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It's a slippery slope when you start becoming the moral compass for an entire office. What next, no bible, no autobiographies on Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Obama? I think if the context of the book was merely historical there should not have been a problem. If he was parading around the office with a goose-step and shouting "heil Hitler" it's a problem. The problem for management is you now have to adopt an "all or nothing at all" policy if you want to avoid a discrimination suit.
Very true. