Politics in the Workplace

..and this is why I don't do them...

This happened last month, over the course of 3 days, July 23rd, 24th & 25th.

**my emails will be in this color

**his will be in this color

My boss and I started to discuss politics one day, something I don't like to do much...When he said "oh my gosh, you're voting for Obama aren't you? It's not because he's black, is it? Robyn, you DO know that he's a Muslim, right? And you DO know that all Muslims want Americans dead, right?"-I knew then that to try to carry on a conversation with him about politics would be like talking to a brick wall, and I was right.

The next morning, I sent him a message telling him that after having done some research, I found out that Obama is NOT a Muslim at all, and explained his childhood and upbringing. To that, I got an email forward from him about an article in The New Yorker (apparently, the "most liberal magazine out there"), in the body of the email, aside from a link to the article/cartoon(http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/07/14/obama-cartoon.html), he put "Let's start with this"....the article itself was a satire piece...however, he took it literally I'm assuming because he was trying to use that to support his claim that Obama is Muslim.

I responded with:

I received your email, and I read the article. However, I fail to see how this article or the cartoon supports your ideas that Obama is a Muslim. In fact, the purpose of both the article and the cartoon were to point out what a preponderance it is that people actually believe he is a Muslim and his wife is a radical.

All 'satire' is, is extreme sarcasm/wit ...it's usually meant to be funny or just grossly ridiculous. In high school, I read something by Jonathan Swift called "A Modest Proposal"...this is a great example of satire. He wrote this piece during the potato famine era, a time in which poor children across the country of Ireland were living in filth because their families couldn't afford to keep them fed and clothed. The rich of course looked down on them. In this piece, Swift suggested that the Irish parents should turn their burden into their resolution...he suggested that the poor sell their children to the rich as food. He even went as far as to give different ways the "delicious new meat" could be prepared and served. This way, there are no starving children, and the Irish parents would gain money and therefore would no longer be poor...thus getting approval from the rich.

See how ridiculous that is? He wrote it because he wanted to express his aggravation at the incompetence of Ireland's politicians, the hypocrisy of the wealthy, the tyranny of the English, and the filth and deprivation in which he saw so many Irish people living. He just did it in an extremely sarcastic way., that's satire. And that's the same way this article/cartoon was supposed to have been taken. The author(s) of the article do NOT believe that Obama is a Muslim, nor do they believe any of the other ridiculous things that have been made up about him and his wife, they're basically making fun of the people who do.

Now, I don't like to talk politics because the majority of politics is not factual.
A lot of it is opinion based. Not only that, people tend to get heated when taking opposing stances...I'm okay with other people's opinions and I'm always open to listen to them, take them in, and see how it coincides with what I believe/my opinion is, and whether or not I should reconsider. What I'm even better with, are facts.

a. OPINION-Robyn is a smart girl.
b. FACT-Robyn was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the year of 1981 to D.A. M. (my mom's initials) & C.D.D (my dad's initials)

The opinion that Robyn is a smart girl, is just that, an opinion. It will differ from person to person. The FACT that Robyn was born in ...blah blah blah, is something that can be proven and canNOT be denied.

Obama is a CHRISTIAN, not a Muslim. As I said earlier (and these are facts...not my opinions, gathered from several reliable sources, not just one or two), Obama was born in Hawaii to a Kenyan father and a white mother from Witchita, Kansas. His mom and dad met when they were in college at the University of Hawaii. His dad was raised as a Muslim (but not a RADICAL Muslim, and there IS a difference)...which is probably where the rumor was derived from...the funny thing is, his mom and dad divorced when he was 2 and his dad moved back to Kenya, thousands of miles away from Obama and his mom. After that point, his dad, much like MY dad was completely absent from his life.

