MOULTON — Lynne Gobbell never imagined the cost of a John Kerry-John Edwards bumper sticker could run so high. Posted on 09/12/2004 4:54:10 PM PDT by GeorgiaFreeper
MOULTON — Lynne Gobbell never imagined the cost of a John Kerry-John Edwards bumper sticker could run so high.
DAILY Photo by Clyde Stancil Lynne Gobbell said her boss fired her last week because of the Kerry-Edwards campaign sticker on the back of her car. Gobbell of Moulton didn't pay a cent for the sticker that she proudly displays on the rear windshield of her Chevrolet Lumina, but said it cost her job at a local factory after it angered her boss, Phil Gaddis.
Gaddis, a Decatur bankruptcy attorney, owns Enviromate, a cellulose insulation company in Moulton.
Gaddis did not return phone calls from THE DAILY about the alleged Thursday firing.
Gobbell said she consulted a lawyer, but then changed her mind about going to see him. She said she has cried about the incident and must do without income for three weeks while the state unemployment commission decides if she is eligible for compensation.
(Excerpt) Read more at decaturdaily.com ...
"Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article."
See 18USC245xx and 241...
Couldn't respond immediately. Just crawled in, from the usual FR Secret Police beating.
That's good enough. Intimidation: to make fearful. To compel by, or as if by, threats.
Fine. It does matter however, when the reason is given and that reason amounts to political intimidation and denying a 1st Amend right.
I would have fired her for not wearing a bra.
"... (3) Intimidate. - The term ''intimidate'' means to place a person in reasonable apprehension of bodily harm to him- or herself or to another. "
From the story:
""We were going back to work from break, and my manager told me that Phil said to remove the sticker off my car or I was fired," she said. "I told him that Phil couldn't tell me who to vote for. He said, 'Go tell him.' "
She went to Gaddis' office, knocked on the door and entered on his orders.
"Phil and another man who works there were there," she said. "I asked him if he said to remove the sticker and he said, 'Yes, I did.' I told him he couldn't tell me who to vote for. When I told him that, he told me, 'I own this place.' I told him he still couldn't tell me who to vote for."
Gobbell said Gaddis told her to "get out of here."
"I asked him if I was fired and he told me he was thinking about it," she said. "I said, 'Well, am I fired?' He hollered and said, 'Get out of here and shut the door.' "
She said her manager was standing in another room and she asked him if that meant for her to go back to work or go home. The manager told her to go back to work, but he came back a few minutes later and said, " 'I reckon you're fired. You could either work for him or John Kerry,' " Gobbell said."
That's a clear conspiracy to violate her rights under the Constitution. They should be hit with both 18USC245 and 241.
lol
c#165
ie. sec 248. That application is exclusive.
Gobbell provided a copy of the flier. It says:
"Just so you will know, because of the Bush tax (cut):
# I was able to buy the new Hammer Mill
# I was able to finance our receivables
# I was able to get the new CAT skid steer
# I was able to get the wire cutter
# I was able to give you a job"
It further says:
"You got the benefit of the Bush tax cut. Everyone did."
The story is BS. Ignore it.
If having a bumper sticker (inside a car) on the employer's property is a valid reason to fire someone, then carrying a gun (inside a car) can also be used to fire someone.
I fully support the right of an employer to hire or fire whoever they want, whenever they want for whatever reason.
I already saw it and replied to it. Somehow you failed to note that this was political intimidation and failed to comprehend how signifcant a part it played in past and maybe present elections. Even if the story isn't true and the woman made this up, as the case very well may be, the story alone has politcal impact. The impact is made far worse when Rs and Bush supporters condone this kind of activity.
You are out of your league on this issue. Companies aren't banned from restricting the speech of employees, but governments are. Companies aren't "blackmailing" employees by cutting off future paychecks, either (i.e. firing them).
Your employer gets to tell *you* what you can say and advertise in her workplace. Those policies need not be fair.
Moreover, it is *legal* to discriminate based upon political affiliation. If you only want to hire Democrats, that's your prerogative.
The AWB Has Expired - Gun Owners Have Won Again!
As long as it's upfront and not after the fact of employmnet. This case amounts to political intimidation as outlined.
No, political intimidation would be ordering people to *vote* for someone, or threatening someone if they voted a certain way, etc.
That sort of threat is entirely different from simply banning political advertisements by/from your employees with which you disagree.
Voting is sacred, and not performed at your work site.
On the other hand, your speech at a work site is *not* sacred. Displease your employer with words, signs, or on-the-job actions and you can lose future paychecks.
The AWB Has Expired - Gun Owners Have Won Again!
The relevant part of USC18245 Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law,..., or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with- (1) any person because he is or has been, or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from -
1(A) voting... in any primary, special, or general election;
(5) any citizen because he is or has been, or in order to intimidate such citizen...from lawfully aiding or encouraging other persons to participate, without discrimination on account of race, color, religion or national origin, in any of the benefits or activities described in subparagraphs (1)(A) through (1)(E) or subparagraphs (2)(A) through (2)(F), or participating lawfully in speechor peaceful assembly opposing any denial of the opportunity to so participate - shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both
18USC241 COnspiracy against rights.
If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or...
They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; ...
The complaint from the story:
"We were going back to work from break, and my manager told me that Phil said to remove the sticker off my car or I was fired," she said. "I told him that Phil couldn't tell me who to vote for. He said, 'Go tell him.' "
She went to Gaddis' office, knocked on the door and entered on his orders.
"Phil and another man who works there were there," she said. "I asked him if he said to remove the sticker and he said, 'Yes, I did.' I told him he couldn't tell me who to vote for. When I told him that, he told me, 'I own this place.' I told him he still couldn't tell me who to vote for."
Gobbell said Gaddis told her to "get out of here."
"I asked him if I was fired and he told me he was thinking about it," she said. "I said, 'Well, am I fired?' He hollered and said, 'Get out of here and shut the door.' "
She said her manager was standing in another room and she asked him if that meant for her to go back to work or go home. The manager told her to go back to work, but he came back a few minutes later and said, " 'I reckon you're fired. You could either work for him or John Kerry,' " Gobbell said."
See you in court.
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