HuffPost Editorial - Nebraska: Fire Assistant Football Coach Ron Brown

[knapplc]

I don't think you get it. I am saying if someone is making you feel uncomfortable that isn't enough in my mind to fire someone. The point you are making is way out of context, that is like the person who always brings up the Nazi's to make their point. I am sure that will be next in your analogy. It is protected activity to think as you like, this is not the USSR. I am not saying it is right to think that way about homosexuals but when we become the thought police it is really getting scary in this nation.

 

Your opinion is that creating a hostile work environment is not enough to fire someone. Decades of case law disagree with you, but *I* am the one who doesn't get it.

 

OK.

 

You are assuming now that Ron Brown and his beliefs are a hostile work environment. Simply believing in something is now a case for being fired in your opinion? Sieg Heil

 

Nowhere have I said that Ron Brown created a hostile environment, or that he should be fired. And Ron Brown didn't "simply believe in something" in this instance. He gave an unsolicited public statement against gays and cited his HOME ADDRESS as 1 Memorial Stadium, wrapping himself in the flag of UNL to espouse something that UNL most definitely does not stand for.

[johnnyrodgers20]

I don't think you get it. I am saying if someone is making you feel uncomfortable that isn't enough in my mind to fire someone. The point you are making is way out of context, that is like the person who always brings up the Nazi's to make their point. I am sure that will be next in your analogy. It is protected activity to think as you like, this is not the USSR. I am not saying it is right to think that way about homosexuals but when we become the thought police it is really getting scary in this nation.

 

Your opinion is that creating a hostile work environment is not enough to fire someone. Decades of case law disagree with you, but *I* am the one who doesn't get it.

 

OK.

 

You are assuming now that Ron Brown and his beliefs are a hostile work environment. Simply believing in something is now a case for being fired in your opinion? Sieg Heil

 

Nowhere have I said that Ron Brown created a hostile environment, or that he should be fired. And Ron Brown didn't "simply believe in something" in this instance. He gave an unsolicited public statement against gays and cited his HOME ADDRESS as 1 Memorial Stadium, wrapping himself in the flag of UNL to espouse something that UNL most definitely does not stand for.

 

 

So if I say I live somewhere there is where he crossed the threshold? He can believe something just not live anywhere?

[knapplc]

So if I say I live somewhere there is where he crossed the threshold? He can believe something just not live anywhere?

 

Why did Coach Brown say, when asked to give his name and address, "Coach Ron Brown, One Memorial Drive?"

 

Why didn't he just say he was Ron Brown, who lives at his actual home address? Why do you think he said that, Johnny?

[johnnyrodgers20]

So if I say I live somewhere there is where he crossed the threshold? He can believe something just not live anywhere?

 

Why did Coach Brown say, when asked to give his name and address, "Coach Ron Brown, One Memorial Drive?"

 

Why didn't he just say he was Ron Brown, who lives at his actual home address? Why do you think he said that, Johnny?

 

I don't know, do you? Can you get into other people's heads and know why they do something? If you can you should take your act on the road, knapplcy!!

[knapplc]

Of course you know, Johnny. Don't be disingenuous, now.

[johnnyrodgers20]

Of course you know, Johnny. Don't be disingenuous, now.

 

 

well, if you know, please enlighten me, knapplcy?

[Ziggy]

I'm as big of a Ron Brown supporter as you're going to find, but it is quite clear what he was saying in his testimony. I would love for Coach Brown to not have done what he did. But he did. And it doesn't do any good to try to rewrite history.

 

 

 

Sad as it is for me to say, it may be time for Coach Brown to focus on his ministry and hang up his whistle. I support his right to say what he says, but I do not support his insinuation that he said it wrapped in the cloak of "1 Memorial Stadium."

 

In all honesty I probably misread your post after going through the others. So please do not think I am trying to put words in your mouth.

 

It kinda sounds like you think he should be fired here, although you kind of leave it open to him quitting on his own. I read it as though you felt he had wronged the UNL name and needed to be fired. Coach Brown has every right to go to a meeting and express his views on the topic of the night. Was it a poor choice to attach the UNL name to his statement yes, I agree with you on that knapplc. But I felt the conversation was turning into a lynch mob against a person who is generally held pretty high by many people in very important circles. If you weren't at the Penn State game, it was one of the most emotional and awe inspiring experiences of my life, I have never seen one person command the attention of that many people that quickly and have a whole stadium at a complete silence. his ability to help heal so many wounds that day far outweighs the poor choice of words he may have used. I just don't think its a intelligent for a writer to so carelessly call for a person to be fired based solely on their person beliefs, it goes to the root of the problem with today's society. If someone does not agree with you and it hurts your feelings then they should be fired, or sued or called a intolerable jerk. So in closing, sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.