His mom remarried when he was like 6 or so, and they moved to Indonesia, one of the schools he went to when he lived there, was a Muslim school (though the school did not focus on religion). He ALSO attended Catholic schools during that time. His mom put him in those schools not because of religious affiliations, but because she wanted him to have the best education available considering where they were. Those are the "Muslim" ties he has...a father who was raised Muslim...that never actually raised HIM. And attending a Muslim school at the age of SIX....surely it seems a little unfair for people to condemn him for that, right? When I lived in Panama, I attended Diablo Elementary School (in Spanish, Diablo means "devil" or "demon")...does that make me a devil worshipper?

Obama has never said or claimed that he is a Muslim and I don't think you'll be able to produce any written document nor on-air footage to prove otherwise (however, I will be open to reading/viewing it if you do-granted that it's from HIM and not someone else's opinion of him).

On the other hand, he has claimed to be a Christian and has been affiliated with the United Church of Christ since the mid-80's.

Politics are dirty and that's the way they will always be. People start rumors and before you know it, people are claiming it to be "the gospel truth"...There are a lot of people that do not want Barack to be elected, for a plethora of different reasons...so it's not too much to expect that there are going to be rumors put out there in an effort to discredit him and affect the voting population's decision come polling time...and they can't be just ANY kind of rumors, they've gotta really hit home and reeeeally piss some people off. After September 11, it's pretty common for Americans to dislike or even HATE certain backgrounds...which is understandable I guess, but it's not really fair. A lot of people have suffered from hate crimes because of it...someone from Pakistan doesn't necessarily believe the same thing as someone from say, Iran, or Turkey...or Persia. But because they all have similar complexions and share some of the same dark features, people mistake them for something they in fact, are not, and have to be subjected to hurtful racially motivated comments like "towelhead". So if someone puts a rumor out there that throws Obama in that same group that so many people think are responsible for Sept.11, what do you think that does to his campaign? It does exactly what the person(s) responsible for starting it wanted it to do. UNLESS...people research the facts themselves and separate it from the fiction.

In telling you that Obama's not a Muslim, it's not to prove who's right and who's wrong, it's not about throwing anything in your face. It's simply to just to make you aware, so that come voting time, you can make an informed decision based on the facts and on your own opinions of what kind of person he is and what type of president he would make...instead of it being based upon phallic statements put into rotation by those who don't want him in office.

K. I'll be awaiting your rebuttal.

Instead of an actual response, he sends me another email (and actually these are all inner office emails that I assume I was intentionally left out of the loop on)...another forward actually. This time, it's a picture of Obama on what looks like a motivational poster:



So, I stoop to his level and send the same type of picture to him, but it's of Bush:



In response...you guessed it, another forward (are we beginning to think that someone can't think for themselves, because, I am). This is what the forward said:

Subject: Would you hire me???

If I only had 143 days of experience, would you hire me to fix your car? Would you hire me to run your company? If I only had 143 days experience would you hire me to Run the country? Something America might want to think about.
Just how much Senate experience does Barack Obama have in terms of actual work days? Not much.

From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United State Senator, to the time he announced he was forming a Presidential exploratory committee, he logged 143 days of experience in the Senate. That's how many days the Senate was actually in session and working (??).

After 143 days of work experience, Obama believed he was ready to be Commander In Chief, Leader of the Free World, and fill the shoes of Abraham Lincoln, FDR, JFK and Ronald Reagan.

143 days -- I keep leftovers in my refrigerator longer than that.
This isn't taking into account the days he has missed.
In contrast, John McCain's 26 years in Congress, 22 years of military service including 1,966 days in captivity as a POW in Hanoi now seem more impressive than ever. At 71, John McCain may just be hitting his stride.

Think about IT!!!

A great many people in this country have obviously gone stark raving mad!

I responded with this:

I don't know how much experience Barack has, I have yet to delve into that. However, I will say it's funny the things that people will find to pick on someone. When I started working here, I had ZERO experience in the brick/block industry, and you hired me on as the "Assets & Materials Manager" ....When I started at Pinnacle, I had ZERO experience in the housing industry, and after a week, they hired me on permanent/full-time, and gave me a promotion from receptionist to Assist. Project Manager.

