The KKK took my trooper away...

[AceDiamond]

He joined the KKK because his wife left him for a Hispanic

not only does that show he has questionable moral character, it also shows he's a goddamn idiot. I have no idea why anybody is defending him on this.

Talk about free speech all you want, but the fact remains one of the last professions you want to be a racist in is in Law Enforcement, and they do not need that kind of problem. Also given his reason for joining brings into question his intelligence level (and don't say people do stupid things when they get dumped, because this goes beyond)

 

[SilentHunter7]

Except the Nazi has been playing at Bar Mitzvahs for 18 years and has yet to burn one down.

So when he does, we can say 'sorry parents of the dead, we never thought the nazi might want to kill jewish children', right?

What's with this talk that he has rights? (Not you specifically Silent, but it's a related point) What about the people he is supposed to protect? Don't they have the right to an officer who hasn't displayed a tendency to use race as an excuse to persecute people and has been part of an organization that actively wants them deported or worse? I think he forfeited his right when he joined the Klan, why make other people forfeit theirs for his mistake?

I agree that the people deserve officers who are unbiased, but when Nebraska hired him 18 years ago, was he any less biased than he is today? Don't they do psyche screenings? Why would they hire someone who was at risk of not being able to perform his job? Incompetence? Why isn't there being a full-scale investigation into why Nebraska allowed a man who supposedly cant do his job to serve 18 years?

And when they found out about this, they didn't give him a desk job, they didn't give him a chance to retire, they didn't lay him off, they fired him. No unemployment benefits, no pension, nothing. So now, after 18 years, he has to start over from nothing. He's working as a rent-a-cop. All because of a decision I'm sure he regrets. Regardless of whatever his prejudices, I can't help but feel that he got screwed.

 

[Zer_]

Free Speech only applies to those who aren't harming anyone. And by joining the KKK regardless of actually doing anything yourself, you're supporting a group that actively seeks to harm a large group of people. He deserved to be fired.

 

[Infiniteloop]

A person is defined their actions, for better or for worse. In addition, other people's perception is their reality.

 

[SilentHunter7]

Your personal time, yes, is your personal time, and yes, you can be fired for what you do in it. Personal time just refers to when you're not being paid.
I have, my friends have, and many other people have.

I bet one person who can afford a good lawyer can change that. Unfortunately, if you can afford a lawyer that good, you're probably your own boss...

-edit-
I just realized the irony that this is, in fact, a discrimination lawsuit. By a former Klansman.

 

[Zer_]

Your personal time, yes, is your personal time, and yes, you can be fired for what you do in it. Personal time just refers to when you're not being paid.
I have, my friends have, and many other people have.

I bet one person who can afford a good lawyer can change that. Unfortunately, if you can afford a lawyer that good, you're probably your own boss...

Doubt it. I mean this is basic stuff guys. By joining the KKK he was infringing on the rights of the blacks, Jews and Hispanics which means he himself can't really use the first amendment as a defense.

 

[SilentHunter7]

Your personal time, yes, is your personal time, and yes, you can be fired for what you do in it. Personal time just refers to when you're not being paid.
I have, my friends have, and many other people have.

I bet one person who can afford a good lawyer can change that. Unfortunately, if you can afford a lawyer that good, you're probably your own boss...

-edit-
I just realized the irony that this is, in fact, a discrimination lawsuit. By a former Klansman.

You have to remember, that once you sign your name and start working for someone, you are a representative of that company even when you are not being paid. I have yet to see a single application/work contract that does no specifically state, "I (signature here) hereby agree and accept the responsibility of being a representative of (corporation)."

Union jobs. My dad's a firefighter, and a member of the local IAFF branch, which is no stranger to fighting its employer in court (because they're corrupt, and violate contracts at every turn, but that's another story). It doesn't really matter the reason, if a member of the union was reprimanded for doing something off-duty (short of getting arrested), their lawyers would be all over them like white on rice on a paper-plate at the south-pole. I know, it's happened before when one of the members made...less than flattering statements about the mayor.

 

[Zer_]

Your personal time, yes, is your personal time, and yes, you can be fired for what you do in it. Personal time just refers to when you're not being paid.
I have, my friends have, and many other people have.

I bet one person who can afford a good lawyer can change that. Unfortunately, if you can afford a lawyer that good, you're probably your own boss...

-edit-
I just realized the irony that this is, in fact, a discrimination lawsuit. By a former Klansman.

You have to remember, that once you sign your name and start working for someone, you are a representative of that company even when you are not being paid. I have yet to see a single application/work contract that does no specifically state, "I (signature here) hereby agree and accept the responsibility of being a representative of (corporation)."

You know it actually pisses me off that this case in court would probably hold up because people over complicate the issue. The guy can't argue his right of free speech in court, he relinquished that right the second he joined the KKK which is an organization that actively harms and thus breaches the rights of the many minorities in the USA.

