Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

Basically, you can be a racist but not at Cisco's dime. Fair enough.

So much for free speech. I didn't attend the meeting, but heard it was very strange.

Free speech doesn't mean anyone can say anything and people need to remember that. Free speech is the protection from the government (jail, fines, or civil liability), not protection from everyone.

As an employee, you agreed to conduct yourself in accordance with the Cisco Code of Business Conduct. Your actions and words reflect upon the values of the company. If you say things that hurt the company's image, they can get rid of you in the interest of protecting their bottom line.

How many headlines have you seen where someone was fired because of some action they did in public? Seems like there's been a bunch lately.

Military service members give up their First Amendment rights under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), and can actually be jailed for their speech (rare, but it can happen). Some general make a joke about President Clinton at a military function in uniform and the general was reduced in rank and discharged.

The actions you take at work can have consequences. You are free to say anything you want, but you may have to accept the consequences for what you say.

Years ago, I've seen people at Cisco send or forward jokes that violate just about every HR rule anywhere, and the people who sent them get mad and say you should just delete it if you're offended when you tell them it was in-appropriate to send a joke like that at work. Just because you sent it to a group mail alias that recipients opt-into to receive message from doesn't relieve you of keeping the content safe for work.

I'll always remember this saying: You can say anything you want on your last day of work as long as you remember that it could be your last day.

Plain and Simple fact in this new life of social fascism:

If it is not in line with the chant of the social psychopaths and you dare to stick your neck out and have a difference in opinion it will get cut off and you will be labeled a racist.

But there were some comments that were really stupid and probably needed to be dealt with.

It was funny to watch as a future outsider though on Cisco TV because the comments started off with the usual a– kissing but then the whole conversation just degraded and was just self-destructing. It was just like watching an episode of big-brother on TV. The longer it went the more outrageous it got on both sides.

It is also sad to watch as somebody that is politically neutral to watch this happen to our country as whole. It is really bad that the art of compromise has been lost.

So much for free speech. I didn't attend the meeting, but heard it was very strange.

They fired folks for racial comments. Subtle difference, but a difference all the same.