A man entered the local Taco Bell in the early afternoon Monday and threatened the cashier with a gun. The suspect forced the employee on the floor after demanding money from the register.
The man then walked around the store and entered the manager’s office, asking the manager politely for an application.
According to Lt. John Hickey of the Haverstraw Police Department, the manager simply said “No,” and asked the robber to leave. The robber did not threaten the manager, who had no idea his cashier was lying on the floor behind the counter.
The suspect, whom the cashier and manager were unable to describe with much detail, apparently left Taco Bell empty handed. Hickey reported that no cash or applications were reported missing.
How far south has our economy and our nation in general gone that people need guns in order to obtain applications to places such as Taco Bell? But perhaps more importantly, how dumb have we Americans gotten that we try to coerce applications for a job in the midst of an armed robbery? Is the manager supposed to hire you because you're a real go-getter?!? Intelligence and hard work are rapidly being replaced by dumb luck, selfishness, and stupidity. No longer do you need to get an education and put in years of loyal service to make big bucks. All you have to do is be stupid and be willing to take advantage of someone else. Hurt yourself because you were texting and not paying attention to the world around you? Sue the phone company. Did you injure yourself doing something illegal? File a civil suit because the city didn't make everything idiot-proof. In other words, blame all of your misfortunes on someone else, and try to extort money, jobs, etc. in the process. Unfortunately that's the world we live in today, and somehow our government and judicial system have fostered the growth of this practice. To top things off, a man got fired from Home Depot this week for wearing a button that read "One Nation Under God." What happened to this country?!?!?!?!
First of all, criminals haven't gotten dumber, we've just started hearing about it, because the stories make great amusing copy. I don't know how many stories I've heard recently about bank robbers using parol notices for bank notes announcing the robbery!
I've got news for you, most people that rob places of business are rather losers in the first place. Not the brightest bulb in the chandelier? Not the sharpest tack in the board? I could go on, but you get the message.
As for your top off at the end, the man had violated a policy Home Depot has against issue-specific buttons being worn in the workplace, to avoid insulting customers or inciting arguments between customers and employees, and to avoid customers thinking that if an employee is wearing a button, that Home Depot must support that issue or organization. He said he was supporting his country, and when offered a button that indicated support for the US without political or religious leanings, he refused.
So they fired him. Simple, not particularly anti-religious. He can freely wear his button on his own time.
Since when did it become someone's right to push their religious beliefs on the rest of us, while doing everything they can to make it seem as if the government and their employer also supports their side?
The debating tactic of implying that popular belief or support of an issue is proof of its truth is a logical fallacy, and is one of the last refuges of the debater that has run out of logical arguments. It is one of the staples of the fundamentalist christian fight to expand their hold on this society.
We don't need a theocracy in America. Keep your religion OUT of the government where it belongs!
I realize that this story, and criminals in general, represent a very small sample size of Americans, and thus their behavior should not be used as an example for the rest of us. This is just another in a long line of news stories that simply baffle me. Common sense is rarer than a bloody steak these days.
My problems with Home Depot, and this country in general, run far deeper than a button. I pose the following questions:
1) If the religion in question were something other than Christianity, would he have been instructed to remove it? Doubtful.
2) How does a man wearing a button offend customers? There's a difference between supporting your own beliefs and disrespecting the beliefs of others. If I see a button that says "Praise Allah" I am not offended. If I see a button that makes derogatory remarks about Jesus, then I am offended. Big difference. (For what it's worth, I would be offended by a button making derogatory remarks about other religion's supreme beings, too.)
3) Why can't people say Merry Christmas? It's a national holiday. It is said with good intentions, not malice. Where's the crime?
4) Wasn't this country founded on Christian values? as one nation UNDER GOD? We respect the constitution so much, why don't we respect our nation's other core values? I don't support persecution of other religions, but can't we support ours?
I will say more later, but I need to run.
P.S. I have a feeling rwahrens is a big supporter of the ACLU.
First things first. Welcome to the center, Schroe6. We always need new ideas and positions so are happy to see you here. Please continue to come and argue, even if some of disagree vehemently with you.
Second: Many businesses do not allow for religious proselytising (how does that word get spelled?) on the job. This would effect all religions, not just Christianity. It would include wearing pins such as this for most businesses that have such a policy. Most will allow small, unobtrusive religious jewelry that is not blatently displayed. As to how it is offensive, most are not offended. However, out country has always made it a cardinal principle to protect rights of minorities. We have failed miserably on occasion but have often succeeded and need to continue doing so.
I am uncertain why you can't say "Merry Christmas". I am no longer a member of any religion yet feel quite comfortable receiving such wishes and extending them to others. The holiday has become quite a non religious affair and, other than in churches and a few other sites, bears little resemblance to the concept of the birth of the founder of a major religion.
As to your point 4, our nation was founded on principles of equality under the law, freedom of (and from) religion, and a number of other such principles. Unfortunately, many of the religious values that have evolved over the centuries have, in my opinion, been counter to the very principles that we hold most dear. Such concepts of women being subjugated, racial inequality, humans as property, "eye for an eye", second class (or worse) status for those of the wrong religion, and a host of similar concepts came from religions and religious leaders.
