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Troublesh00ter's avatar

“𝑊𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑” 𝑎𝑛𝑑 “𝑊𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜.”

Unless you're an employee, which means you do as we tell you, attend prayer meetings and read what we tell you to read, or we'll fire your ass. And THEN ... we'll get our asses kicked, individually and collectively, for being religious assholes!

Are we having fun yet?

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Not sure the owner would respect and listening to customers either when it concern religion. He seems entlited enough to try and prozelytise those who don't belong to the right flavor of christianity. Firing his company and try to find another one who doesn't do the same thing (especially in the babble belt) can be a hassle.

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oraxx's avatar

I make a point of NEVER doing business with any business that bills themselves as a Christian company. It means they can't be trusted.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Never saw a company advertising itself by mentionning theur religion. It wouldn't help them anyway. And preaching to their customers would end with a formal complaint with a customer association.

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Anri's avatar

I've seen plenty with an Ichthys on their ad copy - billboards, vehicles, or buildings. A bible quote is rarer, but far from gone, yet.

Of course, I'm from the gulf south, and currently live in the midwest, so you'd expect that kind of thing.

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xenubarb's avatar

In the 90s there was a used car dealership that put those fish on all their cars, implying that you could trust them because Jeebus.

I'd never buy a used car from them!

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

France, we tend to be more secular in our every day life.

I don't know if you remember French Pandora from Patheos.

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Donrox's avatar

Vive la France!

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Anri's avatar

Let me tell you, I envy you that. It's the better way to live.

(And, no, I'm afraid I don't recall them - sorry 'bout that.)

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Bill Wilson's avatar

I avoid employing businesses that advertise their bona fides as Christian. Here about in the Appalachian gravity wells there are a more than a few who advertise a themselves as a Christian oriented concern.

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cdbunch's avatar

One of the billboard companies uses it as their logo. Hendrick, I think. They own probably thousands of billboards that companies rent for their driver distracting ads. (The electronic ones are worse since they rotate and you end up staring at them too long to see the whole thing)

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RegularJoe's avatar

There are plenty 'round these parts (Iowa)....some explicit (crosses and 'Christian' in the marketing or name of business), some a bit more subtle (with the secret fishie, etc), some who do so through association (advertising with/alongside local churches, etc).

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jomicur's avatar

The biggest donor, loudest-mouthed, most obnoxious member of our parish board when I was a kid had the whole parish in his pocket. His company advertised in the weekly parish bulletin, and the priests regularly extolled the company from the pulpit during Sunday Mass for the "good, solid Catholic work" they did. When our house needed a new roof, my parents compliantly hired that company, and I remember the foreman leading his workers in prayer, as loudly and ostentatiously as possible, before they started work each morning.

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cdbunch's avatar

Other than the religious part, sounds like most companies I've worked for. Mandatory meetings at inconvenient times, most of which could have been an email you skimmed to see if there was actually any useful information. And to hell if you had to work late to meet your deadlines because they took an hour out of your work day.

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ericc's avatar

If I were the company lawyer, I would've gone with the Papa John's defense on those quotes. "Your honor, a legal 'reasonable person' would know that those statements are puffery and that no CEO actually feels its employees should be respected or listened to."

Admit it - I'd be right, wouldn't I? :)

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cdbunch's avatar

Statistics say there should be at least one, but I've never met zir.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

As we speak/type here, I am listening to a discussion of the instructions given to Donald Trump, regarding the conditions of his continued release. Among those were, effectively: "Don't commit a crime," and more specifically, do not attempt to coerce or intimidate a juror. Indeed, the judge further stated, though perhaps not in so many words, that he was subject to incarceration if he violated those terms.

If that can apply to Donald Trump, it can apply to a CEO, regardless of how self-important that person may think they are. Personally, I'd LOVE to see it happen.

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ericc's avatar

𝑁𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛’𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑦.

Why not? If some company CEO wanted to have a 'sexist joke meeting' at their workplace, and used the excuse "well, no employees has to go if they don't want to. This is just for me (the boss) and the employees who are like me", do you think that would fly? No, it wouldn't. For several reasons.

1. It's obviously exclusive.

2. It sets up an old boy network, giving the strong impression that promotion etc. is linked to attendence.

3. It's coercive even absent any formal requirement. Folks will feel pressure both to go, and to not-object when club activities (jokes, prayers, whatever) bleed over into other parts of the work environment.

The boss should not be leading any prayer group at work. Period.

