Worker suspended for wearing poppy to honor soldier

[Marcus Aurelius]

I never said it was the only way. I just place himself in my shoes. Had it been a week after 9/11, and I was working with a US flag lapel, or something remembering a lost one, while it's all still so raw, no way in hell I remove it. Go ahead and fire me, and I wouldn't sue as I know that there are codes and such and they are within their rights. No argument from me there. I would place the principle of honoring the fallen above the job and the rest, yes, and I'm serious.

Think of it like this, Jim... would the people you'd be trying to honor want to be the cause of your getting fired and not being able to provide for your family? I tend to think not.

Just my 2 cents.

[jimnyc]

Think of it like this, Jim... would the people you'd be trying to honor want to be the cause of your getting fired and not being able to provide for your family? I tend to think not.

Just my 2 cents.

They wouldn't be the cause should that have happened, it would be all on my own. I have a piece of jewelry honoring those who lost their lives to cancer. I lost my Mom 3 years ago to the disease. I wouldn't take it off for a million dollars, and certainly not for an employer at a supermarket. You guys are free to call me an idiot if you think I would be tossing a job aside, or that I would be placing the world in danger by serving them food, but I would rather stand for my principles and beliefs. I wouldn't frown upon any other individual who wouldn't do so, as we all remember and believe things differently. But I wouldn't remove a pin, I wouldn't remove a single piece of my jewelry and the only time I would ever cover my tattoos would be if I would normally be wearing a suit anyway.

[Marcus Aurelius]

They wouldn't be the cause should that have happened, it would be all on my own. I have a piece of jewelry honoring those who lost their lives to cancer. I lost my Mom 3 years ago to the disease. I wouldn't take it off for a million dollars, and certainly not for an employer at a supermarket. You guys are free to call me an idiot if you think I would be tossing a job aside, or that I would be placing the world in danger by serving them food, but I would rather stand for my principles and beliefs. I wouldn't frown upon any other individual who wouldn't do so, as we all remember and believe things differently. But I wouldn't remove a pin, I wouldn't remove a single piece of my jewelry and the only time I would ever cover my tattoos would be if I would normally be wearing a suit anyway.

you know I would not call you an idiot for having a different opinion. Hell, I won't even use my typical 'dumb ass' comment You have an exceedingly strong opinion on this, and there's not a thing wrong with you, or that.

Personally, in order to stand for my principles and beliefs in a situation like this, I'd do the same thign I say people should do when there is a law they dislike. Work to have it changed. I would imagine he'd be able to garner a lot of support for an exception to the rules for the poppy pin, as I understand it's a really big thing over there.

[jimnyc]

you know I would not call you an idiot for having a different opinion. Hell, I won't even use my typical 'dumb ass' comment You have an exceedingly strong opinion on this, and there's not a thing wrong with you, or that.

Personally, in order to stand for my principles and beliefs in a situation like this, I'd do the same thign I say people should do when there is a law they dislike. Work to have it changed. I would imagine he'd be able to garner a lot of support for an exception to the rules for the poppy pin, as I understand it's a really big thing over there.

No doubt I could work to have it changed, or at least to come to a reasonable compromise. In this case, being the poppy isn't a forever thing, and the Rigby killing just happened AND they say he has a job outside the food area too, I think they should have had him work in one of the other areas - problem solved.

Also, one of the executives have been snapped wearing a poppy in the produce area, a PR picture. I know he wasn't prepping food, but you would think they would understand at least.

[Drummond]

Just to play devil's advocate for a moment here... if you found a poppy pin in your food from Morrison's and say, damaged a tooth because of it, would you...

A... realize accidents happen, someone was honoring a fallen friend, ignore it and deal with any negative effects from biting the pin on your own.

or

B... sue the crap out of the store for not taking better precautions against things falling into your food.

This is almost a difficult choice. It IS one, because I'm not sure I'd recognise a poppy pin as being, specifically, a poppy pin.

If I knew it was a pin used to keep a poppy in place, I'd definitely choose 'A'. Because respect for our soldiers and all that they've done for us isn't as great, in my opinion, as it SHOULD be. I'd not want to be a part of anything that had the smallest chance of making that even worse.

Now ... LEFTIES suffering that ... they'd queue up for the chance at a bit of soldier-bashing.

[aboutime]

In case anyone wondered. Here is where the idea for Poppies came from.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_...emembrance_day

[gabosaurus]

In summation, you can't choose the rules that you want to break. For whatever reasons you want to break them.

[jimnyc]

In summation, you can't choose the rules that you want to break. For whatever reasons you want to break them.

I agree. And if one loses a job because they didn't adhere to codes, they have no recourse, and likely no one to 'blame' but themselves. Rules are rules and laws are laws and codes are codes. But just one man standing his ground - and they altered half of their policy to allow people outside of food prep areas to now wear them - like their executive did.

[Drummond]

In summation, you can't choose the rules that you want to break. For whatever reasons you want to break them.

Possibly. Although ... societies sometimes see very noble examples of rules being defied. It doesn't always hold true.

Consider those countries dominated by the Third Reich, during World War II. Did no citizen, anywhere, ever have a right to show defiance against a Nazi edict ?

Did no Jews ever have that right ?

In the UK ... did no women ever have the right to fight for the freedom to vote ?

Once you get to the point where you say that rules, just because they ARE rules, should never be broken .. then you might as well knuckle down to anyone wielding a bit of power. Regardless of where that leads.

Some things are worth standing up for. Soldiers thought this, when fighting Hitler. And today, many of us think it reasonable to do that small yet important thing of symbolising our REMEMBRANCE for the sacrifices they made for us all.

Such as, wearing poppies ...

[jimnyc]

On their corporate site - http://www.morrisons-corporate.com/CR/CR-downloads/

Then on the left, download "Corporate responsibility review" pdf file. You'll find the same man wearing the same pin with the same background colors, for anyone doubting that is a Morrison's exec wearing a poppy in the store. And that one is from 2011/12 - whereas the picture I posted is from this year. Both wearing poppies. And no, this doesn't mean a food prep person should therefore be able to do whatever an exec does. I also know that the exec is not preparing food. But hell, they just changed their policy to allow employees outside of food prep to wear them as of yesterday - while it's ok for the execs. At least they changed that portion of their stance, and now allow the poppy and bracelets for those outside of food prep.

[aboutime]

In summation, you can't choose the rules that you want to break. For whatever reasons you want to break them.

Do you ever take your own advice gabby? If so. Re-read what you said above. Then, put it to use.