[The Dude]

So here is where I am not certain of my understanding so if someone else knows feel free to correct me:

 

Being outwardly against homosexuality creates a hostile work environment to anyone who is homosexual. If Coach Brown knows of people who are homosexual, and if he has tried to tell them that they are wrong in being homosexual, then that creates a hostile work environment and then Brown's religious views are interfering with the rights of a person to be homosexual.

 

Now I personally don't think Coach Brown is doing that, so he shouldn't be canned for just saying he's against homosexuality. A lot of people are against homosexuality, and a lot of those people have more authority than Coach Brown will ever have.

 

 

If you are going to use that logic then let me ask you a question, are you creating a hostile work environment if you are outwardly in support of homosexuals? Are you interferring with a person right to believe what he/she wants because you are making him/her uncomfortable with your beliefs? So shouldn't you be canned by saying you are in favor of homosexuals?

What does being "in favor of homosexuals" even mean? I don't think I'm "in favor" of them, but if we're going to say we believe in equality we shouldn't discriminate against them. The only reason this was even a controversy is because Brown slyly acted as if he was representing the university then contradicted the university's position on such matters. If he would have been in favor of the anti-discrimination bill, it probably wouldn't have been a big deal because that would actually represent the university's position.

[It'sNotAFakeID]

So here is where I am not certain of my understanding so if someone else knows feel free to correct me:

 

Being outwardly against homosexuality creates a hostile work environment to anyone who is homosexual. If Coach Brown knows of people who are homosexual, and if he has tried to tell them that they are wrong in being homosexual, then that creates a hostile work environment and then Brown's religious views are interfering with the rights of a person to be homosexual.

 

Now I personally don't think Coach Brown is doing that, so he shouldn't be canned for just saying he's against homosexuality. A lot of people are against homosexuality, and a lot of those people have more authority than Coach Brown will ever have.

 

 

If you are going to use that logic then let me ask you a question, are you creating a hostile work environment if you are outwardly in support of homosexuals? Are you interferring with a person right to believe what he/she wants because you are making him/her uncomfortable with your beliefs? So shouldn't you be canned by saying you are in favor of homosexuals?

 

Let me be more blunt. You're creating a hostile work environment if somebody is uncomfortable with your beliefs and your actions. Much the same as sexual harassment. For a guy to sexually harass a female, he has to hold a certain belief about himself and about women in general. His beliefs and thus his actions because they are guided by his beliefs create a hostile work environment and can thus be subjected to firing.

 

With homosexuality comes a lot of gray area. Chances are, you could not support gay rights at all and maintain your job so long as you don't create a hostile work environment. Much the same, you could support gay rights and maintain your job so long as you don't create a hostile work environment. You only create a hostile work environment if somebody thinks you do. So if an anti-gay rights person through his beliefs acts in a way towards anyone (could be a heterosexual or a homosexual person) that makes someone feel uncomfortable, then you create a hostile work environment.

 

If there are people within the University that are uncomfortable with what Coach Brown said, then his firing should at least be reviewed. So far, I haven't heard from anyone who thought he intentionally meant to list his address as that of the University. Chances are, he had just came from doing something University related and that address just so happened to come from his mouth.

[knapplc]

I'm as big of a Ron Brown supporter as you're going to find, but it is quite clear what he was saying in his testimony. I would love for Coach Brown to not have done what he did. But he did. And it doesn't do any good to try to rewrite history.

 

 

 

Sad as it is for me to say, it may be time for Coach Brown to focus on his ministry and hang up his whistle. I support his right to say what he says, but I do not support his insinuation that he said it wrapped in the cloak of "1 Memorial Stadium."

 

In all honesty I probably misread your post after going through the others. So please do not think I am trying to put words in your mouth.

 

It kinda sounds like you think he should be fired here, although you kind of leave it open to him quitting on his own. I read it as though you felt he had wronged the UNL name and needed to be fired. Coach Brown has every right to go to a meeting and express his views on the topic of the night. Was it a poor choice to attach the UNL name to his statement yes, I agree with you on that knapplc. But I felt the conversation was turning into a lynch mob against a person who is generally held pretty high by many people in very important circles. If you weren't at the Penn State game, it was one of the most emotional and awe inspiring experiences of my life, I have never seen one person command the attention of that many people that quickly and have a whole stadium at a complete silence. his ability to help heal so many wounds that day far outweighs the poor choice of words he may have used. I just don't think its a intelligent for a writer to so carelessly call for a person to be fired based solely on their person beliefs, it goes to the root of the problem with today's society. If someone does not agree with you and it hurts your feelings then they should be fired, or sued or called a intolerable jerk. So in closing, sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.

 

I am not advocating the termination of Coach Brown. I'm simply pointing out how or why he could be fired for what he did.

[Excel]

Personally, I hope you guys fire Coach Brown...anything to weaken the surrounding conference rivals

[husker_99]

I understand he is passionate about his religion but since he is a role model for these kids he really need to think about others that don't believe exactly what he does. Honestly if i was Bo i would probably fire him. This could last a long while and maybe even divide the team.(i don't know)