White Power Tattoos at Work

[SpaceDock]

I rarely start threads, but the people who work in the manufacturing area at my company have gotten progressively lower in class since the company hasn't increased the starting wage in 10+ years. I really try not to judge the vast array of freaks that parade through the place, but now there is a guy with white power tattoos all over.

I am a open minded person, I'm sure everyone thinks that of themselves, and I could care less about how people live outside of work. This is just crazy to me though.

I don't want to be a judgemental prick, but I really feel compelled to pitch a fit at HR. How can it be alright to have something etched on your skin that would get you fired for having on a shirt? Is it ever alright to have hatespeech on your body? Or am I a jerk for even questioning his free speech?

I really don't know how to react, beyond disgust.

Btw: he is not apologetic about it

 

[celticelk]

I don't want to be a judgemental prick, but I really feel compelled to pitch a fit at HR. How can it be alright to have something etched on your skin that would get you fired for having on a shirt? Is it ever alright to have hatespeech on your body? Or am I a jerk for even questioning his free speech?

There's no constitutional right to free speech in the workplace. The First Amendment limits the ability of the government to take action against you based on the content of your speech, but it doesn't bind private actors (people, corporations, organizations). My advice would be to have a word with HR if it's interfering with your work environment.

 

[Nightside]

I have a Zyklon ninja star logo on my right forearm with a black band going around my arm and people seem to think it is some kind of neo Nazi club tattoo or something.

 

[7stg]

there is a guy with white power tattoos all over.

Btw: he is not apologetic about it

And they hired him because...

As celticelk said the workplace can govern speech at least to a degree. Due to the expression being accepted by the government as one of hate they could fire him on the spot without repercussion.

Are these tattoos something long sleeves don't cover? Not that he cares apparently.


Sounds like its time to find a better place to work.

 

[SpaceDock]

He has a swastika on his neck, one on forearm, white power on one arm, and 100% cracker on a hand. It is really distasteful.

You know I honestly don't think they have any standards for manufacturing workers anymore, it's more about hiring cheap. Hell, I know they hire felons now so they probably get some sort of government kickback for hiring these people.

I am lucky thati do not work with them. I am in a different league entirely, however I started in the manufacturing area and worked my way up. It seemed like they used to have some standards.

 

[7stg]

They hire felons now

They get some sort of government kickback for hiring these people.

As I was off looking for over the top white power prison tattoos to add to my post. LOL

If they did not hire him straight out of the penn, where do they find them, recruitment efforts at kkk rallies job postings on skin head fourms.

Does he got red laces in his Doc Martens or other type of boots.

 

[SpaceDock]

Amusingly enough he dresses like a gansta wanna be.

 

[Nightside]

Nice to know us felons who paid our debts to society are well thought of...

I got trashed at a family party and was run over by my aunt in her driveway. I became a felon because I was loud and uncooperative in the emergency room and said some distasteful things to the policemen who followed me into the ER. I served two years of probation and got off a year early because I did what I was supposed to. I applied and qualified to have my record sealed. For the last four years I have been living off of government assistance and my wife has had to join the army so that our family can have insurance. All because I cannot even get a shit job due to my record.

Not everyone with a record is a murderous piece of shit. A lot of people fvck up once in their life and you can take my word for it that the rest of their life is ruined because of it. It isn't much fun filling out hundreds of job applications and never getting a single reply. It definitely isn't fun to waste money you don't have to fly across the country for a job interview that could change your life only to find out that you were dropped because even though your record is sealed and you have the legal right to deny you have a record, all the employer has to do is google your name and they can find it.

Edit: On topic though... I definitely don't see how someone could get hired anywhere with tattoos like that. My record is enough to scare off the employers I talk to. Being covered in hate symbols seems like it would scare off employers also. I mean from an HR point of view it just seems like a bunch of complaints waiting to happen.

 

[Hollowway]

MUST be an ex con. I don't think there's many places outside of prison that people are still getting those sorts of tattoos. But either way, that's just batty. Never mind him having offensive tattoos - a dude like that I'd be worried would steal my stuff or beat me up for looking at him wrong.

If you DO go to HR, make sure they don't let him know it was you, or call you into the room, and be like, "Mr. Klan, it seems that Mr. Dock is offended by your tattos. Dr. Dock, would you like to tell Mr. Klan how that makes you feel?"

