Irish Company's 'Mark of Respect' on September 11th
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news report
Wednesday September 11, 2002 21:48
by amanda - imc irl
Chorus Communications Displays Inability to Communicate with Staff in Adult Manner
Working for a large company I had anticipated I maybe required to take time out today to due to the first anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. When it wasn't mentioned earlier in the week I assumed that as the company was Irish and not American owned it would be allowed to pass without an official company response I was wrong.
I work in a call centre for a cable and digital television service provider. It's not a job I particularly enjoy or have any long-term plans to stay in, but I have bills and they are not an arms-manufacturer or massive polluter. (Although the company is owned by Prince's Holding, which belongs to Independent Newspapers and Tony O Reilly is my ultimate boss.)
When I came in at 11am, the start of my shift not two hours late, I had an email informing me that the company would be having a minutes silence at 1.46pm and the message on the phones to anyone ringing at this time would inform them that we were closing our lines in order to observe this silence as a mark of respect to America.
Over and over I read the email in order to digest it and decide exactly how to respond. Part of me said leave it go and just enjoy the few minutes of not being screamed at by irate customers but I couldn't, that just isn't me.
After speaking to some friends I trusted who don't work for the company during my break I wrote an email at 12.55pm to the management of my department stating.
I would like to request that today’s 1-minute silence be extended to include all innocent Afghani civilians who have died since October 5th and also to pray for no loss of innocent life in Iraq in the future. And also for a cessation of hostilities and violence between Pakistan and India, and Israel and Palestine which have been exacerbated by last year’s events.
All of these lives are just as important as anyone else’s. And as someone with friends in these countries as well as the US I don't see a difference and can't pay respects for one group of people without also doing so for the other.
Yours Sincerely
Amanda Moloney
It wasn't a lot of time to give them to change anything but I did at least expect a reply. I didn't get one. Following the minutes silence I sent the following email to all my department.
Hi all,
Earlier I sent this message around. It was rather late when I did that, as it was incredibly hard to form the words properly. So I imagine that is why I never got a reply.
----------Insert initial email--------------
I have friends who's family died last year in the WTC. I have friends who are desperately praying that their families in Iraq won't die now due to last year’s events. When I had my minute’s silence I included in it all who died on or since September 11th, and prayed to save those who yet may.
It is important to me that people are aware of that.
Thank you for reading this.
Amanda Moloney
Within five minutes of that I got a response from management. A woman whose job description seems to include "HR managers dirty work" came to my desk. I was told that sending the first message was ok but not the second one, as I had no right to involve anyone else at my level. I explained that I hadn't meant to criticise anyone but I hadn't got a response from management and felt a need to let to the people around me know what I was feeling. As I was given no choice about participating in the minutes silence despite the fact that I indicated I had a problem with it, I didn't think it would be out of bounds to advise my colleagues of something important to me.
I have since read the email I sent numerous times. And I feel it is perfectly reasonable. A number of co-workers contacted me and said I was echoing their sentiments or thanked me for sending it, as they didn't have the words or the bravery.
It seems to me that the biggest problem management had was not that I didn't want to tow the line, because they are perfectly capable of ignoring that. But because I chose to communicate that unwillingness to tow the line with my peers and it meant that they could no longer sweep my dissent under the carpet.
All I did was sit silently through their silence and then explain to those around my reasons for doing it as opposed to the reasons of the company.
I didn't stand up at 1.46pm and sing "A song for Basra" at the top of my voice. I didn't show up in my George W Bush war criminal t-shirt. I didn't criticises the company for participating in an over dramatised media stunt which is an attempt at justification for the upcoming murder of thousands of Iraqi civilians. I didn't mention the events of 29 years ago in Chile, the thousands of people who die every day of starvation and lack of medical attention due to American foreign policy. I didn't mention that I can understand why the World Trade Centre, and most certainly the Pentagon could be seen as legitimate targets by those who's lives have been destroyed by America's attempt to enforce their economic policies on the world, or my suspicions as to the truth surrounding those attacks.
No. I just asked that we think of all the other thousands of people whose lives have been lost because of last year’s events and hope that they could be the last.
Tomorrow I hand in my notice. That sounds more dramatic than it is as I was planning to leave in the near future anyway. But my disappointment that I feel in this company isn't something I will easily forget, and this isn't a dissent that they can contain.
Thank you for reading this.
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Comments (11 of 11)
Jump To Comment: 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1you seem to have been watching too much "Private Ryan"-type Yank-Propaganda, my friend.
If you mean by 'America is the reason that Europe is free' -- from Nazism, then I would just like to remind you that you've got Joe Stalin and Russia to thank for that much more than any Yank, who kept his sweet ass out of harm's way until 1944.
Just in case historical fact interests you, which I assume from your tone is not the case.
Schalom, BlackPope
Keith - you clearly swallow american propaganda wholesale, probably because you have been weaned on their television programs. There is a lot of good about America (BTW, I'm 40 and have lived in the US), but I beleive there is also profound and rising evil on a scale only previously reached in Germany. The idea of america as a deeply selfish, arrogant, violent, ignorant spiritual wasteland is becoming truer every day.
your action was both courageous and correct (IMHO). Why hand in your notice though? Most employers are pretty much the same, stay in the job, make them fire you, tie it in to your protest, watch them squirm.
