newsobserver.com | Remarks against Obama probed
The department’s code of conduct, under the heading “private life,” states that an officer’s “character and conduct while off duty must always be exemplary, thus maintaining a position of respect in the community in which he or she lives and serves. The officer’s personal behavior must be beyond reproach.”
Lopez said even though the remarks were made on a personal Web page, the comments could be a violation of the policy.
“As a police officer, it doesn’t matter where you do it, if you provide disservice to the organization, it violates the [department’s] code of conduct,” he said. “It is a high standard that officers are held accountable to.”
Yeah. A “high standard” that contravenes an even higher standard - that of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
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Obviously you were never in the military. We had a saying: “We protect the Constitution, we don’t practice it…” There was no first amendment right in the military.
Just as in a private business, the federal government won’t arrest you for what you say, but your employer can still fire you for it.
Why is that obvious? Because I’m smart enough to distinguish between a civilian job like policeman, and a very specialized, non-civilian job like the military?
And no, your civilian or government employer can not, as a general rule, fire you for legal expression, especially political speech, outside your job without running afoul of the US Constitution.
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A further hint: If you want to avoid me calling you a dumbass in public, you’d be wise to avoid making dumbass assumptions followed up by erroneous statements you claim are fact.
Dumbass.
Ah, the renowned high standards of the Durham Police Department. They’re almost as high as the standards of the Durham DA’s office.
You’re half right. The constitution has nothing to say about whether a private entity (if that’s what you mean by “civilian employers”) can fire you for whatever reason it wants.
Yeah, you’re right. I wasn’t very clear, but I meant “civilian” in the sense of a non-military government employee. So I am right as far as public employees go.
When I was in the policy of the Corps was that you could not participate in any political event in uniform or in anyway imply that the Corps might support or condone your position. That included using your rank on political letters or mailings. How that would work with myspace or facebook would be to allow political statements only if your connection to the Corps was not mentioned on your page.