4 ms·

I'm sorry, I don't understand. What's the problem with what OP's co-worker said. She didn't think the protests were effective or useful. Surely she's entitled t

I'm sorry, I don't understand. What's the problem with what OP's co-worker said. She didn't think the protests were effective or useful. Surely she's entitled to feel that way? Edit: the gist of your post seems to be that expressing political opinions at work is only acceptable if you agree with them. That's obviously nonsense. Either everybody can do politics at work, and you have to accept that some people will disagree with you, or nobody can do politics at work.

dmamills 7y ago
I imagine from his position it's very disheartening to see his coworkers have a strong opinion about the protests, and the horrible injustice that is an unexpected traffic jam. But have nothing to say about the wrongful death of a human being. A human being who was murdered and the murderers saw now consequences.
- manfredo 7y ago
  Right, and I'm sure there are plenty of anti-abortion activists that genuinely see terminating a pregnancy as murder and are disheartened by the lack of response for what they are was widespread, systemic violence. I have as much sympathy for those people as I do for the author: not much, because regardless of how strong one's convictions are in a given political opinion the fact that one's coworker do not share that opinion does not amount to disparagement, racism, harassment, etc.
  - dmamills 7y ago
    To be fair, I don't believe anywhere in the author's memo does he accuse anyone of being racist. The only time the term racism appears is in reference to his parents struggles during the civil rights movement. The only time the term racist appears is in reference to the President, in a section where he is suggesting Google it's efforts to provide better mental health support for their employees. The way it came across to me was a individual sharing their anecdotal experience being a minority in a large and very well known company. It was a reflection on how he felt about their experiences. Personally though, in response to your comment. I believe the abortion issue is a bit more nuanced than the police killing an man and facing no repercussions. But I'm not here to change your mind sir, it's cool to have no empathy for your fellow humans.
    - manfredo 7y ago
      > She rattled off a couple of other disparaging comments about the peaceful protestors I was preparing to join, repeatedly referring to them as those people b efore a chorus of my team’s nodding heads, each bobbing affirmingly behind their desks. The author did say that the co-worker who said that she considered the protestors annoying and counterproductive was making disparaging remarks. > Over the last 5 years, I’ve heard co-workers spew hateful words about immigrants, boast unabashedly about gentrifying neighborhoods, mockingly imitate people who speak different languages, reject candidates of color without evidence because of “fit,” and so much more. The author is definitely claiming to have witnessed racist attitudes from co-workers. > The way it came across to me was a individual sharing their anecdotal experience being a minority in a large and very well known company. It was a reflection on how he felt about their experiences. Correct. And in doing so, the author demonstrates that he categorized his co-workers as making disparaging comments because she regarded BLM's tactics to be annoying and counterproductive. If this is what the author considers disparagement, it speaks more about his own extremely narrow view of what are and are not acceptable viewpoints than it does about Google. > Personally though, in response to your comment. I believe the abortion issue is a bit more nuanced than the police killing an man and facing no repercussions. If you think there's little nuance then maybe you should dig a bit deeper. The police officer killed a man in the commission of a robbery. The autopsy result showed bullets entering Brown's upper chest and exiting his lower back. This is consistent with running towards the officer, which supports the officer's testimony that Brown charged at him. And there weren't "no repercussions". The officer was investigated, and grand jury was summoned to decide whether or not to indite him. No conviction came out of it, but that doesn't mean that there were "no repercussions". > But I'm not here to change your mind sir, it's cool to have no empathy for your fellow humans. I earnestly hope you realize the irony of telling another commenter that they "have no empathy for your fellow humans" because he has a different takeaway from this post.
      - dmamills 7y ago
        Over 50 protests around the world. Thousands of people standing up against a horrible grim reality of unnecessary police brutality that ravishes their communities. Privilege is seeing these events unravel on the television screen in front of you, and having your thoughts settle on "God, what an unnecessary traffic jam." Privilege is reading a story of a black man's struggling with the disconnect between what he and his coworkers find relevant issues, and picking it apart line by line searching for cracks for you large enough for you sit back and decide: "I have as much sympathy for those people as I do for the author: not much" The only real irony that comes across to me is that your comments are basically just an extension what the author experienced with his coworkers.
neilv 7y ago
Quoting my lede: > I think this could be a problem of sensitivity or awareness, rather than heart being in the wrong place. Some people are upset over deaths and other major injustices, and, without acknowledging that, picking that moment to start complaining about how their demonstration affects getting to the train station. I think that having awareness of why and just how people were upset, and some sensitivity to that, would cause one to have more sensitivity in how you say what one does. There will always be mistakes, but we should try.

