disrespectful to those buried at Arlington Cemetery. I see it as just a joke, perhaps in poor taste and easily interpreted as mocking the dead, but not something that she should get fired for. But . . . as others point out, definitely not a First Amendment violation because no government action and I really don’t blame the employer either as once the shit hits the fan, the employer’s primary responsibility is to the nonprofit and it’s not helpful to have thousands of people complaining and causing problems because one of your employees offended them. She showed poor judgment. She got unlucky that out of millions of photos posted on line, this one happened to go viral. She has a right to free speech, but others have a right to complain about her speech.
and people accuse Lindsay Stone of embarrassing our country…..
http://youtu.be/DOm8giTUOXs
Mindless attacks. When will the people who attacked Ms. Stone do something about George Bush who gave the entire country the finger and then with his Mission Accomplished performance with flight suit et al gave the finger to every serving soldier, sailor, marine and Air Force member. Amazing what some people find offensive.
JAG,
This case reminds me of the herd instinct the Republicans had about ACORN which was a very good activist group / organization.
That herd instinct scared the bejebus out of Democrats who promptly voted to defund ACORN along with the Republicans.
It reminded me of those “Black Friday” stampedes that kill people.
It also led to the voter suppression around the nation this election cycle.
Since we have morphed into a plutocratic wartocracy the bully religion furnishes the warmongering dogma that causes such stampedes.
Mob psychology has now become a religion and believe you me it will have very dire consequences in the long run.
That mob is now after social security, medicare, and anything else decent so that the minions of the plutocratic wartocracy can use it to cause what Colonel Westhusing committed suicide.
In the case of ACORN and Co. Westhusing it was government acts, in this case it was mob psychology.
One legal but disgusting, the other holy war crimes.
The employer had to cut its losses as quickly as it could or it too would go the way of ACORN because the mob had holy blood lust.
EXACTLY right Dredd…. YOU hit the nail RIGHT on the head…..
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Justice Holmes…. again.. I agree with you 100%……
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When people feel powerless they ATTACK…..
and fact is… the citizens are powerless against our WEALTHY Politicians and Corporations
who run EVERYTHING…..
NOW, they have us fighting and attacking each other instead of the people
who are guilty of giving our country and our Military the FINGER like George Bush and Co…..
JAG, What Gene said. You know JAG, you’re a woman who plays craps and is not afraid to behave badly. I like that. However, in our culture there are consequences for acts like this. The government was not involved, this was a private enterprise who terminated her. Now, she has recourse in the courts if she wishes to pursue it. What else would one reasonably expect.
It seems so simple but there are a few issues and viewpoints.
1. Yes the sign comes off as arrogant, but on the other hand, it was probably put there as a result of instances where folks showed absolutely NO concern or care for those around them. Like the idiots who use cell phones in theaters. Signs like this tend to be placed in reaction to gross lacks of courtesy.
2. They shouldn’t have gotten fired but since they were there on the company dime and especially if that was noted on FB – they should have received some punishment. If they were damaging their company’s brand.
3. In general, people seem to forget that when they post these imbecilic photos to social media sites – they aren’t being seen by only their best buds who have the same sophomoric sense of humor. Yes, they have the right to do it, but they better be prepared to feel the pain when they get the brunt of every one else’s opinion regarding how stupid they are.
People need to show some common sense – especially when it comes to social media and the internet. As an old adage goes: you can’t unsay cruel words. Well, neither can you un-post social media mistakes that have gone viral.
First, it was a really stupid joke photo. Second, when you work for a non-profit, as I have, you must be cognizant of your actions in the course of your duties, so as not to discredit your employer. She was on a business sponsored trip, therefore by extension on company business. I have been on such trips at hotel conferences. If after hours I got stinking drunk in the hotel bar and made an ass of myself which caused repercussions for my non-profit I should be fired, even if technically off-duty. on-profits generally rely on the good will of the public for supporting donations. The ill will bred by this was no doubt harmful to LIFE.
justa:
“ONE thing tho….. she flipped off a sign…. NOT the tomb…. NOT the graves…..”
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Honestly? Do you really think that those words “Arlington National Cemetery” circling the request for respect had nothing to do with the graphic memoralization of her antics. You can compartmentalize all you want to, but the rule remains that while you have a right to say most anything or even do most anything within the law you are not free from the reprobation of other non-government actors. While I respect dear Lindsey’s right to express herself, I’m equally impressed by her employer’s right to express itself by canning her. And if forced to choose between the two, I like the employer’s sentiments and motivation more.
“NO… the company did not want to terminate her…”
That’s not what nick said. That’s a straw man. What nick stated was part of the nexus of facts that gives the employer the right to fire her. Businesses respond to customer pressure. They are a business and as a charity, their customers are their donors both potential and actual.
Want has nothing to do with it.
nick spinelli
1, December 2, 2012 at 10:42 am
The fact that this was a company paid trip gives more reason for the employer to terminate.
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NO… the company did not want to terminate her….
‘this is just how EVERYBODY is making themselves feel better by having her fired……
NOTHING MORE……
The company bent to the will of the Torches and Pitchforks….
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I wonder if those who wanted her fired donated to LIFE, the NON Profit that she worked for, bothered to donate money to that Charity…..
Or if any of them get this upset when Veterans Bills fail to get the votes needed to fund the Services for Veterans…..
I highly doubt it…..
It seems that clicking like on a FaceBook page to fire somebody over a stupid joke, is as Patriotic as many of them get….
that and sticking “Support The Troops” stickers on their cars…..
Mespo….. Her employer said she was a GREAT employee…. and had NO complaints at all…. she was loved at her job…..
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You don’t just have a right TO bad behavior. You have a right to speak out AGAINST it.
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ONE thing tho….. she flipped off a sign…. NOT the tomb…. NOT the graves…..
It was mocking the SIGN.. and the SIGN ONLY……
Fact is…. so many people saw RED that they failed to see the actual TRUTH in this…..
Fact is… that sign is arrogant…. that sign will also someday be too weathered and will be replaced…. That sign that EVERYBODY is so up in arms over with go in the trash…..
MOST people got so upset over the mocking of this sign…..
It is not as if she pissed on and danced on their graves…. Or even FLIPPED off the Tomb Of the unknown……
THO, maybe she should have gone that far….. she is being treated as if she did anyway…….
The fact that this was a company paid trip gives more reason for the employer to terminate.
I think a short suspension would fit the “crime” from an employer’s point of view but we don’t know much about this young lady’s track record at work. Rarely is stupid an isolated incident.