Whistle Blowing Witch Grounded by TSA

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wsuffa

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Bill S.
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Here's a situation for all you aspiring managers: If you were the boss at a U.S. government agency and one of your employees complained that she was afraid of a co-worker's religious practices, what would you do?

Would it change your decision if the religion were Wicca, and the employee feared her co-worker because she thought she might cast a spell on her?

Here's how the Transportation Security Administration handled it:

It fired the witch.
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That's exactly what I would do. She was a threat to the Christian basis of our entire government.


BTW - Why not SZ?? This story is just begging for divisive sectarian arguments.
 
So either Congress made a law respecting an establishment of religion, by giving the TSA the authority to control what religions its employees may practice, or the TSA is acting outside of the authority granted to it by Congress.

From reading the story, it sounds like management should have disciplined her coworkers for harrassing her over her religion.
 
Palmpilot said:
So either Congress made a law respecting an establishment of religion, by giving the TSA the authority to control what religions its employees may practice, or the TSA is acting outside of the authority granted to it by Congress.
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One of the guys looking to run for POTUS in 2012 has made it a platform of his campaign to not have any Mulsims in his administration if he is elected. Bigotry, SIGH!

Palmpilot said:
From reading the story, it sounds like management should have disciplined her coworkers for harrassing her over her religion.
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It also sounds like there were some performance problems. What we do not know is how those problems were when compared to other average workers. It does seem like a lot of piling on came when she was outed as practicing Wicca.

The question I really want to know though is if she weighs the same as or less than a duck!
 
ScottM said:
One of the guys looking to run for POTUS in 2012 has made it a platform of his campaign to not have any Mulsims in his administration if he is elected. Bigotry, SIGH!
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No spit? I missed that. Who was it so I can make sure I don't f up and pull his lever?
 
ScottM said:
One of the guys looking to run for POTUS in 2012 has made it a platform of his campaign to not have any Mulsims in his administration if he is elected. Bigotry, SIGH!
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If they said Christians instead of Muslims would it be as much of an outrage? I have no issue with someone saying they wouldn't have someone in their cabinet because of the CHOICES they make in life. Now, someone saying, I won't have a black person, or a woman, or an Asian, that would be an issue. If I was running I wouldn't have any Baptists in my cabinet, because dammit, this country needs to be able to dance!!
 
EdFred said:
If they said Christians instead of Muslims would it be as much of an outrage? I have no issue with someone saying they wouldn't have someone in their cabinet because of the CHOICES they make in life. Now, someone saying, I won't have a black person, or a woman, or an Asian, that would be an issue. If I was running I wouldn't have any Baptists in my cabinet, because dammit, this country needs to be able to dance!!
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If I was president, I would make sure everyone working for me was a pilot.

Ok, PoA, get my 2012 presidential campaign going.
 
EdFred said:
If they said Christians instead of Muslims would it be as much of an outrage? I have no issue with someone saying they wouldn't have someone in their cabinet because of the CHOICES they make in life. Now, someone saying, I won't have a black person, or a woman, or an Asian, that would be an issue. If I was running I wouldn't have any Baptists in my cabinet, because dammit, this country needs to be able to dance!!
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Screw dancing, but Lord knows, I want to be able to drink!!!!!

b-2+bomber.jpg
 
EdFred said:
If they said Christians instead of Muslims would it be as much of an outrage? I have no issue with someone saying they wouldn't have someone in their cabinet because of the CHOICES they make in life. Now, someone saying, I won't have a black person, or a woman, or an Asian, that would be an issue. If I was running I wouldn't have any Baptists in my cabinet, because dammit, this country needs to be able to dance!!
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Footloose is like your favorite movie isn't?
 
I don't see how controlling which religions federal employees may practice would be anything other than an establishment of religion.

If Congress authorized the TSA to say, "You have to be Muslim to get this job," would that be consistent with the establishment clause? What would be the difference between that and establishing the Muslim religion as one that has a preferred status in the Federal Government?
 
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EdFred said:
If they said Christians instead of Muslims would it be as much of an outrage?
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Speaking for myself, I would consider prohibiting either from serving in a presidential administration to be outrageous.
 
Palmpilot said:
So either Congress made a law respecting an establishment of religion, by giving the TSA the authority to control what religions its employees may practice, or the TSA is acting outside of the authority granted to it by Congress.

.
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Or like most organizations management's ranks are filled with slobbering morons as well as the effective and talented.

And stories continue to involve two sides and the actual truth lying between.
 
