4 ms·
It's neither difficult nor arguable, but it's a bit of a cop-out. Google is, of course, well within their legal rights to fire the employee. The 1A applies onl
by redthrowaway 9y ago
It's neither difficult nor arguable, but it's a bit of a cop-out. Google is, of course, well within their legal rights to fire the employee. The 1A applies only to government restrictions on speech.
But the larger question, of whether it is good that a particular political ideology, adhered to by a small minority of the country, should hold such sway over public discourse that to challenge any of its dogmas is to commit career suicide, remains. This is a trend that is only accelerating, and it's going nowhere good.
- Qworg 9y agoIf he held his opinion purely in the public sphere, I'd agree with you - but he posted it in an internal companywide manner that directly impacts how he'll be able to work with his coworkers. Being divisive at work isn't good for business.
- redthrowaway 9y agoYou're right, that's an important difference. However, it doesn't alter the core point about the chilling effect this particular ideology is having. Could you honestly say that someone expressing an equally divisive statement that was in agreement with progressive dogma would be fired? If someone argued in favour of refraining from hiring straight white men until sufficient diversity had been achieved, do you think Google would have fired them?
- Qworg 9y agoIf they were serious about it (and not in a Jonathan Swift kind of way), perhaps. That said, it is difficult to see how it is equally harmful given how normal straight white men are in society.
- throwaway7430 9y agoBrendan Eich got fired from his CEO position for the offense of privately and silently donating a few thousand dollars to a PAC which was against prop 8. The above sentence is a fact but I am compelled to write it with a throwaway account since even mentioning the idea that this may have been unfair puts my career at risk. That's how bad it's gotten.
- Qworg 9y agoBrendan's situation was very different - he's a public figure and you no longer belong to yourself at that point.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]