FlameBait; or, my opinion again.
Lessee, how to categorize this rant.
Personal conduct when it reflects on others due to being a visible minority?
Not quite, most of us don't wear signs saying "I'm a Witch! I'm a Pagan" or whatever their preferred term of address is. Though some of us are certainly out of the broom closet and not shy about it.
Where I used to work, a place where my religious "rights" were "protected by law" since we had over x number of employees and government contracts, I let it be known I was Pagan/Witch. (Not Wiccan, that's for another post, but whatever.) Didn't have much hassle about it, and the one person who did have a problem with it quit rather than have to learn her new job from me. She asked; I didn't volunteer it.
There were two other open Pagans there -- say, A and B, since I'm going by Z these days.
A -- quiet about her beliefs, but would open up if you asked -- ended up getting fired for falsifying company documents.
(The person who told her to got a verbal reprimand.)
On a personal, outside-the-workplace level, this was not a very responsible person fiscally. Perpetually $20 short of what was needed to get to the next paycheck. Every week, borrowed from someone and paid them back on payday. Next week...you get the idea.
And yes, old enough to know better.
And yes, I get into a pinch myself on occasion -- but dangit, I try to not stay that way!
B was a very different story.
Wiccan minister, loud about it, husband who "couldn't work" because of "heart problems" one time she told me about it and "PTSD" another and "asthma" a third -- no, I hadn't asked, she seemed to think she had to defend him to any and all -- he could smoke, guzzle beer, etc, but couldn't watch their child.
(Uhm, btw, the way I was taught it? According to blood type, that was NOT his kid. But technologies advance, maybe there's an innocent explanation for it by now. And if he knew that and was OK with it, then that's fine. But, like, informed consent, y'know?)
And they were using two different food pantries to feed the child and themselves. B was consistently 5 minutes late to work. Day shift, Evening shift, didn't matter. I was picking her up for awhile when her vehicle was down. That two weeks she was on time 'cause I'd have left her tail. BUT there was always beer, smokes, and tokes available for Mr. B.
And every week, B herself would be at The Bar for "Ladies' Night" with the male strippers. Again, that's ok -- but cover charge, drinks, and tips for the dancers add up.
Now, Mr. B has had a vasectomy. And B wants another kid. AND THEY'RE GONNA FEED THIS KID HOW??? Well, while they are inviting various men into their home and her bed (again, their business, if they're cool with it that's fine), they're feeding these fellers from the food they go to the pantries to get b/c they can't afford to buy it. So that's likely how they'll get things like, oh, diapers, formula, food when the baby is weaned....
And yeah, none of this was from private conversations. This was all talking in a group at the lunch table or public venues with several people present, so no expectation of privacy. Literally BRAGGING about how they have such connections that they can use these pantries so they don't have to buy food so they can get beer and smokes. (And yes, that's another whole post about my history with that. Maybe sometime, 'k?)
And that seems unethical to me. Oh, hell, just plain wrong.
If you're gonna be relying on the kindness of strangers to feed your as-yet-unconceived kids, then maybe you shouldn't be having them.
If you can get to work 4 or 5 minutes late three days a week, then leave the house 6 minutes earlier. Set a freaking alarm clock. Something.
And while I'll gladly admit marijuana has medical uses, I haven't heard of any for Marlboros and Budweiser. Someone care to enlighten me on that? With references, please, culled from reputable journals like JAMA.
So, 3 pagans at a workplace...one is fired for cause, another is on the verge of being fired for (lack of) attendance when she quits, one keeps getting in trouble for her mouth (that's me!) but maintains a good attendance record for near 20 years and her work is respected.
66.6% (Hee!) not-so-hot employee rating. So don't whine to me about "discrimination" if you're wearing a huge honking pent when you go in for a job interview and don't get hired. Chances are they simply had a bad experience like those related above and don't wish to repeat it.
ETA: I suppose what I'm trying to get across is this -- If you're gonna take a job, DO the job. If you're gonna have children, take care of them -- don't expect the world to do it for you. And that's anybody.