dmamills 7y ago

I imagine from his position it's very disheartening to see his coworkers have a strong opinion about the protests, and the horrible injustice that is an unexpected traffic jam. But have nothing to say about the wrongful death of a human being. A human being who was murdered and the murderers saw now consequences.

manfredo 7y ago
Right, and I'm sure there are plenty of anti-abortion activists that genuinely see terminating a pregnancy as murder and are disheartened by the lack of response for what they are was widespread, systemic violence. I have as much sympathy for those people as I do for the author: not much, because regardless of how strong one's convictions are in a given political opinion the fact that one's coworker do not share that opinion does not amount to disparagement, racism, harassment, etc.
- dmamills 7y ago
  To be fair, I don't believe anywhere in the author's memo does he accuse anyone of being racist. The only time the term racism appears is in reference to his parents struggles during the civil rights movement. The only time the term racist appears is in reference to the President, in a section where he is suggesting Google it's efforts to provide better mental health support for their employees. The way it came across to me was a individual sharing their anecdotal experience being a minority in a large and very well known company. It was a reflection on how he felt about their experiences. Personally though, in response to your comment. I believe the abortion issue is a bit more nuanced than the police killing an man and facing no repercussions. But I'm not here to change your mind sir, it's cool to have no empathy for your fellow humans.
  - manfredo 7y ago
    > She rattled off a couple of other disparaging comments about the peaceful protestors I was preparing to join, repeatedly referring to them as those people b efore a chorus of my team’s nodding heads, each bobbing affirmingly behind their desks. The author did say that the co-worker who said that she considered the protestors annoying and counterproductive was making disparaging remarks. > Over the last 5 years, I’ve heard co-workers spew hateful words about immigrants, boast unabashedly about gentrifying neighborhoods, mockingly imitate people who speak different languages, reject candidates of color without evidence because of “fit,” and so much more. The author is definitely claiming to have witnessed racist attitudes from co-workers. > The way it came across to me was a individual sharing their anecdotal experience being a minority in a large and very well known company. It was a reflection on how he felt about their experiences. Correct. And in doing so, the author demonstrates that he categorized his co-workers as making disparaging comments because she regarded BLM's tactics to be annoying and counterproductive. If this is what the author considers disparagement, it speaks more about his own extremely narrow view of what are and are not acceptable viewpoints than it does about Google. > Personally though, in response to your comment. I believe the abortion issue is a bit more nuanced than the police killing an man and facing no repercussions. If you think there's little nuance then maybe you should dig a bit deeper. The police officer killed a man in the commission of a robbery. The autopsy result showed bullets entering Brown's upper chest and exiting his lower back. This is consistent with running towards the officer, which supports the officer's testimony that Brown charged at him. And there weren't "no repercussions". The officer was investigated, and grand jury was summoned to decide whether or not to indite him. No conviction came out of it, but that doesn't mean that there were "no repercussions". > But I'm not here to change your mind sir, it's cool to have no empathy for your fellow humans. I earnestly hope you realize the irony of telling another commenter that they "have no empathy for your fellow humans" because he has a different takeaway from this post.
    - dmamills 7y ago
      Over 50 protests around the world. Thousands of people standing up against a horrible grim reality of unnecessary police brutality that ravishes their communities. Privilege is seeing these events unravel on the television screen in front of you, and having your thoughts settle on "God, what an unnecessary traffic jam." Privilege is reading a story of a black man's struggling with the disconnect between what he and his coworkers find relevant issues, and picking it apart line by line searching for cracks for you large enough for you sit back and decide: "I have as much sympathy for those people as I do for the author: not much" The only real irony that comes across to me is that your comments are basically just an extension what the author experienced with his coworkers.

neilv 7y ago

Quoting my lede: > I think this could be a problem of sensitivity or awareness, rather than heart being in the wrong place. Some people are upset over deaths and other major injustices, and, without acknowledging that, picking that moment to start complaining about how their demonstration affects getting to the train station. I think that having awareness of why and just how people were upset, and some sensitivity to that, would cause one to have more sensitivity in how you say what one does. There will always be mistakes, but we should try.