 

[7stg]

Amusingly enough he dresses like a gansta wanna be.

no,no,no that would be like this

If he wants to be white power he's gotta do it right!

Here is where he should start. white shirt is common. Pants are to be blue denim or hitler brown fatigues. Notice the tough guy scarring.

if he earns his red laces and red suspenders they can be swapped in.

Here is how to dress it up a bit.

To dress up further a blue suit is the uniform.

Racist Skinhead Glossary | Southern Poverty Law Center

I of course, do not condone said philosophy on life.

 

[7stg]

Nice to know us felons who paid our debts to society are well thought of...

Not everyone with a record is a murderous piece of shit.

I was really commenting on the latter part of the latter. These days you can walk down the street wrong and get a felony.

 

[skeels]

Is that one guy lobotomized?

That's the ultimate tough guy scar- where they remove your brain.

 

[Nightside]

Yeah I didn't mean it to sound harsh. It's just really annoying for someone like me to know that from now on I am lumped into the same group as rapists, burglars, murderers and the like.

 

[7stg]

Yeah I didn't mean it to sound harsh. It's just really annoying for someone like me to know that from now on I am lumped into the same group as rapists, burglars, murderers and the like.

And that's something that needs to change in society. So many things are a felony now and you loose so many rights because of it. When someones looking at a hundred applications and they need to start eliminating, a record just gives them a reason to reject, and that is sad.

 

[SpaceDock]

If you DO go to HR, make sure they don't let him know it was you, or call you into the room, and be like, "Mr. Klan, it seems that Mr. Dock is offended by your tattos. Dr. Dock, would you like to tell Mr. Klan how that makes you feel?"

Lol, I would be sure to call it in.

 

[7stg]

Is that one guy lobotomized?

Well, considering the view he holds of others...

 

[tacotiklah]

Well if you wanna get your point across that you don't like his tattoos, but don't want to come off as a snitch, start wearing gay pride or jewish symbols around him. Anything that will get him looking at you weird and making HIM feel uncomfortable. That forces him to say something about it, in which you can say "well since you have no shame in wearing symbols of hate, I have no shame in sharing symbols of love and tolerance."

Just a thought...

 

[123321123]

Well if you wanna get your point across that you don't like his tattoos, but don't want to come off as a snitch, start wearing gay pride or jewish symbols around him. Anything that will get him looking at you weird and making HIM feel uncomfortable. That forces him to say something about it, in which you can say "well since you have no shame in wearing symbols of hate, I have no shame in sharing symbols of love and tolerance."

Just a thought...

Best solution.

 

[metaldoggie]

I feel your pain.....we have the same here (I believe there are even people on nights that have ankle bracelet trackers.....yeah).

There are people that graffiti the bathrooms with swastikas (albeit backwards).

If you are Jewish then I think you would have a legitimate concern for your own well-being. If not I think it would be a little tricky (not that anyone else with a sense of ethics shouldn't be concerned) it's just that the symbols are not directed at your ethnicity/religion etc etc.

But at the end of the day, if they hired him despite of his views then it's really up to him to get himself fired. I agree with the above course of action, if you really are intent on getting rid of him. Personally I would just ignore it (that kind of thing really does offend me but at the end of the day I don't think you can really change anything by having him fired.....it just transplants that person to become somebody else's problem and doesn't stop him from feeling that way).

If you have to work directly with this person on the other hand then I would absolutely express your concerns to HR and tell them that you don't want to work with someone like that when it is in your face.

 

[Edika]

Well if you wanna get your point across that you don't like his tattoos, but don't want to come off as a snitch, start wearing gay pride or jewish symbols around him. Anything that will get him looking at you weird and making HIM feel uncomfortable. That forces him to say something about it, in which you can say "well since you have no shame in wearing symbols of hate, I have no shame in sharing symbols of love and tolerance."


Just a thought...

While I agree people like these are not well in the head, tend to be violent and vengeful. You know the type which think everyone else is the problem and why they have a shitty life.

I would recommend a talk with HR having the discussion confidential. It might sound like the less brave thing to do but it'll just save you potential trouble.

To possumkiller, that is nuts. You got run by a car and went to jail for being loud in ER? I have no words man!