Upstate NY school board president ‘regularly’ sends offensive e-mails, including one calling Obama a ‘negro.’

[_Simpson_ 250]

3 more pages, were almost there, be strong.

[nowhereman 1]

If you tell jokes where the punch line relies on humour derived from racial stereotypes its a fair bet that someone will take this as indicative of your views on the subject in general.

Its not rocket science...

Jeez, I hope I am never as up-tight as you are.

Your RACIST RADAR is so domineering, you have no sense of humor.

This falls into the 1% of the time where I agree with Danno... telling an occasional joke of a racially inappropriate nature is fairly harmless. For example my wife is Asian & I've used the term DWA (Driving While Asian) & I'm pretty sure I'm not a racist.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

If you tell jokes where the punch line relies on humour derived from racial stereotypes its a fair bet that someone will take this as indicative of your views on the subject in general.

Its not rocket science...

Jeez, I hope I am never as up-tight as you are.

Your RACIST RADAR is so domineering, you have no sense of humor.

This falls into the 1% of the time where I agree with Danno... telling an occasional joke of a racially inappropriate nature is fairly harmless. For example my wife is Asian & I've used the term DWA (Driving While Asian) & I'm pretty sure I'm not a racist.

I'm not White, nor as uptight as many Whites posting here are about race - or religion.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

If you tell jokes where the punch line relies on humour derived from racial stereotypes its a fair bet that someone will take this as indicative of your views on the subject in general.

Its not rocket science...

Jeez, I hope I am never as up-tight as you are.

Your RACIST RADAR is so domineering, you have no sense of humor.

This falls into the 1% of the time where I agree with Danno... telling an occasional joke of a racially inappropriate nature is fairly harmless. For example my wife is Asian & I've used the term DWA (Driving While Asian) & I'm pretty sure I'm not a racist.

Well... going out on a limb - that's probably because your wife knows you. Do you think she'd view it the same way if a stranger came up to her and make that joke?

You can't rely on these assumption when you're dealing with strangers or casual acquaintances - because it does convey the impression that you hold the views behind the joke - as the guy in the article has experienced.

[joelunchbox 0]

Regardless of whether it was his own email, he represents his employer.

If you work for the government (city, state, or federal) you have to abide by their guidelines all the time.

If you want to push your personal agenda, you should work for yourself.

I don't know how intelligent he thinks he is, but he doesn't have much common sense.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Seriously.

[Danno 1,228]

So I guess if we made tasteless jokes about -for instance- Russian mail order brides who would ####### their grandmas for a green card, you would be ok with it?

While I might not like it (or might if it was funny) I would never suggest someone should be publicly flogged or loose their job about any joke told in the privacy of an email.

It's a little stunning how far the left has evolved.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

So I guess if we made tasteless jokes about -for instance- Russian mail order brides who would ####### their grandmas for a green card, you would be ok with it?

While I might not like it (or might if it was funny) I would never suggest someone should be publicly flogged or loose their job about any joke told in the privacy of an email.

It's a little stunning how far the left has evolved.

Of course he should lose his job - he's in a position of responsibility that is answerable to his local community.

You seem to have this bizarre idea that Free Speech somehow involves not having to take responsiblity for the things you say.

[Peikko 1,575]

I think I'm just a little stunned by your lack of recognition that racist jokes in this context are not just simply tasteless but clearly lack judgment for someone who is an elected representatives. They have standards to uphold that he clearly did not live up to. It's not like he could not be aware of how these things are perceived. If he was a comedian he would have that leeway, , he's not so he doesn't.

[AlHayatZween 2]

I think I'm just a little stunned by your lack of recognition that racist jokes in this context are not just simply tasteless but clearly lack judgment for someone who is an elected representatives. They have standards to uphold that he clearly did not live up to. It's not like he could not be aware of how these things are perceived. If he was a comedian he would have that leeway, , he's not so he doesn't.

Agreed. And also, the point is that he works in public education. With all the debate about academic standards, responsibility, and equality among students and their access to education, these kinds of comments are all the more offensive.

If he were holed up in the accounting office of some little known government agency, it might be different...