PS, I find that most of the ideas of ACLU are far closer to the concepts I read in the Constitution and essays such as the Federalist Papers than any of our existing political parties. I guess that I too am a supporter although I have yet to give them any money.
Location can play a very important factor as well. Although workplace laws for major corporations tend to be universal, some regions tend to be less tolerant of others when it comes to such things as religious expression.
As for the Merry Christmas thing, political correctness can be a pain, but it tends to be done with good intentions. Obviously if you know someone of a particular religion then you will give them the appropriate seasonal greeting, but when you try to market to everyone in the United States it can be a bit trickier. Saying "Happy Holidays" tends to work, and as far as I'm concerned works pretty well as a blanket statement.
It's great that we live in such a diverse nation, but sometimes diversity can be a double-edged sword when conflicting values meet strong-willed people.
Schroe6, a little incindiary, but at least you're saying something.
In terms I think you'd appreciate, I have to say that Home Depot firing that guy is just about as American as it gets. HD isn't a government entity, and as long as they don't base their hiring/firing on race, age, gender, etc etc, they can do whatever the hell they want. I think if you owned your own business, and one of your employees wore a button you weren't fond of, you'd be pissed if Uncle Sam told you you couldn't fire that person.
In the mall the other day, I saw a girl wearing a shirt that said "I DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD." Now, if the desk clerk at Schroe6's Kiddie Care refused to come into work wearing anything but that shirt, wouldn't you want to toss that girl?
One of the truly great things about this country is that we can all have our own opinion and are free to express it (it a non-violent way, obviously). I am glad you all have taken the time to express yours. As a web site aimed "to the center", I'm sure most of my comments will be met with disagreement, and that is OK with me. Having said that, I offer a few thoughts.
1) The ACLU was in no doubt founded with good intentions and has good principles. Seeing as what Americans have done to minorities in the past, it is important that we recognize the need to ensure their rights. However, the tactics employed by the Anti Christian Liberalist Union are often misguided. They seek out landmark cases in attempts to get their name in the headlines. These cases often have a negative affect on thousands of people just so that the ACLU can "protect" a small handful of people who probably had no problem in the first place. A student in Texas wants to pray before a football game? That harms no one (in fact doing quite the opposite to most), yet the ACLU would make it sound like that student launched a series of nuclear missles at Washington, D.C. Was there a Muslim student in the crowd forced to listen to a prayer? How did he ever survive?!? Truth be told he was probably ignoring the prayer being said and doing something else related to his religion or perhaps just checking his text messages. Yet because of this one or two individuals, the whole student body lost out on a meaningful tradition. Hurt the many to save a few? I had forgotten that was our nation's motto. Now if students at the school are insulting the Muslim students somehow and making them feel uncomfortable, then someone needs to step in and do something. But allowing a predominantly Christian community to do something Christian is in no way wrong. The United States was founded as "One Nation Under God", and people who come here know that. While we certainly offer freedom of religion, we don't need to hide ours in the corner so that immigrants, visitors, etc. don't have to see it. If you come to a Christian country, you have to accept the fact that you might encounter Christians!! What a novel idea!
2) I understand that businesses have certain policies in place that try to eliminate the risk of any sort of backlash from consumers. We all know that money is all that matters, so I won't even try to argue any other stance. Your business, your rules. Fair enough.
3) It was claimed by ethwc, among many others, that religion helps foster certain evils such as racial and gender inequality. I have to agree that religious leaders have throughout history committed some heinous acts against human kind. But the type of people who hold these positions (and are corrupted by the power they have) comprise a minuscule percentage of religious people. The good-hearted religious people that make up the majority of Americans don't support these ideas. If you read the Bible (or surely any other religious doctrine) you will find that LOVE is stressed more than anything. LOVE for yourself, LOVE for your friends, even LOVE for your enemies. These are ideas that should (and I believe were at one point) at the core of this nation's principles. If we could just accept these values, then everyone would benefit.
Have you ever seen a button that says Praise Allah?
Didn't the founding fathers work really hard to keep Christ out of the Constitution?
I don't think anybody was offended by the man's button. Home Depot just has a policy it needs to follow.
Do criminals really represent a very small sample size of Americans? Almost everybody I know is a criminal - speeding, stealing office supplies, etc. I'm sure you've done something illegal recently. Something, shall we say, "statutory"?
Also, why aren't we focused on the real tragedy here - that somebody would rob Taco Bell! How can that place even have any money in the register - charging only 79, 89, 99 cents for 12 delicious menu items - you'd be much better off knocking off Arby's - everybody that walks through the door drops 8 bucks.
Ayn Rand once commented that one way in which to subjugate a population is to ensure that they all feel guilt by making certain that all have broken laws. Our country has now managed to make sufficient number of activities illegal that we are having difficulty building enough incarceration centers for all of them. I think that they missed out on the part where she said one subjugates by engendering guilt. Incarceration is not the goal, guilt and therefore, diffidence is the goal.
I do agree with you that Taco Bells do not seem like a good site to get rich through robbery (or employment for that matter). Personally, I generally prefer a nice crispy apple at home, but that is just me.
