I missread that as “ruining”.

Unless these chemicals are extremely likely to cause cancer, it is probably the least cancerous thing on our gear. It’s usually covered in soot and all kinds of nasty shit. We make a huge effort to keep them out of the cab of the truck, wash them everytime they get used, and we don’t just hang out in them because of the carcinogens that get on them from use. Also, a firefighter smoking is not as common as it used to be. Far less than most other fields. Our job requires us to be in great cardiovascular condition and the few smokers get chastised for it. The culture has drifted away from being a smoke eater, we take tons of preventative measures to keep the cancer out of our bodies, but we know it’s still likely going to happen.

Loudly, from the roof tops, “I accept your debate at ABC” Make him decline again.

The killing of civilians elicits no response, however, taking out the leader of a terrorist group does?

Meh, she was a DEI Hire. None of her accolades or accomplishments mean anything, haven’t you heard?

Fuck it, I’ll say it… if you have a medical trait that makes it risky to do high intensity exercises, don’t take up a career that requires high intensity exercise. The law suit should be directed at the person that did his pre-employment physical and OK’d him to work. Firefighters get physicals and have physical agility tests, cops get physicals and have physical agility tests, as do paramedics (to an extent). The jobs require it in emergency situations so they shake you out in controlled situations. It is what it is. Don’t let your hatred of cops make you gloss over that fact. If they targeted him in any way it is a valid complaint and if their agility test isn’t certified they can get in trouble, but it exists for a reason. If he couldn’t hang, they should have removed him.

Or the more common answer:

“He misspoke and the media is taking out of context.”

Even though he has said it thirty different ways and this just happens to line up with the narrative.

No! PoLiTiCaL ViOlEnCe iS bAd!!!

While I never told anyone not to vote for Biden, I definitely openly bitched about him not being capable of speaking and the absolute joke it is. I’m not a fan of Harris, but my God, a sentient adult is amazing.

I was thinking this when everyone was saying it’s too late to change candidates. While that might have been true if a campaign consisted of promoting people’s positives, that’s not what it is. It’s all about finding the dirt on the other and switching candidates late just means there has been less shit talked.

Also, she is a cop/lawyer. She’s prolly pretty good at arguing as long as she can handle the big(ger) stage.

I don’t think we can have a president with one fucking ear anyway.

Death penalty.

You’re right, those candidates are better. My brain focused on Buttigieg and Kamala in your comment and I went on a rant. Honestly starting to realize the smaller state and local elections make actual differences, everything at the federal level is a money funneling clown show.

Meh, I’m fine with none of those people. They are all the same, working for the same overlords, only difference is Biden has a stutter. Not a single thing would be different under any of the establishment democrats it is all a coordinated hivemind. I am so sick of the same shit. The people move to the left, and the government keeps shuffling to the right. Give us someone actually progressive. It’s starting to feel like this two party system doesn’t actually represent its tax paying population, and only represents a rich few who don’t actually pay any of those taxes. It feels like the two party system is being manipulated to intentionally move things to the right to benefit the upper class. I’m starting to feel like there is some taxation without any representation and a little disenfranchised. I’m starting to feel like I REALLY don’t give a shit who gets elected because the future is shit for me and my children with either choice. Maybe those people on January 6th at least fucking DID SOMETHING. Even if I don’t agree with it. But voting doesn’t do SHIT. They make sure of it. I will vote, AgAiNsT TrUmP (yay), But the Dems can’t sit here and play with fire and be surprised when it burns them just like it did in 2016. Put in some effort to actually represent the population and people might come vote. Until then, the dems deserve what is coming to them. Problem is we are the ones that suffer. The class of people at the top, the people you just listed as candidates, are all perfectly happy with a Trump presidency. They get their tax breaks, and they get to laugh at how dumb he is on MSNBC and all the other 24 hour news diarrhea channels while he lowers the bar for future candidates. It is a best case scenario for them.

Maybe the dems should try to do better than "slightly better than Trump "

I am pretty sure sycophant is gender neutral.

Ironically enough, I worked with an old, salty captain for the better part of a decade who’s name was Kelly. Never had his pronoun in his email signature that I recall. He is long retired now. And that is a stupid anecdotal argument, just surprisingly relevant and felt obligated to throw it out there.

I honestly agree, it is a simple thing to change if you can control how everyone thinks. Unfortunately, when you work in government, what people think is expensive. Weighing the chances of a successful or even unsuccessful lawsuit and poor employee morale vs pissing off constituents that vote on the next ballot measure to fund your department or for the council member that oversees your department is a decision that usually leads to left handed solutions like “In completely unrelated news, please use this signature line template for the sake of uniformity”

Given the fact that this was a hot topic already, I am sure lawyers or at least HR was involved in their decision and whatever backlash comes they probably already anticipated it.

Alls I can say is, I wear a uniform at work for the sake of a uniform, consistent representation of my department. Official communications and the signature line of my email is the same thing. I am at a fire department, it is very paramilitary and your individualism is beat out of you, you are just a cog in a machine, that is all. Anything else is viewed as a waste of taxpayers $$. Any individual freedom gets people hurt, or in this case just angers some rednecks that view it as a political statement… Either way, those rednecks are taxpayers too, so just remain neutral and use the predetermined signature line. If it is a true problem and not someone… trying to make a political statement, and it’s really important that the building owner of the bar you just inspected and are sending the inspection report to REALLY needs to know that you are they/them, and it is really messing up your mental health if they just assume you are another employee at the fire department, then that is a discussion for someone more important than me.

My personal view is in that and most situations, it doesn’t make sense that it weighs on someone that much. It’s not on par with someone that needs extra time to use the bathroom because of a handicap. Honestly, that comparison is absurd and offensive in itself. There is no reason everyone needs to know your pronouns. Just like they don’t need to know if I am a man or a woman. I am just a person, doing my job.

Either way, my situation is irrelevant. These people work at a school, a very different culture, and these changes were made immediately after they made some stupid comments in the stupidest way.

I guess, providing someone time to pray, and that person placing “I AM MUSLIM” On their official correspondence as a public servant/employee representing their department are two different things. I am not defending anyone here, just curious how it applies.

As for this situation, it seems if the memo said “you can’t put your pronouns or tribal affiliation on your signature” vs “Please use this official template for your email signature” would make all the difference in how a lawyer could defend it. And it sounds like they did the latter. But we all know the reason they did it.