Fleen: The Awkward Christmas Dinner Of Our Obligation To Existence

From The State’s Attorney’s Office

A call requesting comment with respect to the Boyd non-incident was unsuccessful. The woman I spoke to on the phone told me that she would be unable to speak on the matter “unless there’s been a charge made.”

Should the State’s Attorney for St. Mary’s County decide to make a statement, we’ll run it here.

Ummm … I’m confused. Putting aside for one minute the lunatic over-reaction of the State’s Attorney’s office, assuming this is all accurate (and I’m not doubting it at all) – is it really possible in the US to be fired for talking about guns? Doesn’t Boyd have a case for wrongful dismissal here? And shouldn’t the numbskull of a co-worker who was responsible for reporting him be charged with wasting police time? I don’t know … just when you think you know how the world works, it all falls apart again!

DAJB – yes, you can get fired in the states for pretty much anything. Most employment is “at will”, which in reality means that you can be fired for any reason other than the protected ones (race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicap status) – and even that can be gotten around if the employer tries hard enough.

What about a comment from the NRA?

Getting the NRA on Matt’s side? Oh, wouldn’t that just be something…

Ah, those nice rational people at the NRA … “Get your stinking paws off me, you goddamn States Attorney!” Has a certain ring to it, no?

I would encourage people not to harass the state’s attorney’s office. They were just doing their job.

For those readers not in the USA, here is a word for word copy of the 3rd clause in my employment contract (a full time permanent position in a large and respectable company):

“3. At-Will Employment. You understand and acknowledge that your employment with the Company is for an unspecified duration and constitutes “at-will” employment. You acknowledge that this employment relationship may be terminated at any time, with or without good cause or for any or no cause, at the option either of the Company or you.”

I’ve only just moved to the US for the first time, for work; previously I was employed in Australia, where the laws protecting workers rights are probably among the strongest in the world; so it was quite a shocker to discover that conditions like this are apparently quite standard in the US. But they are.

[…] Boyd:St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney. Don’t know his name personally, but I’m sure Google’s got it. [Editor’s note: there was formerly a link for the State’s Attorney here; as Mr Boyd has requested that readers not harass the State’s Attorney on his behalf, the link has been removed.] […]

“…They were just doing their job.”

1930’s Germany, anyone?

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