 

[SilentHunter7]

Doubt it. I mean this is basic stuff guys. By joining the KKK he was infringing on the rights of the blacks, Jews and Hispanics which means he himself can't really use the first amendment as a defense.

My statement you refer to wasn't really directed towards the KKK guy, but firings over what people do in their free time in general.

Anyway, going back, him joining a hate group doesn't infringe on anyone's rights. Now if he put a white hood on, and burned a cross outside of someone's home, that'd be a different story. Even then, it's not that he's infringing on people's rights. It's that people think he's going to infringe on people's rights. Add to that the fact that he's served 18 years already.

 

[Xan Krieger]

If people can be fired for being bigots then my town wouldn't have police officers. I've already got the chief of police fired. What are they bigoted against? People with autism. He had me put in a mental hospital for 3 days with no proof of anything or even a reasonable suspicion.

 

[inkheart_artist]

Its less about free speech and more about ensuring that you have the right people doing a very delicate job that can be abused very easily. Its like a guy working at a morgue admitting to being a necrophilliac. It can easily turn ugly fast and if you know then you don't want to just let it happen.

 

[SilentHunter7]

And that's why Unions piss me off. A Union always villainizes the employer.
There was a Boeing strike a while back that was the cause of the Union demanding more pay. Now, every speech they made was about how corrupt and greedy Boeing was. The individual workers were making more money then my parents combined, which is a great deal of money. My father is an E9 rank electrician in the Navy. He's been in the Navy for more then twenty years. My mother makes 25 dollars an hour and works over time quite often.
And yet here these people are, whilst getting full benefits and pulling in possibly six figures a year. are demanding more money, saying that the employers are greedy.
You'll forgive me, but I find Unions to be the biggest hypocrites in the world.

I can't argue. The UAW and many others abuse their power. But I still find Unions necessary. The Firefighters in our town make $19 an hour, and haven't had a raise since 1999, and the only thing preventing the current administration (whom they all hate) from firing them all, is the Union lawyers. They're also forbidden from striking, and instead have an independent arbitrator (read: a county judge) rule on all grievances and contract disputes. Something I think should be applied everywhere.

Sorry for getting off-topic.

 

[scotth266]

My veiwpoint is that the guy quit after only two years in the KKK, presumably because he got over his wife and the guy she ditched him for. To be honest, I think the man should be given his job back. Yes, an officer should not be affiliated with such groups. But everyone has periods of emotional turmoil after bad breakups, so I can forgive him.

They could have simply stuck him in a different area, or given him a desk job, rather than giving him the axe. We have far to few public servants as it is.

 

[Zer_]

Doubt it. I mean this is basic stuff guys. By joining the KKK he was infringing on the rights of the blacks, Jews and Hispanics which means he himself can't really use the first amendment as a defense.

My statement you refer to wasn't really directed towards the KKK guy, but firings over what people do in their free time in general.

Anyway, going back, him joining a hate group doesn't infringe on anyone's rights. Now if he put a white hood on, and burned a cross outside of someone's home, that'd be a different story. Even then, it's not that he's infringing on people's rights. It's that people think he's going to infringe on people's rights. Add to that the fact that he's served 18 years already.

Yeah so he joined the KKK to socialize? No I don't think so. By joining groups like the KKK you're actively supporting them. There's no argument to be had about that.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

I hate to defend the guy, but if he's served 18 years while doing his job correctly and serving his country, and he's not got a string of beaten black suspects to his name, then he's not allowing his views to colour his work based decisions.

It's like me hating chavs and yet still offering them excellent customer service when I worked in a music store, I wouldnt try to avoid serving them or overcharge them or anything, because I'm there to do a job.

 

[Samurai Goomba]

I hate to defend the guy, but if he's served 18 years while doing his job correctly and serving his country, and he's not got a string of beaten black suspects to his name, then he's not allowing his views to colour his work based decisions.

It's like me hating chavs and yet still offering them excellent customer service when I worked in a music store, I wouldnt try to avoid serving them or overcharge them or anything, because I'm there to do a job.

I was gonna post, but now I don't have to. Pretty much this. It's one thing if the guy was a died-in-the-wool racist, but it sounds like this guy was just briefly (and verbally) lashing out after being left by his wife.

Usually in America, we wait for somebody to commit a crime before punishing them. This guy technically hasn't DONE (you know, actions? That thing that isn't protected by the First Amendment? The thing that lets us know what people are REALLY like, deep down?) anything yet. If he joined a group of thieves but never stole anything, ever, could we still punish him as a thief? Is he a criminal simply by association? I'm genuinely curious.

And I obviously do not support his choice, but I shouldn't even have to say that.