Everyone has to start somewhere. George Washington was the first president, how much experience do you suppose HE had for being President of The United States of America? None, because he was the first!

I have yet to hear you state your opinion about Barack, I just keep getting email forwards that other people have sent you, that are nit-picking and making jokes about inutile issues. What about the important things, like his policies on civil rights, homeland security, disability/health care, the economy, fair, equal and BETTER education, the energy and the environment...his views on ethics, family, and faith...etc. Okay, you might not like the fact that the father who was in his life a grand total of 2yrs was born Muslim, and maybe he doesn't have 22 years experience, does that make him any less of a candidate? If so, please explain why.

Naturally, he does not respond with an opinion, he responds with another FORWARD, and here it is:

TAKING SIDES?????!!!!????

I thought they were Americans; why does that mean one cannot display OURflag???!!?

Subject: FW: ABC News BANS FLAG LAPEL PINS

I also checked this out on snopes and it is True. Obama has said that he doesn't wear a flag pin because he doesn't want to appear to be "taking sides." ABC says they want to remain "neutral about 'causes.'" That sounds a lot like not wanting to "take sides" or is it taking Obama's side?

I not only forwarded it to all of my addressees, I also sent ABC news an e-mail advising them that until today I have watched their evening news. I further stated that we have patriotic residents in my housing area and that I will be posting the following information on our bulletin board.

I checked on the Snopes web site and this information is true and correctly worded. http://www.snopes.com/rumors/noflags.asp

I will be moving to CBS, NBC or Fox for my nightly news.

Subject: ABC News Bans Flag Lapel Pins

Several weeks ago, the brass at ABC News http://abcnews.go.com/ > issued orders forbidding reporters to wear lapel pin American flags or other patriotic insignia. Their reasoning was that ABC should remain neutral about 'causes'. Since when is support for preventing our death & destruction some sort of a cause? Since when is patriotism to be discouraged? I urge you to let ABC and its sponsors and affiliates know how you feel.

So, I respond:

Oh geeeez, for the people who believe all these email forwards PLEASE DO THE RESEARCH YOURSELF (and don't stop at one or two sources, research requires several sources, and email forwards don't count), 95% of these emails are only HALF truths (if that).

I knew you were gonna end up sending me this one sooner or later, the fact is...and please pass this along to Mike and anyone else getting "really mad"....for absolutely no valid reason...

Number one, Obama did NOT swear in using the Quran, that was another Democrat named Keith Ellison..., they're both male, and both black so I could see where the confusion would come in, but...here's another case of mistaken identity.

Number two, Barack has addressed the whole issue with the pledge/national anthem and said that his grandfather taught him that during the pledge you put your hand over your heart, during the national anthem you sing. In pictures you can see that sometimes he has his hand over his heart, sometimes he doesn't...not everyone puts their hands over their hearts during the pledge ya know, I don't always do it, does that make me a terrorist or anti-American? No. It's not even required, what you SHOULD do, is show your allegiance with your demeanor and respect.

It's so easy for people to get all worked up over nothing. Tomorrow, I could send out a mass email to a bunch of people who are already against Barack, saying that I found documentation that Barack is a Satanist, and I bet without flinching, and without QUESTIONING it...every single one of them would probably believe it, and not only that, would forward it on all around the world...next thing ya know, it's declared that Barack is a bonafied Satanist. That's because everyone that's against him has already made up their minds to be against him, so they want to believe the worst, it makes their case much better.