Personal conduct when it reflects on others due to being a visible minority?
Not quite, most of us don't wear signs saying "I'm a Witch! I'm a Pagan" or whatever their preferred term of address is. Though some of us are certainly out of the broom closet and not shy about it.
Where I used to work, a place where my religious "rights" were "protected by law" since we had over x number of employees and government contracts, I let it be known I was Pagan/Witch. (Not Wiccan, that's for another post, but whatever.) Didn't have much hassle about it, and the one person who did have a problem with it quit rather than have to learn her new job from me. She asked; I didn't volunteer it.
There were two other open Pagans there -- say, A and B, since I'm going by Z these days.
A -- quiet about her beliefs, but would open up if you asked -- ended up getting fired for falsifying company documents.
(The person who told her to got a verbal reprimand.)
On a personal, outside-the-workplace level, this was not a very responsible person fiscally. Perpetually $20 short of what was needed to get to the next paycheck. Every week, borrowed from someone and paid them back on payday. Next week...you get the idea.
And yes, old enough to know better.
And yes, I get into a pinch myself on occasion -- but dangit, I try to not stay that way!
B was a very different story.
Wiccan minister, loud about it, husband who "couldn't work" because of "heart problems" one time she told me about it and "PTSD" another and "asthma" a third -- no, I hadn't asked, she seemed to think she had to defend him to any and all -- he could smoke, guzzle beer, etc, but couldn't watch their child.
(Uhm, btw, the way I was taught it? According to blood type, that was NOT his kid. But technologies advance, maybe there's an innocent explanation for it by now. And if he knew that and was OK with it, then that's fine. But, like, informed consent, y'know?)
And they were using two different food pantries to feed the child and themselves. B was consistently 5 minutes late to work. Day shift, Evening shift, didn't matter. I was picking her up for awhile when her vehicle was down. That two weeks she was on time 'cause I'd have left her tail. BUT there was always beer, smokes, and tokes available for Mr. B.
And every week, B herself would be at The Bar for "Ladies' Night" with the male strippers. Again, that's ok -- but cover charge, drinks, and tips for the dancers add up.
Now, Mr. B has had a vasectomy. And B wants another kid. AND THEY'RE GONNA FEED THIS KID HOW??? Well, while they are inviting various men into their home and her bed (again, their business, if they're cool with it that's fine), they're feeding these fellers from the food they go to the pantries to get b/c they can't afford to buy it. So that's likely how they'll get things like, oh, diapers, formula, food when the baby is weaned....
And yeah, none of this was from private conversations. This was all talking in a group at the lunch table or public venues with several people present, so no expectation of privacy. Literally BRAGGING about how they have such connections that they can use these pantries so they don't have to buy food so they can get beer and smokes. (And yes, that's another whole post about my history with that. Maybe sometime, 'k?)
And that seems unethical to me. Oh, hell, just plain wrong.
If you're gonna be relying on the kindness of strangers to feed your as-yet-unconceived kids, then maybe you shouldn't be having them.
If you can get to work 4 or 5 minutes late three days a week, then leave the house 6 minutes earlier. Set a freaking alarm clock. Something.
And while I'll gladly admit marijuana has medical uses, I haven't heard of any for Marlboros and Budweiser. Someone care to enlighten me on that? With references, please, culled from reputable journals like JAMA.
So, 3 pagans at a workplace...one is fired for cause, another is on the verge of being fired for (lack of) attendance when she quits, one keeps getting in trouble for her mouth (that's me!) but maintains a good attendance record for near 20 years and her work is respected.
66.6% (Hee!) not-so-hot employee rating. So don't whine to me about "discrimination" if you're wearing a huge honking pent when you go in for a job interview and don't get hired. Chances are they simply had a bad experience like those related above and don't wish to repeat it.
ETA: I suppose what I'm trying to get across is this -- If you're gonna take a job, DO the job. If you're gonna have children, take care of them -- don't expect the world to do it for you. And that's anybody.