Comments on: Norfolk Police sack Christian bigot

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 23:57:54 +0000

Peter Hearty wrote:
>>Sorry, I’m with Rocky Balboa on >>this. Stupid and ignorant as this >>PC’s opinions might be, if we start >>sacking people for being stupid and >>ignorant then the recession’s going >>to even more pronounced than >>expected.

disclaimer: I don’t know the details of the case.

People are sacked for being stupid and ignorant – i.e incapable of doing their job properly – all the time. Depends on the work and whatnot, but so long as it’s done fairly and legally there isn’t much to complain about.

In particular, being stupid and ignorant at work means that other people have to put up with you being stupid and ignorant, i.e. probably a bully, not to put too fine a point on it. Nobody should have to put up with bullying, especially not at work.

Free speech is one thing. Freedom to be a stupid and ignorant police officer feels like another thing.

Dan

By: Barry Duke

Barry Duke — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:51:58 +0000

Good as it is to see tolerant non-believers siding with Cogman, I wonder how many of them have actually worked alongside a Bible-pest. I have – on three occasions – and let me assure you that the arrogance and priggish self-righteousness they brought to their jobs, along with biblical texts left on colleagues desks, led to terrible disharmony and arguments.

I should not be in the least surprised if Cogman’s behaviour followed the same pattern, and that it was this that led to his sacking.

By: newspaniard

newspaniard — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:58:10 +0000

I second Tony E

By: tony e

tony e — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:40:00 +0000

Stuart W – I completely agree with you, but this is a democracy and, although out of touch with most people, he has the right to his closely held beliefs. Though he may think that gays are sinners, as long as he carries out his job without bias that should be ok. If we are to say what is right and wrong for people to believe then we are beginning to sound a bit like the churches we critisize. A fine and a warning should have been enough.

By: Stuart W

Stuart W — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:30:09 +0000

Tony,

For many occupations I would agree, but this man is in a position of authority and trust to see justice served that most of us don’t have.
Could he, for instance, deal with a queer-bashing or the harassment of a gay couple by vandals to the best of his ability if he thinks the victims are sinners who need mental healing more than a hospital bed?

By: tony e

tony e — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:25:33 +0000

I’m with Rocky and Peter on this. Though this PC’s views may be dated, if we start to impose our views on others then we are no better than the religious twats we so often condem on this site.

By: Rozi

Rozi — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:05:00 +0000

There are elements of the police who are homophobic bigots?! WHOA!
This also just in; The pope IS a Catholic, I repeat he IS a Catholic. And bears do, in fact, shit in the woods.

By: Peter Hearty

Peter Hearty — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 10:20:14 +0000

Sorry, I’m with Rocky Balboa on this. Stupid and ignorant as this PC’s opinions might be, if we start sacking people for being stupid and ignorant then the recession’s going to even more pronounced than expected.

If he had a prolonged history of insubordination then that’s another matter, but if his offence was misusing the police computers then another docking of pay seems an appropriate response.

I’m afraid we have to learn how to deal with bigots in the workplace. We all come across them from time to time. Laughing at them might be more productive than sacking them.

By: Barry Duke

Barry Duke — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:38:02 +0000

“Surely this poor man has done nothing more than express his opinion!”

No Rocky, the man was not canned for expressing an opinion. The report makes clear that he was “found guilty of failing to comply with a lawful order over the use of police computers, and failing to treat a colleague with politeness and tolerance.”

There’s a world of difference between expressing an opinion and breaking the rules.

Cogman, like the Christian registrar Lillian Ladele who refused to carry out same-sex civil unions in Islington, is typical of a breed of religious zealots who demand that employers bend the rules to accommodate their bigotry.

These people are clearly not fit for purpose, and should rightfully be sacked.

By: valdemar

valdemar — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:03:36 +0000

Carlo, I think it’s only a matter of time before somebody grasps the nettle with Muslim bigots, too. Multi-faith nonsense is looking pretty threadbare these days, mainly because none of the ‘faithful’ actually believe in it, except for a few cranks like Prince Charles.