Worker Battles Employer Over Confederate Flag - PhillyBlog

cerberus413 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-03-2008, 01:38 PM

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- One man's pride in and loyalty to his Confederate flag has landed him in a free-speech fight with his employer, who doesn't want it displayed on company property.The flag is attached to Bobby Tillett's pickup truck, which he drives to work every day. Because his employer has banned the flag from his parking lot, Tillett is forced to park far from his job."If I take it down, that means you know the politically correct people would have won, and that's wrong," Bobby Tillett said. "If you believe in something that strong (you) should have no problem whatsoever to fly it." when he showed up for work at BJ's Wholesale off Pritchard Road."Management confronts me and tells me, politely, if I would take my flag off my truck," Tillett said. "I said, 'No, I will not.'"Tillett said his managers told him if he did not remove the flag, he couldn't park in the employee lot."I'm a firm believer it's not about winning or losing, it's about right and wrong," Tillett told Channel 4's Dan Leveton.So Tillett decided to park on public property about a half-mile away and walk to work.He says it takes him about 10 minutes to walk to the job, but it's worth it.

"It's about heritage; it's about pride," Tillett said. "I don't look at it much different than the American flag. There's been a lot of blood spilled over that flag, too, and I love that flag, and I'll fly it 'till the day I die."No one at BJ's would comment about the controversy, but they did issue a statement saying it is about the rights of other employees:

"Like all employers, we have guidelines of appropriate personal behavior and expression at work. While the policy does not identify any specific type of expression, it generally prohibits expression that is rude, abusive, hostile or intimidating. Under these guidelines, we asked this team member to not display the confederate flag in our parking lot. We are confident that we have struck the right balance for all of our team members and their work environment."

Tillett said none of his co-workers has told him they dislike the flag. He said most people support him and he plans to keep on flying his Confederate flag, even if it costs him the job."I'm standing by my guns ... or my flag," Tillett said.

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random · #2 (**permalink**) 05-03-2008, 04:48 PM

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Originally Posted by cerberus413

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Does he believe in private property rights too?

He's between a rock and a hard place. Sure, he has the right to express his views. So does his employer. The property belongs to the employer. Guess who wins.

Michael Tree · #3 (**permalink**) 05-03-2008, 05:31 PM

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Originally Posted by random

Does he believe in private property rights too?

He's between a rock and a hard place. Sure, he has the right to express his views. So does his employer. The property belongs to the employer. Guess who wins.

That sounds about right. Employers can't make unreasonable demands or restrictions, but after looking at the picture in that article, the employer's concerns seem justified. This isn't a bumper sticker or little window flag. It's a big, actual flag flying from the back of his truck, elevated up for all to see. It's also easily removable.

GMonkey · #4 (**permalink**) 05-03-2008, 05:59 PM

When people fly that flag, what heritage, exactly are they trying to represent? Is it really about the pride of being a Southerner? Do they have family who fought in the Civil War? Do they still want the Southern states to secede?

cerberus413 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-03-2008, 07:10 PM

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Originally Posted by random

Does he believe in private property rights too?

He's between a rock and a hard place. Sure, he has the right to express his views. So does his employer. The property belongs to the employer. Guess who wins.

So If I complained to the company about say...a rainbow flag that makes me "uncomfortable"....do you think they would ask that employee to take it down?

I doubt it.

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it generally prohibits expression that is rude, abusive, hostile or intimidating]

Hmm it is not as if its a noose or something....the guy is proud of being a redneck and there is nothing wrong with that.

Mixiboi · #6 (**permalink**) 05-03-2008, 10:39 PM

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Originally Posted by cerberus413

So If I complained to the company about say...a rainbow flag that makes me "uncomfortable"....do you think they would ask that employee to take it down?

No they wouldn't, because they would fire that employee....

http://hildeborg.blogspot.com/2007/0...y-in-many.html

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"If I take it down, that means you know the politically correct people would have won, and that's wrong," Bobby Tillett said. "If you believe in something that strong (you) should have no problem whatsoever to fly it."

If only that was the case Bobby....But this country still has an issue in belief and being yourself...

One day tho....

alesis · #7 (**permalink**) 05-04-2008, 03:15 AM

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Originally Posted by GMonkey

When people fly that flag, what heritage, exactly are they trying to represent? Is it really about the pride of being a Southerner? Do they have family who fought in the Civil War? Do they still want the Southern states to secede?

It is an equilateral mentality to those who wish for slavery reparations; both sides are idiots, and as a nation we have to realize that the past is gone.

If people so long for "the good ol' days", I invite them to live without penicillin, vaccines, pasteurization, government allotments, credit, and a myriad of other things they cling to while moaning about a former society they have nothing to do with.

Colin P. Varga · #8 (**permalink**) 05-04-2008, 02:45 PM

Let's define what a Confederate Flag is:

This is commonly "mistaken" for a Confederate Flag, a flag of the Confederacy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:C...ue%29.svg#file

This is the Confederate Battle Flag which I believe is the flag attached to the guy's truck:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:B...onfederacy.svg

The Stainless Banner it's self explanatory:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:C...Mar_4_1865.svg

"As a people, we are fighting to maintain the Heaven ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or colored race. A white flag would thus be emblematical of our cause."

The last Confederate Flag:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:C...Mar_4_1865.svg

It seems to me if you are concerned with history this is the flag that should be flying from someone's truck. If you are at war with the US the Confederate Battle Flag or the Navy Jack seems to me that statement. I can't remember the last time I saw a civilian with a US Naval Ensign. All of the Confederate flags are historical but also flags of White supremacy. The South wasn't necessarily fighting for slavery, but that nation was fighting for White supremacy and inequality.

random · #9 (**permalink**) 05-04-2008, 05:45 PM

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Originally Posted by cerberus413

So If I complained to the company about say...a rainbow flag that makes me "uncomfortable"....do you think they would ask that employee to take it down?

I doubt it.

I more than doubt it. But you don't own the property. Like I said, it's a tough situation. The property owner has the right to operate the property, to a large degree, how he sees fit. Most property owners are going to tend to bow to the demands of the PC crowd. You can express yourself as you please, unless what you want to say isn't popular.

Sometimes the property owner also has an opinion he wants to express (like Joey Vento). Then suddenly the PC crowd wants to eliminate private property rights. Funny how that works, isn't it?

random · #10 (**permalink**) 05-04-2008, 05:53 PM

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Originally Posted by Colin P. Varga

Let's define what a Confederate Flag is: . . .

I really don't think that's the issue. I don't think there's any question that flying a confederate flag isn't OK with PC pop culture.

The issue has more to do with a person's right to express unpopular opinions and how that right, as a practical matter, doesn't really exist in most places.

Likewise, there's still the tension with private property rights. I'd tend to believe that someone who flies the confederate flag is also someone who believes private property rights should be protected.

Creates an interesting problem.

I think the PC crowd should remove the stick up their butts and just ignore opinions or expressions they disagree with, or state their disagreement, like most rational people would tend to do. Squelching the expression itself is a little crazy. What exactly does that accomplish? The expression still exists but at least you can't see it so now it's all better?