I don't know why I find this story interesting, but I do.
The healine reads
Florida man says Home Depot fired him over God button
A guy was working at a Home Depot in Florida as a cashier to earn money for college. He wears an American Flag "One nation under God, indivisible" button on his shirt, about double the size of a half-dollar (it's the size of your average political campaign button).
"I was just doing what I think every American should do, just love my country," is what they guy, Trevor, told the press.
Now, if I were a cashier working beside Trevor, and I wore my "Homosexuality is NOT a sin --- & I LOVE my country!" button, I wonder if Trevor would support that.
Earlier during the month, Trevor began bringing his Bible to work and reading it during lunch break. And the Home Depot management team asked him to remove the button. He refused, and they fired him last Friday (Oct. 23).
"It feels kind of like a punishment, like I was punished for just loving my country," Trevor Keezer said.
My mind drifts to conservative talk radio and Fox News. Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck and Mark Levine LOVE to rant and rail about the removal of "God" and "Merry Christmas" and Nativity (baby Jesus/donkey/wise men/manger) scenes and Crosses not just from public places, but private places too, like the ""Merry Christmas" sign in the Target window being replaced with a "Happy Holidays!" sign.... or renaming the Christmas tree the "Winter Solstice tree". If this Home Depot store were instead a Nancy Pelosi-owned company, Sean Hannity would report on the firng for a week and have the kid on as a guest.
I flick to the "Home Depot / wikipedia" page. Yes, Home Depot is in all 50 states, but also in Canada (all ten prvinces), Mexico, China. It's an international company without specific allegiance to the United States.
The Home Depot management offered Trevor a "United We Stand" button to wear instead, but he declined.
"There are federal and state laws that protect against religious disccrimination," Skorupa - Trevor's lawyer - said. "It's not like he was out in the aisles preaching to people." Trevor Keezer has a 27-year-old brother in the National Guard. "These mottos and sayings that involve God, that's part of our country and historical fabric," Skorupa said. "In God we trust is on our money."
"This associate chose to wear a button that expressed his religious beliefs. The issue is not whether or not we agree with the message on the button," is the Home Depot position. "That's not our place to say, which is exactly why we have a blanket policy, which is long-standing and well-communicated to our associates, that only company-provided pins and badges can be worn on our aprons... Because it's a private business, not one that's owned and operated by the government, it doesn't have to operate under the free speech provisions of the First Amendment."
Fla. man says Home Depot fired him over God button - Yahoo! News
The healine reads
Florida man says Home Depot fired him over God button
A guy was working at a Home Depot in Florida as a cashier to earn money for college. He wears an American Flag "One nation under God, indivisible" button on his shirt, about double the size of a half-dollar (it's the size of your average political campaign button).
"I was just doing what I think every American should do, just love my country," is what they guy, Trevor, told the press.
Now, if I were a cashier working beside Trevor, and I wore my "Homosexuality is NOT a sin --- & I LOVE my country!" button, I wonder if Trevor would support that.
Earlier during the month, Trevor began bringing his Bible to work and reading it during lunch break. And the Home Depot management team asked him to remove the button. He refused, and they fired him last Friday (Oct. 23).
"It feels kind of like a punishment, like I was punished for just loving my country," Trevor Keezer said.
My mind drifts to conservative talk radio and Fox News. Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck and Mark Levine LOVE to rant and rail about the removal of "God" and "Merry Christmas" and Nativity (baby Jesus/donkey/wise men/manger) scenes and Crosses not just from public places, but private places too, like the ""Merry Christmas" sign in the Target window being replaced with a "Happy Holidays!" sign.... or renaming the Christmas tree the "Winter Solstice tree". If this Home Depot store were instead a Nancy Pelosi-owned company, Sean Hannity would report on the firng for a week and have the kid on as a guest.
I flick to the "Home Depot / wikipedia" page. Yes, Home Depot is in all 50 states, but also in Canada (all ten prvinces), Mexico, China. It's an international company without specific allegiance to the United States.
The Home Depot management offered Trevor a "United We Stand" button to wear instead, but he declined.
"There are federal and state laws that protect against religious disccrimination," Skorupa - Trevor's lawyer - said. "It's not like he was out in the aisles preaching to people." Trevor Keezer has a 27-year-old brother in the National Guard. "These mottos and sayings that involve God, that's part of our country and historical fabric," Skorupa said. "In God we trust is on our money."
"This associate chose to wear a button that expressed his religious beliefs. The issue is not whether or not we agree with the message on the button," is the Home Depot position. "That's not our place to say, which is exactly why we have a blanket policy, which is long-standing and well-communicated to our associates, that only company-provided pins and badges can be worn on our aprons... Because it's a private business, not one that's owned and operated by the government, it doesn't have to operate under the free speech provisions of the First Amendment."
Fla. man says Home Depot fired him over God button - Yahoo! News