ScottM said:
One of the guys looking to run for POTUS in 2012 has made it a platform of his campaign to not have any Mulsims in his administration if he is elected. Bigotry, SIGH!
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That's not anything - one of the guys elected President in 2008 has apparently made it a policy not to hire anyone in his administration who has any core competency or experience in the area of their responsibilities! :wink2: :hairraise:

ScottM said:
It also sounds like there were some performance problems. What we do not know is how those problems were when compared to other average workers. It does seem like a lot of piling on came when she was outed as practicing Wicca.
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My experience (as a lawyer) is that you never hear about the late arrivals, 45 minute smoke breaks or endless personal phone calls when there's a controversial aspect, no matter how remote it might be. Whaddya bet this mutt's two hairs shy of useless at the job, anyway?

ScottM said:
The question I really want to know though is if she weighs the same as or less than a duck!
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Ever the insightful one, focusing with laser-like precision on the key issues! :thumbsup:
 
SCCutler said:
That's not anything - one of the guys elected President in 2008 has apparently made it a policy not to hire anyone in his administration who has any core competency or experience in the area of their responsibilities! :wink2: :hairraise:
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:rofl:

My experience (as a lawyer) is that you never hear about the late arrivals, 45 minute smoke breaks or endless personal phone calls when there's a controversial aspect, no matter how remote it might be. Whaddya bet this mutt's two hairs shy of useless at the job, anyway?
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My experience as growing up in New York City is very similar. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if this is true. Not saying it is, just wouldn't surprise me.
 
Having been in government service I have seen both extraordinarily competent and incompetent. I did not see anyone who did not strive their best to do the job they were given. I did see some jobs that were quite a bit more logical than others. The government has a bad habit of tripping over itself with its rules.
 
flyersfan31 said:
That's exactly what I would do. She was a threat to the Christian basis of our entire government.


BTW - Why not SZ?? This story is just begging for divisive sectarian arguments.
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Umm.. where in the constitution does it state we are a christian based government... just point out the chapter and verse please.

To take this notion a step further, The Treaty of Tripoli, (Unanimously) ratified by the US Senate in 1797 states in the FIRST SENTENCE "As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion;"

How does that governmental statement dovetail with your assertion?
 
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RyanShort1 said:
No. Just differ on the interpretation of the clause regarding "establishment of religion." That's all.

Ryan
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I am not seeing how that would apply at all in the case of TSA hiring someone who is practicing Wicca or any other religion. Seems to me if there is a test of which religion, if any, that one has to demonstrate to get a government job that there has been an establishment of a federally approved religion.
 
So.. if you fire a Wiccan because they threaten to hex you or place a spell on you, can you fire a Christian who threatens to pray for you (when uttered in a disagreement)??
 
SCCutler said:
My experience (as a lawyer) is that you never hear about the late arrivals, 45 minute smoke breaks or endless personal phone calls when there's a controversial aspect, no matter how remote it might be. Whaddya bet this mutt's two hairs shy of useless at the job, anyway?
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Ted DuPuis said:
:rofl:

My experience as growing up in New York City is very similar. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if this is true. Not saying it is, just wouldn't surprise me.
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Might want to read the full article. She got her personal file through FOI and it shows that she got written up for bing 8 minutes late to a shift and forgetting her name tag AFTER this started. Not before. It sounds like a witch hunt.
 
She caught a woman on her way to Vietnam with $30,000 in cash
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Probably taking money home to her family or village. Most people take money there in person to be sure it gets where it is going. Many people with poor English skills don't realize they must declare the money they are taking when it is over $10k. It is unlikely that this was money laundering. Still the government will treat it as such, take the money and let the newly minted victim go on their way, sometimes they prosecute them, but mostly the government seems to just want to get the money.
 
ScottM said:
BTW she turned me into a newt!
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Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives!? That's just waffle!

(Though, to be honest, it looks to me like she turned you into a ketchup bottle.)
 
I'd want a lot of pilots too, but would like to have some non-pilots as well, just so we'd have at least a few three-digit IQ's on the staff.

Ted DuPuis said:
If I was president, I would make sure everyone working for me was a pilot.

Ok, PoA, get my 2012 presidential campaign going.
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Arnold said:
Probably taking money home to her family or village. Most people take money there in person to be sure it gets where it is going. Many people with poor English skills don't realize they must declare the money they are taking when it is over $10k. It is unlikely that this was money laundering. Still the government will treat it as such, take the money and let the newly minted victim go on their way, sometimes they prosecute them, but mostly the government seems to just want to get the money.
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At the TSA checkpoint, there is no requirement to declare. In fact, at some airports the place where you make the declaration is PAST the checkpoint.

The TSA had no business whatsoever asking her about how much cash she was carrying, nor stopping her. None.
 
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