Well said Pat!
Amy
--- Pat Whalen <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>      I have followed the recent discussion about
> displays of patriotism in the workplace,
> specifically employees displaying American flags on
> their desks, with great interest, and I'd like to
> offer some thoughts.
>
>      I am very surprised that some of you seem to
> regard this as a matter of controversy. I certainly
> agree that items displayed on an employee's desk can
> reflect negatively on the institution and that
> managers and supervisors have the right to require
> them to be removed. If an employee working under my
> direction displayed a Confederate flag or a Little
> Black Sambo doll, I would be inclined not only to
> tell them to remove it but to drive my foot up their
> ass, which is not to suggest that I would act on the
> impulse. I hardly think, however, that an American
> flag can be validly equated with such items. In what
> way could displaying an American flag, the symbol of
> our nation, reflect negatively on the institution
> displaying it? I realize that the flag took on
> implications that many Americans were uncomfortable
> with as a result of misguided and divisive policies
> during the Vietnam era. As of September 11th,
> however, I think that's all abruptly and irrevocably
> behind us. Suddenly, we're living in a very
> different world. People have a profound need to
> exorcise feelings of fear, rage, and sorrow by
> expressing love of country and solidarity with their
> fellow Americans and affirming their faith in the
> bedrock values of our society. Let's also bear in
> mind and try to be senstive to the fact that people
> are in a fragile state emotionally. Countless people
> lost loved ones on September 11th or have friends
> who did. The loss of a loved one, especially in such
> a hideous way, is an intensely painful and private
> experience that employees are not necessarily going
> to feel comfortable talking to us about. So we could
> be managing such people without even knowing it, and
> to tell such a person to get rid of that flag on
> their desk strikes me as not only petty but
> unfeeling. Even people who did not experience losses
> are having trouble coming to terms with the enormity
> of what's happened. It's been reported that 1 in 3
> Americans are experiencing insomnia, depression,
> anxiety and other such problems as a result of the
> tragedy. If it will help them to more effectively
> cope with the terrible thing that's happened then,
> for God's sake, let them have a flag on their desk.
>
>
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