Honestly this is not rocket surgery folks. At work, do work. Be professional. Save the non-work stuff for, y'know, not being at work.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

If you can't get 'em to come to church, put the church somewhere they can't get away from it. Praise Jeebus!

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NOGODZ20's avatar

They do like their captive audiences.

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jomicur's avatar

Everything but armed guards, barbed wire and striped pajamas.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Atheists and agnostics seem to be the only ones who didn't merit their own badge in the camps.

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jomicur's avatar

Discrimination!

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Maybe the Nazis were secretly afraid of us.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Their limited imzgination rended them unable to find one without an "A"

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avis piscivorus's avatar

"𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑦𝑒𝑒𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑏𝑎𝑑 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑟"

Those employees were fired for bad behaviour ... their employer's bad behaviour.

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oraxx's avatar

Forcing religion on people rarely has a happy ending in this country. I would have quit on the spot the first time I was ordered by my employer to participate in a prayer session. I doubt this company learns much from it, as these folks are very quick to paint themselves as the victims of religious persecution.

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Donrox's avatar

I would not do that to employees and volunteers of whom I was in charge, and I ran churches!

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jomicur's avatar

I'd guess the owner will make more than enough from speaking gigs on the Jesus circuit to make up for the amount he has to pay out.

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Richard S. Russell's avatar

Isn't this about where the self-proclaimed "Alliance Defending Freedom" usually steps in to assault people's freedom?

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Alliance Defending Christofascism

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NOGODZ20's avatar

And if they don't step up, how about that hate group fronted by Mat "The Loser" Staver?

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Liberty Counsel

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Yup. Dat's de one. Condolences that they're HQ'd in Orlando.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

You mean the dumbest lawyer in America not named Larry Klayman?

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cdbunch's avatar

Are you sure Guillani hasn't taken that title?

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wreck's avatar

Rudy is in a no-class of his own.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

I'm sure if Ed were still here, he'd have added Ghouliani to the joke somehow.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

With Ghouliani, the race would be a photo finish along with Staver and Klayman.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Maybe they were too busy licking the asses of some of the sc injustices that day.

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Richard Wade's avatar

Coercion, intimidation, shaming, and harsh consequences for not at least pretending to believe.

The only thing missing is a sword.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Demonstrates the weakness of the Christian message/religion.

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Bill Wilson's avatar

Yeah, no fun until the swords whipped out.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

“There were prayer requests that called out “poor performing employees” by name.“

This screams toxic work environment. Publicly shaming employees - who would want to work there? The owner needs to get a grip.

We need another huge labor movement to deal with this type of abuse. And we are on our way with the writers and actors strikes ( which is getting all the attention but not the only strike out there), Starbucks employees unionizing, UPS, railroad workers, and more. We need to keep up the momentum. Push lawmakers back to regulating employers, pressure corporations into fair compensation, and shame the fucking pizza party mentality into oblivion.

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cdbunch's avatar

The expected overtime for exempt employees. I worked for a company that staffed expecting their exempt employees to work 10% overtime. The same company put everyone 'on call' when someone sued to be afforded on-call pay when they came up in the on-call rotation.

I've said for years, IT needs a union. We often perform maintenance at midnight and are expected to show up for work the next morning at 8 and put in a full day.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

Yes! Unionize all industries, and I definitely see IT needs it.

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David Graf's avatar

Having been in IT for several decades, I can give a hearty AMEN to your comment. It's ridiculous what is expected of IT staff.

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Whitney's avatar

Maybe I've worked too many call centers, but my work experience says that most work environments are toxic these days.

The last job I worked had me in for at least 10 hours of scheduled overtime every freaking week - it was considered mandatory. This is a few years ago, when both my parents were making a tour of what seemed like every d*** medical facility in the greater Phoenix area. (Daddy had Parkinson's, Mom wrecked her car following him to the hospital.) Half the time I had no idea where they were or what was being done for them, and I couldn't get away from work without losing my job; under the circumstances FMLA* was a non-starter. By the time I quit, they had both passed away and I was able to attend the funerals only because they died in different calendar years.

Personally, I think the issue at the end of the day is the cultural value we place on 'work'. Too many people in the US are underpaid, overworked, and/or generally abused by a system that puts all the power in the hands of the employer and none at all in the hands of the employee; that lopsided power dynamic is (in some cases, literally) killing us. Quitting isn't a viable option for most considering the severe lack of social safety nets available and the general lack of charity for anyone who can't work a real job for whatever reason. Compassion failure at its worst.

*Try getting a doc to fill out paperwork for the Family Medical Leave Act when he knows your family member will be moving facilities tomorrow. Go on, try. That's assuming you can find a doc at the facility they're in this weekend, of course.