Here's a VIDEO of Obama reciting the pledge of allegiance during the opening of a Senate session....funny, the email forward you sent me swore up and down that he was against that sort of thing...http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u90/snopesbinary/Politics/?action=view¤t=obamapledge1.flv

I think you'll also find this interesting, straight from the horse's mouth... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWX3ar6d02A

The only thing true about the email you sent me is that ABC DID ask their anchors not to wear the lapel pins because they want to remain impartial...you have to keep in mind that these people are reporting the news it is their job to NOT take sides. Not only that, remember that they report all over the world, it could be dangerous for them or their counterparts reporting in other countries...these danger zones some of them are in could put them in a precarious position because some of the people inhabiting those countries may see them as a threat. News reporters and journalist all have their opinions, and they're entitled to them, but as a part of their jobs, they're not to report based on
their 'opinions'...they report facts.

We can go on forever about this ya know...seems sort of pointless because you're not going to see any of my points, you're just going to continue to argue the opposite.

So the next day, I had this in my inbox, which probably the one that blew me away most:

I just showed you how much experience Barry oh excuse me Barack has. 143 days. This is not about you and your past accomplishments, this is about a man who will be commander and chief of our nation. You obviously have done little or no research at all on our current President or you would see that there has not been a man in office since Ronald Reagan with better morals and values than those of president Bush. You would also see that he is a man that stands behind his God, Country and Faith without wavering. His yes's are his yes's and his no's are his no's unlike those of his predecessor which was a democrat and Barack Obama. He has already been caught in several precarious situations, interviews and comments which he has denied. His name alone speaks for itself.

You want to know about the real issues than I will forward you more information tomorrow on just how he feels about the real issues. These comments that I am sending you are the things that me and my friends with like views have been discussing for months. I will show you tomorrow that what you consider inutile issues are serious issues that every American BLACK or WHITE better be considering in November. You say your open minded about it all but what I am seeing from your words is someone that is truly not reading between the lines and doesn't want to. For someone that did not want t talk politics you sure are trying awful hard to make your point.

I am going to forward you factual information tomorrow. You just make damn sure you don't interpret it wrong and hold what has been proven and said by others to be the truth against me. This is only research we are doing and the stating of our views on the subject. You are making this personal. Good night Miss Marshall.

I responded with:

I’m not even going to comment on Bush. His approval rating pretty much says it all.
I am not making it personal, too often when two adults DISCUSS things, one or the other thinks that someone is getting upset or angry. I’m not upset or angry or bothered at all. I have always said you’re entitled to your opinion just as I am mine. Don’t think that because I actually have an opinion about it instead of my usual “well, whatever” “it doesn’t matter” “either way” ….that I’m upset, because I’m not. I’m going to say that, in the end we may as well agree to disagree. You send me some forward, I disprove it, and then you just move on to the next forward. I’m not giving you forwards, I’m not giving you what me and my “friends” have been “discussing for months”…I’m giving you facts and MY opinion….MY opinion, not a forward. How come you never respond to the information I present? All of the things that you and your “friends” have said so far, have proven to be false, which makes your arguments baseless. I’m open as long as you bring me some things that are factual not a bunch of stuff made up by haters. Obama could get in office and do the best job that any president has ever done and I guarantee you, I’d be willing to lay my life, my mom’s life AND even REESE’S life on the line and say, no matter WHAT he does, no matter what, he still wouldn’t receive the credit or respect that he deserved. This is definitely a case of, it is, what it is.

At any rate, I will do what my first instinct told me and leave it alone, I just hate for people to have opinions based on falsehoods, so I thought it was a good idea to inform you of the truth. But, apparently it wasn’t such a good idea, you go on believing whatever it is that you’re going to believe, and I’ll do the same.

Good day.

After he received it, he came in my office and closed the door, told me he sent me one more and for me to not respond, "damnit, enough is enough." He opened the door and walked out, I started whistling. He doubled back and standing in my doorway, pointing and angry finger, said "read that email while you're whistling, because that's exactly how I feel about the son of a b****"

He indeed sent me another email, and I did as he requested and did not reply. But you know why I didn't reply? Because when I went to my inbox and saw that it was just another forward, I deleted it without even OPENING it.

See, politics and religion in the workplace...no-no.

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