You Took The Scalp, Don't Be Afraid To Claim It
Roger Abramson talks directly to those that drove the Sherri Goforth story:
We've been here before. Remember Bill Hobbs back in 2006? A big deal was made in the press about that goofy Muslim cartoon he put on the Internet, his employer (Belmont University) was mentioned in the articles (even though Belmont had nothing to do with that cartoon), putting Belmont in a position where it really had no choice but to save face publicly by giving Hobbs the heave-ho. I remember talking to some folks in the local press back then and getting this general reaction: "Well, that's silly. They shouldn't fire him." As though the press accounts somehow had nothing to do with it; as though Belmont was just sitting around and just up and arbitrarily decided to can him. It's like someone shooting a guy in the head and being surprised that they fall over dead. "Well, I'll be damned. He died just like that. Huh. Never saw that coming."
The probable outcome of this episode will be the termination (one way or the other) of Sherri Goforth. So, don't act surprised. And don't act like you had nothing to do with it. Own it. Hell, be proud of it, the "greater good" and all of that.
Well, I hope you are right,
Well, I hope you are right, Roger. She shoudl eb fired, and if teh public anger ginned up by her racist, insensitive, disgraceful behavior helps bring that about, those who helped gin it up should be satisfied about it.
Well, I hope you are right,
Well, I hope you are right, Roger. She shoudl eb fired, and if teh public anger ginned up by her racist, insensitive, disgraceful behavior helps bring that about, those who helped gin it up should be satisfied about it.
Okay, I take ownership of the
Okay, I take ownership of the fact that I have called for the firing of Goforth. I also think Belmont was right to fire Hobbs. I know right wingers want to play the victim, but puh-leeze.
Here's the deal, folks:
1. On Goforth: Your employer owns your work computer. Your employer owns the work email account that the company provides for you. Anything that you do on your work computer belongs to the company and can reflect negatively or positively on your company if it hits the press. If it's negative, you probably get fired.
General operating principle: Don't do anything at work that you wouldn't want to see on the nightly news.
2. As for the Hobbs anti-Muslim cartoon. He was a PR flack for a college affiliated with a church. PR flacks become associated with their clients. Anything they do can reflect on their clients negatively or positively. If it's negative, the PR flack probably gets fired. Entities associated with religious institutions are particularly sensitive to charges of religious bigotry.
General operating principle for PR flacks: Don't do anything you wouldn't want to see on the evening news.
In both cases, right-wing nuts sent out communications that were racist and xenophobic. They sent them out at their own peril. They got caught. Hobbs should have been fired. Goforth should be fired.
I give you the quote that
I give you the quote that enscapsulated the B-Ho anti-Muslim scandal:
"B-Ho didn't get shitcanned because of Islam, he got shitcanned because he's an asshole. It's the United States of America, assholes get shitcanned every day."
Same goes for Goforth.