Funny to see the comments that criticize you for your clear thinking and lack of hypocrisy though. I wonder are they trolls or do they really believe that the USA made Europe "free"? Ever heard of Gladio and Operation Paperclip?
It's people like Amanda that resist the theocratic fascists whether they be Christians or Muslims. Her detractors on this page are the people who, if they were born Saudi, would be busy defending the abuse of Filipino servants and the "stability" and "freedom" of the Al-Saud regime.
Good luck whatever you decide Amanda.
Yeah, Americans have invested in many a good thing, terrorism in the North, helping Iraq in the 1980s, the Taleban in Afghanistan, the Israeli army (who have the best equipment available but still can't avoid killing hundreds of innocents). The list is endless. American ideals are all well and good if you are well off and preferably white, or part of a compliant regime that they can use.
Freedom in the Middle East? On Israeli terms.
Bush does not need the 'Irish' vote, so no interest for us now.
Open your eyes Keith, American does not give a damn unless it is good for them.
Some principals to aspire to.
Brendan Behan was a life-long anti-imperialist. He detested US imperialism as much as he destested the British version. Don't twist his words to achieve an end.
I wish that i was shocked that Amanda's actions got the reaction they did from her employers but I am not. We are rushing to be the 51st state of America not the neutral state we are SUPPOSED to be.
Don't get me wrong what happened on September 11th in the US was so terrible that words can not express ever and my heart does go out to all who lost a family member or a friend ar a work colleague. But it also goes out to all the innocent people who have been killed because of September 11th.
ALL LIFE IS SACRED!!
The do gooders on the left who for the sake of pacifism will give in to any dictator or terrorist for the sake of the death innocent civilians in other lands, so conveniently used as propaganda. The very regimes and terror gangs frequently use their civilains as humans shields.
America is the reason why Europe is free today. It is one of the reasons why Northern Ireland has the prospect of peace.
It is the reason why there is one beacon of freedom in the Middle East and maybe a couple more within the next year!
While American foreign policy is far from perfect, the same could be said for all democracies. America's principals are those that most of us aspire to uphold.
Terrorists who attacked America and murdered 3000 civilians, the murderous gangs of Hamas, Hezbolah, The Tanzim, Fatah, Al Aska Martyrs, Popular front for Liberation of Palestine who deliberately target civilians in order to further their political goals whether legitimate or no; I hear no criticism. I only hear criticism of America and the Zionists (jews).
When each one of you left wing thinkers, most of which are not much older than 25, remember why Ireland is so prosperous today. Answer: American investment and Euro money.
I cannot stand ungrateful people who criticise unfairly countries whose ideals and generosity is one of the foundations of Irelands prosperity.
Ah but capital investment is just but another one of the crazy evils you leftists despise.
Grow up lefties and live in reality not fantasies!
Dear Amanda,
I was encouraged by the strength and power you displayed in your workplace today and I share your feelings and sentiments about the "commeration" wholeheartedly.
However, though it's clear that your decision to quit stems from a keen sense of justice and intolerance of hypocrisy, I thought I'd offer a couple of reasons for you to reconsider handing in your notice, if it's not already too late. I must stress that this is only my reaction, and offered in an honest way--this decision is ultimately up to you.
1. Your pointed activism and resistance to the hypocritical management directive will be well noted by your colleagues. Most will see you as a person of strength and conviction, someone willing to stand up ro what you believe in, a very admirable quality. If you quit becasue of those beliefs, I think it will make remaining co-workers less willing to take similar action in the future if, in order to make such a statement, they feel they would have to resign in the process. If you're made to leave for voicing a dissenting opinion, better that they fire you--at least it would make for an interesting story for the right reporter at the Irish Times and negative coverage of your employer.
2. Although you said that you're not especially invested in this job, it does pay the bills for now, and the (muted) response by management isn't especially unusual. To me, this is typical corporate behavior (your employer likely isn't more hypocritical than most) and if possible, it should be fought in the workplace. To me, this is exactly what you are doing with your dissenting comments. I do think your action will make them think twice in the future, as you were undoubtedly voicing the sentiments of many other co-workers apart from your own.
However it turns out, you have my admiration and I will relate your story to my friends and colleagues.
Best wishes, Kevin Donegan
Nice one Amanda, what about a commeration for the thousands of Afghans killed since 9/11, not to mention a commeration for all the people killed in Vietnam, Central America, East Timor, and Columbia. The sickening crap on RTE makes me want to puke.
Amanda - You are a real hero. The total, complete, mind-blowing hypocrisy shown by todays anniversary sickens me. It appears that most americans believe that non-american life is too cheap to acknowledge. I feel no sympathy for them.
"America...who hates you hates the human race"-Brendan Behan. The lesson from 9/11 is clear; The world has grown so small that coexistence between Western,liberal democracy and fascistic, theocratic, Moslem fundamentalism is no longer possible. The Irish left, and the American, are parroting stale slogans from a by-gone era. But the American people are prepared to back their Chief, Bush, in this struggle. And the Irish people will also support the Anglo-American democracies. The Good Friday Agreement means that Irish resistance to Anglo-American hegemony is over. So-Lets Roll!