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Exactly - how can someone in position like that one think that not only is it appropriate to send jokes like that, but that it should have no bearing on whether or not he keeps his job.

On the one hand it shows crushing naivete and stupidity to do what he did, and on the other it implies that he holds the views that suggest it is OK to circulate that sort of material among colleagues and casual acquaintances.

The fact of the story was that some of the people who received those jokes were offended by them - hence the furore. It has nothing to do with "the left"

[Heracles 417]

Exactly - how can someone in position like that one think that not only is it appropriate to send jokes like that, but that it should have no bearing on whether or not he keeps his job.

On the one hand it shows crushing naivete and stupidity to do what he did, and on the other it implies that he holds the views that suggest it is OK to circulate that sort of material among colleagues and casual acquaintances.

The fact of the story was that some of the people who received those jokes were offended by them - hence the furore. It has nothing to do with "the left"

You would have reacted the same if it was a white joke sent by a black individual, right?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Exactly - how can someone in position like that one think that not only is it appropriate to send jokes like that, but that it should have no bearing on whether or not he keeps his job.

On the one hand it shows crushing naivete and stupidity to do what he did, and on the other it implies that he holds the views that suggest it is OK to circulate that sort of material among colleagues and casual acquaintances.

The fact of the story was that some of the people who received those jokes were offended by them - hence the furore. It has nothing to do with "the left"

You would have reacted the same if it was a white joke sent by a black individual, right?

Yep - that's right. Imagine that.

[Danno 1,228]

So I guess if we made tasteless jokes about -for instance- Russian mail order brides who would ####### their grandmas for a green card, you would be ok with it?

While I might not like it (or might if it was funny) I would never suggest someone should be publicly flogged or loose their job about any joke told in the privacy of an email.

It's a little stunning how far the left has evolved.

Of course he should lose his job - he's in a position of responsibility that is answerable to his local community.

You seem to have this bizarre idea that Free Speech somehow involves not having to take responsiblity for the things you say.

I don't suggest "free speech" is without bounds.

But Humor is hardly cross-burning.

If it is an OFFENSE to share humor that is offensive is must be as equally wrong to read such humor?

If a teacher were to read a website which contained such humor she must also suffer the wrath of the new McCARTHY types.

And Since Race is not the only protected group, a number you right here on this website might be made to answer for your mocking and ridicule of Muslims and Christians.

Some of it...pretty harsh. And As Pike says.. we must be made to take Responsibility for what we say... even in private.

Seems we had a local guy who had some group locate things he had posted years earlier, he was run out of a job.

Be careful what you post... it might be fine today, in 5-10 years who knows where this witch-hunt will lead and what will be dredged up from you internet history.

*Again, if this guy posted offensive jokes from a work computer or in his job capacity, I would agree its a public matter.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

So I guess if we made tasteless jokes about -for instance- Russian mail order brides who would ####### their grandmas for a green card, you would be ok with it?

While I might not like it (or might if it was funny) I would never suggest someone should be publicly flogged or loose their job about any joke told in the privacy of an email.

It's a little stunning how far the left has evolved.

Of course he should lose his job - he's in a position of responsibility that is answerable to his local community.

You seem to have this bizarre idea that Free Speech somehow involves not having to take responsiblity for the things you say.

I don't suggest "free speech" is without bounds.

But Humor is hardly cross-burning.

If it is an OFFENSE to share humor that is offensive is must be as equally wrong to read such humor?

If a teacher were to read a website which contained such humor she must also suffer the wrath of the new McCARTHY types.

And Since Race is not the only protected group, a number you right here on this website might be made to answer for your mocking and ridicule of Muslims and Christians.

Some of it...pretty harsh. And As Pike says.. we must be made to take Responsibility for what we say... even in private.

Seems we had a local guy who had some group locate things he had posted years earlier, he was run out of a job.

Be careful what you post... it might be fine today, in 5-10 years who knows where this witch-hunt will lead and what will be dredged up from you internet history.

*Again, if this guy posted offensive jokes from a work computer or in his job capacity, I would agree its a public matter.

It doesn't matter what computer he used Danno - he sent these jokes to people he worked with. It has nothing to do with McCarthyism and everything to do with a public official behaving in an appropriate manner.