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cdbunch's avatar

The U.S. Labor department's motto: Work or die.

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Val Uptuous NotAgain's avatar

“The U.S. Labor department’s motto: Work and die.”

FTFY

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Guerillasurgeon's avatar

I was sort of surprised to find that more than 90% of jobs in the US are "at will". We lost a lot of freedoms in that neoliberal epoch of the 80s but even so we have more protections than most Americans. Unions have been gutted, weekends have disappeared, as has the eight-hour day. But you still can't fire someone on a whim. Yet.

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Die Anyway's avatar

> "There were prayer requests that called out “poor performing employees” by name.“

But it was done in a 'nice' way ----

"Dear Lord, please help Joe to meet his daily work quota. We really do like him and he needs this job so it would be a shame if we had to let him go. In Jesus' name, Amen."

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Or if he "accidentally" fell off a roof.

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NoOne of Consequence's avatar

Hey, he’s not a Russian politician, let’s not be crazy. More like three shocking nail gun accidents to remind him of who Saved him. 😇

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Joe King's avatar

Now this Christian company has extra incentive to gouge their customers. Remember folks, if you 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 deal with a Christian company, get it on writing, have your lawyer check the contract, and count your fingers after the handshake.

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xenubarb's avatar

And check all your pockets...

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Joan the Dork's avatar

...and make sure any bills you get back as change are printed on both sides.

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xenubarb's avatar

$50,000 worth of fake bills with bible verses on the reverse? :D

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cdbunch's avatar

OT: Are you still getting hassled by the transphobic Dawkins fanbois or did they finally move on to other things? The one who tried to assert that gametes proved there were only two sexes and even intersex people were male or female hasn't replied since I showed examples where it's just not that simple.

P.S. Some were claiming that intersex was being used as a pejorative (by who?). But, personally, I'd be a lot more insulted being called disordered. Just because it's different doesn't mean it's a disorder unless the person feels it negatively impacts their life.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Seems like nearly all of them have moved on, although only the one with the two-pump chump Substack blog was actually banned. "Andy" (presumed sockpuppet of the other Andy) was still at it ~9hrs ago, but none of the others have posted anything new in over a day- not that I saw with a quick scan, anyway. Guess they got bored... or else the Dick Signal went up somewhere else on the internet and they had to go be aggressively wrong way over there instead.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

One can wonder if this is their actual jobs.

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Joe King's avatar

I think most of them are socks.

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Reyn's avatar

This story makes me wonder how many unreported instances of forced religiosity continue in workplaces where management uses this sort of manipulation to control their workers.

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cdbunch's avatar

Thousands if not tens of thousands, I'm sure. Just the fear it will impact your performance review will keep most from refusing to participate, much less reporting it.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

To the Christian bosses at APS...

If your religion means that much to you, then close up shop and become ministers. Or does that not pay as much? If the loss of income is of that much concern to you, then your Christianity is a shallow thing.

I very much doubt you will sell all you have and give the money to the poor in order to follow the person you claim to be your savior.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Now this is what I call Christian Persecution in America. That is, Christians persecuting others.

Just the way it's been from the time when were were still a collection of colonies under the British, when Christians had the power to impose their will without hindrance.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

OT- Chump's Arraignment Hat Trick: https://apnews.com/article/live-updates-trump-indictment-jan-6-investigation-e64fbee9c47b310b1c8edb5265d12b07

We're three for three now! But wait, it gets better: https://apnews.com/article/trump-indictment-judge-tanya-chutkan-capitol-riot-9ba5c18d315697d759521425ea203012

...because the presiding judge, Tanya Chutkan, has developed a bit of a reputation for bringing the hammer down on insurrectionist shitbags. She's also the one responsible for the eminently quotable "𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵" line from a ruling where she court-slapped Chump's claim of perpetual executive privilege.

Get your popcorn ready!

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Lock him up! Lock him up! Lock him up!

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jomicur's avatar

CNN is reporting that he's in custody but hasn't actually been arraigned yet. An all-day sucker would be better than popcorn!

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Mug shots. I wanna see mug shots.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Show me one picture of him where he isn't as ugly as he would on a mugshot.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Especially that one in front of the church where protestors got gassed.

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jomicur's avatar

It was announced yesterday that he'd be fingerprinted but not photographed for a mug shot. Damn.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Well, damn it all. Killjoys.

