Mall Scapegoating on worker for Peace T-Shirt incendent. - d

[RedCeltic]

By now, I’m sure most of you have heard of the incedent here in Albany, New York where a man was kicked out of a mall for wearing a t-shirt with a peace message. A security guard, attempting to do mearly what he was being paid to do, (enforcing mall policy) asked a man and his son to leave, or remove their t-shirts that had anti-war slogans on them. The father refused and was arrested and charged with trespassing.
While the mall policy that this security guard was enforcing was absurd, what is even more absurd is the fact that in their lame attempt to save face and shift the blame, the mall fired the security guard for “mishandling the situation.” While the mall has made no attempt to change their ridiculous policy, nor accept any blame for wrongdoing.
This is an outright attack on the working class by the corporations. Somehow they seem to think that if the public is not stupid enough to blindly follow the idiotic rules they set up for us, than perhaps we are stupid enough to allow them to shift the blame onto a fellow worker, rather than accepting it themselves.
This age old tactic of divide and conquer has proven a useful weapon against the working class time and time again as the separate us by party affilation, union membership, race, religion, nationality, trade, etc… We should not buy into their lies and sit back while they blame a fellow worker. we know who truly responsible.

[Old Friend]

This age old tactic of divide and conquer has proven a useful weapon against the working class time and time again as the separate us by party affilation, union membership, race, religion, nationality, trade

LMFAO!

[4d thought]

What does 'LMFAO!' mean

[RedCeltic]

it means he's too stupid to do anything else but heckle.

[Old Friend]

it means he's too stupid to do anything else but heckle.

You know better than that.

[RedCeltic]

:cheesy:

[synthesis]

laughing my fucking ass off



I don't believe that mall security guards are part of the working class at all. Policemen and security guards are no better than soldiers in that in "doing their job" they are expressly serving the bourgeoisie without questioning their orders.

This man did not question his orders, so to speak. John Locke - whose ideas founded the American Revolution - tells us that questioning our government is our moral imperative and our god-given right.

The security guard is, in effect, anti-American.

[Valkyrie]

My question would be - is wearing a "Give Peace a Chance" t-shirt really against mall policy.. Is that slogan specifically listed in the mall's employee policy handbook/job description? because it's surely not offensive. OR is the security guard just expressing his pro-war views and exerting his small amount of power at the same time?

Has the security officer made any comments thus far or implicitely said he was doing it because of 'mall policy?'

[Old Friend]

OR is the security guard just expressing his pro-war views and exerting his small amount of power at the same time?

Bingo! That is why he was fired, and also why Red Celtic's statement was so funny to me.

[CruelVerdad]

They keep trying that the whole world think that all americans want war against Iraq...
And to the few that appose... they kick you out of a mall while you`re just walking around with your son, that maybe doesn´t even understand what is going on.

[RedCeltic]

Quote: from Paris on 2:25 pm on Mar. 12, 2003
My question would be - is wearing a "Give Peace a Chance" t-shirt really against mall policy.. Is that slogan specifically listed in the mall's employee policy handbook/job description? because it's surely not offensive. OR is the security guard just expressing his pro-war views and exerting his small amount of power at the same time?

Has the security officer made any comments thus far or implicitely said he was doing it because of 'mall policy?'


While this was the frist time anyone was arrested, it is not the first time that this policy has been enforced at Crossgates Mall. Albany is a very political city, being that it is the capital of New York State.

In short, he is not the first person to ask someone to remove a T-Shirt with a political statement or leave the mall... he is just the first to loose his job over it.

It is interesting to note that many are fighting the mall, not only because of it's policy, but also for the guard's job...

.... Including the man who he had arrested... and the local branch of the IWW ( which is where I learned of this firing)

I find it quite sad that you are willing to buy the corperate propaganda and believe the guard would let personal beliefs affect his job performance.

[Valkyrie]

Put it this way... 95% of the world are workers or thereabouts... Some of these workers are your bible-thumping Christian right-wing republican pro-war redneck anti-abortion, anti-communist pricks. They are not for our cause and I'm sure that security guard is not either. He may have lost his job.. But on the other hand, he snuffed out someone's first amendment right and was so adament about it, he called the cops to make sure it was enforced. The other guy had to get handcuffed, fingerprinted, mug-shotted and arraigned in court because of it -- because of a Give Peace a Chance t-shirt!!!!!!! Had the security guard been a little bit more tolerant he would have let the guy slip by instead of causing such a fiasco. It's not like the guy was trumpeting the slogan through a bullhorn and disturbing people.. if someone finds that shirt offensive, then they should avert their eyes.



(Edited by Paris at 9:03 pm on Mar. 14, 2003)