And for those of you who don't know who Lindsey Stone is, she's the manager at a Hyannis, Massachusetts adult foster care home called LIFE, which stands for Living Independently Forever, and is a community for adults with disabilities.
In October, Lindsey was one of the workers who took a group of developmentally-disabled adults from that center down to Washington, DC. While in our nation's capitol, the group toured Arlington National Cemetery. Lindsey, being the reverent, respectful, mature person that she is, stood next to a sign requesting silence and respect and pretended to shout loudly while flashing the bird as her own supervisor, Jamie Schuh, snapped pictures. The two then proudly posted the picture to their Facebook pages.
Well the outrage erupted when the picture went viral,and Lindsey herself got on her own Facebook page and downplayed it.
"Whoa whoa whoa... wait," she wrote on Oct. 20, according to Gawker. "This is just us, being the douchebags that we are, challenging authority in general. Much like the pic posted the night before, of me smoking right next to a no smoking sign."
She also posted comments on her employer's Facebook page when they started catching flack for it. "What's the big deal?" she allegedly posted, followed by "Haters gonna hate."
So she really wasn't very sorry about it, at least not until a new Facebook page came out called Fire Lindsey Stone. This page, set up by a user who claimes to be a retired vet, is calling on LIFE to give Stone and Schuh the boot, and it's already got over 6,000 likes.
Why target the employer, you ask? Simple. She did this while she was on the clock, working as an official representative of that company. And she wasn't just a minimum-wage staffer; she was one of the managers. (And Schuh was her supervisor, so she needs to go, too.)
While I'm all about the First Amendment, I also believe that it was designed to protect political speech from government retribution, not to keep assholes from being held accountable when they behave boorishly. I also don't think that this is the sort of person who can be trusted around vulnerable adults as we never know what else she might find "funny". Maybe next week she'll be switching their meds around or videotaping them in the showers.
So add me to the list of people who think that both Lindsey Stone and her cohort in disrespect, Jamie Schuh, need to be shown the door by LIFE and barred from working around children or vulnerable adults, at least until they can demonstrate that they are capable of showing basic respect and maturity.
Oh, and per the Boston Herald, Lindsey Stone is a 30-year-old single woman who still lives with her parents. What a frickin' surprise, eh?
I may finally join facebook, just so that I can "like" the idea of firing both of them. +1 on the reality that free speech doesn't mean speech without consequences.
ReplyDeleteJust went and liked that page, thanks!
ReplyDeleteThere's a serious lack of comprehension of appropriate behavior. Like a 15 yr old, not a mature adult.
ReplyDeleteOver 16,000 likes as of 10:30am. I almost (but not quite) feel sorry for Stone - in her naivete she has absolutely no idea what she's unleashed with her stupidity. This is definitely "gonna leave a mark."
ReplyDeleteAs it should.
Her actions are politically protected, but not from natural consequences. Since her job is to "help" disabled folks, many of whom I assume are veterans, she should be fired for demonstrably poor judgment.
ReplyDeleteMore likely the two are "deeply sorry" because they're in trouble at work now and might be fired.
ReplyDeleteThe glory of Facebook - now you can conclusively demonstrate to the world that you are a moron.
ReplyDeleteBefore, only a select few knew she was that stupid and the consequences were much lower.
They have free speech. They just don't want the consequences of that speech. Fire them both.
ReplyDeleteIf we get her fired then our tax dollars are gonna go to her food stamps and healthcare. She is a disgusting excuse for a human being, but I am sick of paying for people's unemployment, I don't want that sorry excuse for a human to get one cent of my money. Let her work for it. The company should discipline her and maybe dock her pay for a while though.
ReplyDeleteDo single, no dependant, living with Mom & Dad, fired for cause people legally qualify for unemployment and food stamps?
ReplyDeleteI think, since there's proof of the location, that she should be required to spend time doing community service both in Arlington National Cemetary, AND with vets of all eras. For a year, at least, to really let it sink in. And I also agree with AGirl...I don't want her getting ANY portion of my tax dollars.
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding...do you think everyone on government assistance qualifies? This administration that boosts the highest number of folks on food stamps. A president that encourages dependence...yeah, I am not confident they would turn her away.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the "No accountability" generation. This is what it raises.
ReplyDeleteFire her.
I look at my daughter, OK, I didn't raise her, all I did was give her genes and get her great adoptive parents, but I look at her, working 3 jobs sometimes, volunteering, a shooter, respectful to veterans and the eldery and even though I had NO hand it in, I have hope for our future.
"This is just us, being the douchebags that we are"
ReplyDeleteI believe it.
Sad people are so desperate for someone to notice them they have to pull such stunts.
I don't know about firing them but I'd sure force them to wear a dunce hat for month.
Hey. Wait a second.
ReplyDeleteShe's a 30 year old single woman, and you're a (kinda) 30 year old single guy.
I think we need to set you up...this could be the blind date of the century.
C'mon. Where's your sense of adventure? She's not all that bad looking, and I hear she has a great personality...
(Yep, I'm drinking.)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Lagniappe, do you realize what a hypocrite you are? You have stated that Liberals want to control how others live, yet you do that yourself. You constantly criticize legal things that others do, but then you say that that is a "liberal" trait. So how do you rationalize that? What this woman did was legal, so therefore it is ok, right? Just like the guys shooting the pigeons, right? Don't you see how compartmentalized your thinking is? Don't you see that hypocrisy?
ReplyDelete@ MsgtB: Dude, come here so I can smack ya.
ReplyDeleteI'm confused!
ReplyDeleteLIFE, according to its website [www.lifecapecod.org], is an organization that serves "adults with learning and intellectual disabilities."
Are Lindsey and Jamie employees, or are they the residents?
Happy Thanksgiving!! And also MSgt B is hilarious!
ReplyDeleteHey, good news - they're fired!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/11/22/nonprofit-worker-fired-after-photo-scandal-at-arlington-national-cemetery/?intcmp=obinsite
Thanks for the link.Fire the vapid twit
ReplyDelete@ fels: Big difference between speaking out when people do inappropriate things and using the power of government to force people to conform to certain standards of conduct. You keep trying to make this "hypocrisy" claim as you stalk through me posts but you fail to spot the fundamental differences. Think before you post, please.
ReplyDelete