(I know this is maybe not considered a huge or serious issue on the Women's Studies front, but every now and then, I feel there are people that need to be reminded.)
To Retail Managers Everywhere,
Learn your employees names, please. I know it is a large store, but everyone who works there is forced to wear name tags. I don't really like to wear the name tag, it gives people we are waiting on the idea that they can call us by name even if they have no idea who we are, or anything about us. It creates an odd sense of power for the customer, I think to be able to call us by name when we don't know theirs. So I'm not sure who is to benefit from us having our names plastered to our chests- I know what my name is, I sure don't need reminding. Maybe it is for the employer...
I don't think it should be a huge deal for you to learn our names. If you don't know someone's name, feel free to glance down, around the left breastal region, there should be a name tag. Remember, we know our own names, the labels can only benefit you. If there isn't one, it's clearly okay to ask. Read the name and when you acknowledge us, call us by name. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, call us "hon", "sweetie", "dear", or perhaps most of all, "girl". By this "us", I mean women employees, who are usually cashiers under the age of 30.
We are employees, not your grandchildren. My Grampie was the only one I ever liked calling me "sweetie", because from him it was him being kind and a grampie. From an employer, it sounds condescending and demeaning to be called such things. With "hon" and "dear", the names I've found to be most commonly thrown around by managers in retail, it is not cool for you to call us that. I am not your significant other. I did not tell you it was okay to call me that, ever. In fact, I'm pretty sure every time you call me such names, I look away and cringe. Calling me by name should not create the same sense of power that it does with customers, but calling me "hon" does. Is this what you mean to do? By calling us by name every once in awhile, and NOT "hon", "sweetie" or "dear", it shows respect for us as people and as employees.
Do not, for no particular reason at all say "you go, girl" while you are passing employees. That is just creepy and weird. If we had, for example, saved a small child from disaster, still, you should never say "you go girl". It would still be creepy and weird. That one is not my experience, but one of a fellow employee, even so, I feel I can say that it is not okay to label me by a gender, don't call me the label you have given me.
Marianne
Friday, December 19, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
human/non-human
Here is an interesting little video that I watched this morning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6r4KT8-VX0
It is not the best example but it totally makes me think of the question what defines human and what are you if you're not human..
Here are some of the lyrics from the song,
Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer
Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
Will your system be alright
When you dream of home tonight?
There is no message we're receiving
Let me know is your heart still beating
To the Killers, you can either be human or a dancer I guess. What I find interesting is that they include a couple of lines that signify what they think human means as well as non-human/dancer.
Something to think about.
Peace,
Kerrilynn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6r4KT8-VX0
It is not the best example but it totally makes me think of the question what defines human and what are you if you're not human..
Here are some of the lyrics from the song,
Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer
Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
Will your system be alright
When you dream of home tonight?
There is no message we're receiving
Let me know is your heart still beating
To the Killers, you can either be human or a dancer I guess. What I find interesting is that they include a couple of lines that signify what they think human means as well as non-human/dancer.
Something to think about.
Peace,
Kerrilynn
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
This is kind of interesting
As you will find out, I was hesistant to post this on here ...
"The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a crïeche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her, 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc., I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you'd better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein"
Peace,
Kerrilynn
"The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a crïeche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her, 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc., I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you'd better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein"
Peace,
Kerrilynn
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