A Pennslyvania firefighter was suspended without pay for refusing to remove an American flag sticker from his locker, Myfoxphilly.com reported.The employer has the right to control what is displayed in the public areas of their buildings, and if they don't want any items posted on the outside of lockers, they have the final say. This "stand" by the firefighter is a stupid way to lose a job.
James Krapf of Chester, Pa., violated a department policy that states personal items can only be posted inside employee lockers when he stuck the flag on the outside. According to Myfoxphilly.com, the firefighters' union warned 11 others to remove personal items or face similar suspensions, all without pay.
The initial ban came after an incident in which some firefighters complained about a cartoon posted in the firehouse that they found racially offensive.
Krapf was suspended Thursday, and so far is the only firefighter to be hit with the penalty.
"I shouldn't have to remove the flag of the country I believe in. I love my country," Krapf told Myfoxphilly.com. "I love my job. I love helping people. I've been doing this 11 years in the City of Chester, so this is something I love to do."
Krapf said he wants to meet with the fire commissioner and the mayor to discuss the issue. The fire commissioner told local media outlets that banning all materials from locker doors was the simplest way to avoid bickering among the staff.
There was a story recently about an Oregon apartment manager who ordered residents to remove flags that were affixed to their personal property, like cars and motorcycles, under threat of eviction. The manager clearly overstepped her authority in making such a demand.
However, the locker in this case is not personal property but belongs to the city. They have the right to control what is affixed to it. Nobody has the right to stick stuff on someone else's property, and it doesn't matter whether it's a U.S. flag or Miss October.
I'm as patriotic as the next guy, but having a flag in your possession does not give you the right to post it wherever you like. Mr. Krapf needs to grow up or his career will go "Krapf!".
I'm as patriotic as the next guy, but having a flag in your possession does not give you the right to post it wherever you like. Mr. Krapf needs to grow up or his career will go "Krapf!".
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2 comments:
Ya gots to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em .....
There might be a song about that.
I've been thinking about this story, and I think there are some problems that have not been addressed.
Rick et al, do you folks know that all civil servants in California have to take a loyalty oath when hired? It goes something like this, "I, ______, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the State of California..."
So where in the Constitution, State or Federal, does it say that a civil servant cannot have a flag on the outside of his locker? The American flag is a representation of our Constitution we civil servants are sworn to protect. The fire station is not some private corporation, but answers to the public.
I remember some flack about firefighters having flags waving on their fire rigs. I think it was Berkeley that was protesting the flags; this was post 911. The public silenced that debate.
There is also a vast difference between a "racist" cartoon and an American flag, though there are some in our country that would make a moral equivalency between the two.
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