If I was still a classroom teacher and was recorded giving a racist opinion even in the privacy of my own home, I would expect to be removed from my position.
There's no reason you should be, any more than someone who opines that muslims aren't terrorists or that global warming is real should be removed. You have a right to hold and express your opinion, particularly in private. This is dangerous, dangerous ground.
If my son has a Kindergarten teacher who writes racist editorials for the local newspaper, I would want my son removed from that classroom and would request that teacher be fired or placed on leave.
And how is this different from rational, reasonable people who find homosexuality to be an abomination asking that schools not employ homosexuals as teachers? Dangerous ground.
If a business owner espoused bigoted ideas about how to annihilate homosexuals from society, I would not shop at that business.
Your choice. Nobody begrudges you that. Free market takes care of things on its own. This is different from imposing sanctions.
If a gas station attendant went on a rant inside of a car 5000 miles away from his gas station about how white people are lesser humans than others and I found out about it, I would cease getting gas from that station.
Again, your choice. But the government shouldn't take his station away, force him to sell it, imprison him or take any action whatsoever. Shop where you choose, I'm sure the gas station owner won't care because if he offers the best price and service, nobody else is going to care either.
If a bus driver posted misogynistic tweets on Twitter, I would refuse to ride any bus for that company until he was removed.
Good for you. I personally could give a damn what the bus driver thinks in his private life so long as he is competent and courteous.
They have the right to express themselves at any time they want and however they want and to whom they want and wherever they want. I too have the right to express myself by choosing to not do business with such people. If those companies value my consumption of their products, they will remove those people from those positions. If they value their employee over me, then they'll do without my business.
Most of these companies couldn't afford to get their goods and services to you. Small business can't afford cranes to reach horses of the height you apparently ride.
How you choose to react to a person's beliefs is of no consequence whatsoever. If you chose not to watch the Clippers or if you decided not to attend their games, that is a perfectly acceptable response.
Demanding that he be sanctioned, that his livelihood be stripped away, that he incur financial and judicial penalties for his opinion is where the line gets wonky. It's a dangerous, slippery slope. What happens, THS when the mob decides that saying "War Eagle" is offensive to people who like to copulate with birds? Or that it is an inflammatory and racist statement since legend ties it to a Civil War veteran? What happens when the psycho mob declares that you can't use that cheer or you'll be fired from your job?
What happens when the school says you can't ever have said the dreaded "n-word" in your life to be employed, but male teachers can come dressed as women because they have "rights" and women teachers can have sex changes during the year, and muslim teachers can come to class in burkas and explain the necessity of following Muhammed to your daughters, but the teacher across the hall can't wear a cross pin?
You going to be okay with that? Because that's where you're headed.
The NBA values its consumers over Donald Sterling. As a non-government employee, they had every right to remove Sterling from their organization.
When you allow any agency, private or public, to sanction someone for comments made in the privacy of their own home, comments which were illegally recorded and not approved for release you've crossed lines that shouldn't be crossed.
God help me if I were held accountable for everything I've ever said in anger or frustration because some skank was recording me. God help all of us. None of us would be employable.
EDIT - Look, I know this contradicts what I put in the Clay Travis post. I do think it's dangerous how quick and severe we are as a society to destroy instead of reason with people of differing and wrong opinions. However, I also understand that private organizations and people have a right to boycott or protest against someone based on their private beliefs.
Boycott all you want. Protest if that gives you a chubby. That's your choice. But punish? Dangerous ground.
Besides, who determines which opinions are "right" and which are "wrong"? That's another slippery slope. As a free society we MUST be able to engage in legitimate debate. We MUST have opinions that differ. Whenever the mob simply shouts down anyone who disagrees, we are no longer free.
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