I found this (garbage) in the staff lunchroom today...

[RiverStone]

On break at work this morning, I found this piece of fundamentalist propaganda left for all to view on the main table in the staff lunch room. It's titled 18 ways to be a good liberal and is filled with fear mongering typical wingnut stupidity. I found it not to be funny satire, but mean-spirited ignorance. Goggled the title and found lots of references (of course at Freeper type sites). This is what it says:

http://officespam.chattablogs.com/archives/037102.html

I work with a small staff - approx 25 folks - and though I may have suspicions as to which sh't-for-brains may have left this, I'm not sure. I'd categorize my work crew as generally middle of the road politically with a few lefties (myself included) and a few righty wackko's. Maybe once every couple of months, something like this appears on the table or posted on the bulletin board (which I promptly rip down and toss in the shredder). Needless to say, this trash talk met the same demise - shredded and off to the recycling center. :)

I am so tempted to approach the known fundies and challenge them as to why the f'ck are you so damn stupid! Alas, they really are too stupid to have an intelligent debate, so all that would do is create more battle lines in the office. My next idea was to print out something like this:

What You Need To Believe To Be A Republican this Year

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/hottopics/msg0418392627836.html?25

...and secretly leave it for all to view on the lunch table. Yet, that feels just as wimpy as the mystery wingnut that occasionally leaves this garbage in the first place. That would no doubt turn into a battle of ideological 'post-it notes' - I have so many in my arsenal - of course, it would become public (in such the small workplace) and what if the stealth rethug is my boss?

I love an enthusiastic debate, and am proud to have influenced a few converts away from supporting Shrub's insanity here at work. In no way do I hide my views. I just wish this person had enough guts to engage in an open and honest talk about the world - but he/she seems content to cower in the shadows. For now, I continue to take the high road; though would love to kick his or her proverbial rethug ass.

:kick:

[Poll_Blind]

1. I don't think it's worth challenging them. At my work there was...

...a guy who would always leave that day's paper open to a story on A) How many soldiers had died the day before in the Iraq war or B) some fuck-up by Bush. Loved it. Totally low-key but it got the point across.

  When I work with others, it's usually in small ad-hoc teams for a particular project. It can be like working on a submarine until we get it done so I never discuss God, politics or my sexual orientation.

PB

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Good for you, just keep shredding it.

[keepCAblue]

3. Call them out...

leave a big note in said break room asking the "coward who left the 18 ways to be a good liberal literature" why they feel the need to leave their mean-spirited and divisive propaganda secretly. The only answer to that question would be because they're ashamed of their views and afraid of any intellectual challenge. If they're not ashamed or afraid, then why be so secretive, why not be open and publicly accountable for his/her views?

[Lerkfish]

4. since you tear down their stuff, leaving your own allows them to do the same

and how would you feel, then?

My personal opinion is to leave their stuff up and THEN add your stuff. If you tear down and then add, you're unfairly manipulating it so only your voice gets heard....not very democratic.

[DesertRat]

5. I would continue to take the high road

I'd just shred the trash and let it go. Just remember,they are the minority.

[RiverStone]

12. good to hear you like the shredding

option as well DesertRat.

My activist side wants to chew em out.

My practical side wants to maintain workplace harmony.

My realistic side simply wants a healthy debate - it can't happen with a coward that never crawls out of his hole.

OK - the view from the high road still looks pretty good :) And it feels damn good to shred this stuff!

[Lex]

6. Propaganda anonymously left by a coward.

I hate that.

[ChicagoRonin]

7. If you do choose to respond . . .

Use the very things they claim to value to challenge them.
I suggest (anonymously) putting up the 10 Commandments, but with anotations as to how President Bush and/or the Republican Party has violated them ("Thou Shalt Not Kill" being the easiest). The Sermon on the Mount with the famous "Love thine enemy" quote is also good.

[unpossibles]

11. or even better, how about the Bill of Rights

and how he has broken those. More applicable, as the US is not a Christian nation.

[RiverStone]

13. I'd love to respond - face to face.

Thanks for the good suggestions ChicagoRonin, but for now I'll keep shredding. And hope to flush out the stealth poster with genuine lunchroom talk about BushCo's war crimes, the DEMS first 100 days, or why Shrub and Shooter need to pull a Nixon and resign in shame.

They can run, but they can't hide eh?

[Ian David]

8. I thought guy in my office was leaving little "Fuck You Ian" notes on my desk...

But then someone explained to me that "FYI" means "For Your Information."

[Demeter]

9. LOL!

I laugh because I'm just as much Not With It, and have to ask my 19 year-old to translate.

[Norquist Nemesis]

10. LOL! Had a similar experience

Had a boss that I'd leave a note for on things that needed attention. The first time, he sent it back with a "F/U". I marched in (which got his attention!), stared him down for a few seconds, then as politely as I could muster asked him what this (pointing) meant.

He looked back at me with a bit of disbelief that I would question it and replied, "Follow Up".

*head down, red faced, in retreat from his office*

[woo me with science]

21. I love this!

Oh, you poor thing!

[TheCowsCameHome]

14. Print it out and put it on top of the toilet paper roll.

[CrispyQ]

15. Leave theirs, but put the Joe Conservative in the lunch room, too.

Although I love the points made in "What You Need To Believe To Be a Republican this Year", I think the Joe Conservative piece is not as contentious.

[donco6]

16. If you create a war about it, be prepared.

I'm not sure it would be a good idea to fire back with your own salvo. It forces people to take sides, and you may not like which side people pick. It's not always based on rationality - sometimes people just pick the sides their friends are on. It could get really ugly if escalated.

[Rosemary2205]

17. Are you a big enough boss to actually address this?

You post did not make it clear how you are in management over the 25 people but if you have the power in your position to do so I strongly suggest there be a meeting and this problem addressed to the entire staff. A simple conversation about this being a workplace and not a church or civics club and the only written information left on the bulliten board should be related to the business. Say something about having respect for everyone's various viewpoints and they may discuss what they want in their personal time but business hours and business property is for business.

We had enough of a problem with this that we had to have every employee sign it. All emails and flyers must deal directly with our business. Anything of a political, religious, charitable or personal nature must be cleared through the owner of the business first. That put a stop to nearly all of it.

[mazzarro]

19. I am in total agreement with you on this

The work place is not quite conducive to this type of issue especially amongst a small population of co-workers. It will most likely divide people if you choose to challenge the person face-to-face on issue not directly related to work. Addressing it as to its impact on the work-environment is probably the best if you are in the position to do so. Otherwise, I will suggest that you either approach your boss, if you are in good terms, and argue the deleterious effect of such postings to the harmony of the work-place or counter with your own postings without reaping up theirs (however keep copies of what you are responding to) and let the boss intervene when the postings become nuisance to the work place.

[tanyev]

18. Go for broke. Put up one of these:

www.oldamericancentury.org

[melm00se]

20. work is a place of

work. Not a place to engage in political, religious or other debate/discussions that interfere with the reason that are not directly work related.

That is what the bar on the corner is for. Discussions like this over a few beers are great...