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jomicur's avatar

Those cameras must be expensive. They may not want to risk damaging one by pointing it at Trump.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Alas. Was really looking forward to that side view.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

I doubt we'll get any. There is a 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 snap of him getting off the plane with a thousand-yard stare as his stupid tie blows up in his face, though.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Is his hair trying to make a break for it in that photo? 😄

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Can imagine all the misogynistic slurs Trump wants to hurl at her.

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jomicur's avatar

And will, as soon as he's released. I'm hoping she'll issue a gag order. Watching him hang himself in public would be so delicious.

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wreck's avatar

"I'm hoping she'll issue a gag order."

I think tRump is incapable of shutting the fuck up. A gag order would hopefully make him explode. Or, as you said, hang himself in public. Either way, I'm good with that.

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cdbunch's avatar

Even a contempt order isn't likely to get him more than house arrest. Too much trouble putting an SS detail in a jail.

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jomicur's avatar

That's part of the reason I'm sure he'll never see the inside of a jail cell. I'm expecting some kind of plea deal. I'm just hoping it'll include an assurance that he'll never run for office again. Besides, I don't think there are any prisons with an oval cell.

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cdbunch's avatar

He always has the option of refusing SS protection. He might be stupid enough to do that out of spite when they become his jailers.

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cdbunch's avatar

Go Judge Chutkan.

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Guerillasurgeon's avatar

The problem is, seemingly every time he gets indicted his numbers go up. I know you can stand for president from jail, but can you be president from jail? Or would he just pardon himself? Allowing presidents to pardon on a whim seems weird.

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Joan the Dork's avatar

His numbers go up for the 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯- but he's losing independents in droves, and those are the voters he needs for the general election.

I'm still not gonna count that shitbag out until he's 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 and out, though. He "didn't have a chance" once before, and look how 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 turned out. Same for any of the other equally repugnant GQP offerings (read: literally every single wretched one of them) waiting in the wings to step in should their Mango Messiah shuffle off.

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Lynn James's avatar

And there's a whole shitload more where those wretched other offerings come from. A bottomless pit of GQP thuggery just itching to be unleashed on the populace.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

He can't pardon himself if he's a private citizen. Just like he can't claim executive privilege.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

A black woman named by Barack Obama. He must be bursting with rage.

*Prepare some popcorn with her grapefruit flavored Timut pepper*

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Lynn James's avatar

I certainly hope so. A fitting comeuppance.

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩’𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐰

The indictment confirms what I and many others had expected: the apparent cooperation roles of two key witnesses who snubbed the Jan. 6 congressional committee, former Vice President Mike Pence and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. It is now clear that Pence will provide testimony as damning as Team Trump surely feared.

<snip>

The indictment seems to corroborate a long-standing expectation held by many of us courtroom veterans that Meadows’ absence from the scene indicated that he was cooperating with the government, and at trial will replicate the devastating role played by Gambino crime family captain “Sammy the Bull” Gravano in testifying against the family boss, John Gotti.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/08/arraignment-day-trump-best-legal-defense.html

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Aug 4, 2023
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Matri's avatar

What they don't realise is that they have already announced that they are the fools by publicly supporting him.

Admitting it would be news only in their tiny, fragile, isolated little bubble.

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Penfist's avatar

Tennessee is full of businesses with inappropriate work expectations. I'm sure it happens all over the South. I worked for a large commercial construction company that did the same thing - no force, but if you didn't attend it hurt your chances of promotion and impacted your annual reviews in a negative way. Imagine the uproar if a business forced employees to take classes that showed there is no evidence for any deities and that all gods are imaginary. How would that go over? I'm suspicious the outrage would be massive from the same people who demand Bible study as a mandatory part of employment.

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xenubarb's avatar

Heh. If I were asked to conduct a prayer, it'd start out, "Hail Satan!"

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ericc's avatar

Go with Xenu. It's equally absurd but I hear much more dangerous to sue about.

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xenubarb's avatar

Get this; actress and ex-Scientologist Leah Remini is suing the cult. Google it, I think it'll be a very interesting case. She has the resources to do something like this!

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Alverant's avatar

Is it me or does $50k for two illegal firings pretty light? At worst it cost them the salaries of those two employees for half a year. And what are the victims going to put on their resumes or tell interviewers when asked why they left? Any evasive answer will be taken in the worst way by interviewers intentionally or otherwise.

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cdbunch's avatar

Truth would work in most cases I think: I was fired for my religion.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Christian privilege.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

OT : not sure if I will be able to go with DM today. My fucking endometriosis choose this day to strike and I need to stay in a calm and stress free environment...

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RegularJoe's avatar

Damnit.

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