Why? Because they stuck to their guns over a god-promoting piece of tin on an employee’s vest and fired him after they warned him what would happen if he didn’t remove it.
A former cashier for The Home Depot who has been wearing a “One nation under God” button on his work apron for more than a year has been fired, he says because of the religious reference. The company claims that expressing such personal beliefs is simply not allowed.
“I’ve worn it for well over a year and I support my country and God,” Trevor Keezor said Tuesday. “I was just doing what I think every American should do, just love my country.”
So wear a pin that says “America Rules!” or “USA is A-OK!” A person can be patriotic without advertising a religion. I think this cross pin looks completely retarded, but you see how many other choices are available?
The American flag button Keezer wore in the Florida store since March 2008 says “One nation under God, indivisible.”
Earlier this month, he began bringing a Bible to read during his lunch break at the store in the rural town of Okeechobee, about 140 miles north of Miami. That’s when he says The Home Depot management told him he would have to remove the button.
Keezer refused, and he was fired on Oct. 23, he said.
“It feels kind of like a punishment, like I was punished for just loving my country,” Keezer said.
Keezor or Keezer? Someone didn’t proofread this. Anyway, I’m glad I’m not in the States. Truly. The fact that people equate “I love my country” with “God makes this country great and the bestest evar!” would drive me insane. They saw the bible, they noticed the pin (finally) and realized they’d better inform the guy of their rules that apply to everyone.
A Home Depot spokesman said Keezer was fired because he violated the company’s dress code.
“This associate chose to wear a button that expressed his religious beliefs. The issue is not whether or not we agree with the message on the button,” Craig Fishel said. “That’s not our place to say, which is exactly why we have a blanket policy, which is long-standing and well-communicated to our associates, that only company-provided pins and badges can be worn on our aprons.”
There. It seems like god lovers think they’ve earned exemption to rules. Why? Is it because in so many cases claiming a religious reason gets people out of a lot of things they’d otherwise have to do? Tough toots here. All he had to do was remove his pin and he could keep working. I guess he couldn’t wear any pin that wasn’t a Home Depot pin so I hope this means they also cracked down on everyone else who wore “inappropriate” pins, otherwise it does look like this guy got targeted because of his religion.
Fishel said Keezer was offered a company-approved pin that said, “United We Stand,” but he declined.
Keezer’s lawyer, Kara Skorupa, said she planned to sue the Atlanta-based company.
“There are federal and state laws that protect against religious discrimination,” Skorupa said. “It’s not like he was out in the aisles preaching to people.”
They offered him an acceptable alternative. Why didn’t he take it? He’s making an issue out of this that doesn’t need to be made. It’s not persecution when it applies to everyone. Follow the damned rules.
Keezer said he was working at the store to earn money for college, and wore the button to support his country and his 27-year-old brother, who is in the National Guard and is set to report in December for a second tour of duty in Iraq.
Skorupa noted the slogan on Keezer’s pin is straight from the Pledge of Allegiance.
Does a Canadian atheist need to remind readers of who put it in there and when and why?
“These mottos and sayings that involve God, that’s part of our country and historical fabric,” Skorupa said. “In God we trust is on our money.”
I prefer In God We rust and would love to see atheists make a shirt with a cartoon quarter on it that says so. I’d make one but I have no skill.
Michael Masinter, a civil rights and employment law professor at NOVA Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, said any lawsuit over religious discrimination might be a tough one to win.
“Because it’s a private business, not one that’s owned and operated by the government, it doesn’t have to operate under the free speech provisions of the First Amendment,” Masinter said.
“But we’re not talking about religious displays here,” he said. “This sounds more like a political message … Wearing a button of that sort would not easily be described as a traditional form of religious expression like wearing a cross or wearing a yarmulke.”
There you go. Waste the man’s money on a frivolous lawsuit. Waste Florida’s money. A win is not in the bag, but maybe a handkerchief is. Quit whining already.
One Minion's Opinion 
somewhere in the bible god says for his people not to get involved in lawsuits. of course that is another overlooked verse.
the elementary school my nephew attends, the principal holds a before school prayer meeting around the flag every morning and has “in god we trust” plastered over nearly every square inch of the school.
he alos fired a teacher, she claims it is because she refused to pray. it is now in court. so much florida taxpayers dollars are paying for this mess.
in the meantime, said christian principal is involved in an extramarital affair with the assistant principal, who surprise, is also a christian.
Hypocracy is always a joy to read about.
There are a lot of Christians and other religious people, and most of them screw up. That Galilean is quoted as telling a lot of people, “Your sins are forgiven.” (and adding ‘Go and sin no more.’)
Many more will adopt those mores as the concept of contiguous dimensional worlds becomes known. They will change from thinking ‘there is only this world’ to knowing that persons from the higher contiguous world are watching, and the records are indelible.
‘Techie Worlds’ (available at amazon.com) shows that believers in Christianity can hold their views utilizing sound logic, clear thinking and a mechanistic view of worlds. Applying Flatland’s concept of contiguous dimensional worlds, Trinity, Resurrection, Judgment and soul are sensible and mechanically viable beliefs. ‘Techie Worlds’ follows that rule of science by which individual details are tested for their conformity to the overarching hypothesis. Admittedly, agnostics may choose not to follow such obvious and sensible logic, but no longer can they denigrate believers for fuzzy thinking. Moslems and pagans who read and understand the sound logic of the Flatland concept must adopt the reasonable Trinitarian view. ‘Techie Worlds’ will make them abandon the ways of terror an adopt the way of love. Techie Worlds is not standard preacher-prattle. Only by reading it can you open your mind to its valid way of understanding Christianity.
GeorgeRic
Didn’t you put a Techie Worlds note on one of my other posts? I see this is a book you wrote, so congrats for getting published.
You’re saying god and angels exist in a dimension that doesn’t exist in the same time-space as ours which is why we don’t see them? Like that Stargate episode the year after Michael Shanks left and everyone who got zapped by this weird little machine started seeing funky alter-dimension bugs everywhere that would normally have been invisible but occupying the same space in a different dimension. That was a good episode, even without Michael Shanks in it.
oh i think michael shanks is sooooo cute.
Oh hell yeah. Did you see his bit in Burn Notice season 2, I think it was? Kind of bummed about what happened there, but woot! Go Canada man! Woot!