h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

CND stands for "the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament"

OK answers for you SWL:

NO it's a valid campaign and there is nothing as far as I know stopping a serving officer from being involved.

No its an opinion and one backed up by facts.

No it doenst and moreover its important that voters ee exactly what MP's are thinking.


Now Ive answered your questions would you care to answer mine?

one love

To answer your question Blicky,

Personally, I would be more inclined to look at their professional qualifications, experience and references. If they have demonstrated an ability to seperate personal opinions from their work life, I wouldn't have a problem.

It's something many here have a real problem with. The very idea that someone can have personal beliefs. There is such a thing as self-control.

Arnie, the Brits call this a CND sign. We call it a peace sign.

az

Do we? That's news to me.

I thought it meant "Y Fronts Prevent Fallout"

thanks for the explanations of CND.

SWL, it's a little naive to say that someone who's personal belief is diametrically opposed to their job (Judge who believes prison is wrong) will set aside their belief and do a great job.

Sorry Arnie, I thought CND were universally known.

As to someone's beliefs not interfering with their job - I do it every day.

and your beleif is diametrically opposed to your job?

We're not talking about being diametrically opposed. The initial point was that political beliefs influence an architect being voted head of an architects association. Apparently, his personal opinions mean his views on architecture are invalid: he is incapable of presenting the views of Association members.

My views on Islam should be well-known on this board: that I regard it as an ideology incompatible with Western Liberalism. I work predominantly in the Muslim Community. Going by the opinions stated on this board, not only should I be incapable of doing my job, but I should be sacked.

Well I think that sometimes I'd really like to hit some of the children I work with and Ive said it to others and they have said it to me. No one has ever been sacked for simply holding an opinion like this as far as a I know.

I think that women are stupid for spending money on a CD by an artist simply becasue they find him cute whne much better music is available.

I've said this at work and not been sacked. If I went round saying women are stupid and the intellectual inferiors of men or went up to a child and threatened to hit him or her then things would be very different.

As a sports coach I wouldnt want the head of an association I was part of to be proclaiming that people with disabilities dont deserve to be coached. He has a right to that opinion but I doubt many other coaches would want someone like that representing them either.

The bus driver in the original post has made himself a memember of a self evidently racist group. A group which wishes to deny people equal rights on the basis of their skin colour. A party with the ultimate goal of forced repatriation of people whose actual place of birth and who are patriotic to this country. (strange that you profss your ideas about Islam being incompaable with western democracy but dont do the same ragarding the BNP, or the many christian sects christian who so often try to stand in the way of democratic decisions)

Now like you I dont buy the H&S reasons given for Serco's dismissal of this man but broadly speaking i have to say I agree that there are some jobs where your ideology will mena that you are not fit for the job.

In the hypothetical question I asked and you answered you failed to think about the wider consequences of the nursery managers avowed ideas. You didnt show that you'd thought about how other workers would feel working with this person. How your customers both parents and children would feel about having such a person as a nuresery manager and how as the persons employer it would look for yoiu if there were an allegation either substatiated or not if it were shown that you knew about this persons ideaology yet you allowed them to continue to work in such a sensitive area. This man works with the public and alongside people from many backgrounds If any of his colleagues suffered from harassment because of thier sexuality how would it look for Serco if they knew thy were employing someone who thinks and backs the legal prohibition of hoosexuality?

one love

Freedom of Speech is the freedom to have a belief (political, social or religious) and be free to talk about it without fear of persecution, imprisonment or harassment.

That's broadly what part 1 of article 10 of the convention of human rights says. Unfirtunately part 2 then goes on to qualify it by saying it is subject to

"such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/946400.stm

The UK no more has freedom of expression than it has freedom of assembly/protest.

"My views on Islam should be well-known on this board: that I regard it as an ideology incompatible with Western Liberalism. I work predominantly in the Muslim Community. Going by the opinions stated on this board, not only should I be incapable of doing my job, but I should be sacked."

Well, since you've chosen such an unfortunate position, then yes, depending on the nature of your job in the community, you should be.

See, that's the problem with theoretical thinking, it fails to take practicalities into account. I happen to be quite good at my job and financially well-rewarded. The Muslims get an exceptional service which benefits both parties. They're happy, my bosses are happy and I put food on the table for my family.

I leave my opinions at home and do a job of work. Many people do. It's quite easy. If I can do it, so can Judges, Policemen, Architects and Bus Drivers.

sure, but I have no idea what you're job actually entails. Maybe there isn't a conflict as a result. Maybe there is. I don't know.

>>"I leave my opinions at home and do a job of work. Many people do. It's quite easy. If I can do it, so can Judges, Policemen, Architects and Bus Drivers."

Thing is, **if** reports are to be believed, the architect couldn't (or at least didn't) leave his misogyny or extreme right-wing views at home.
*If* that is the case, who with any sense choosing a representative for their profession would think "Well - they're just his *opinions*, so I should ignore them"?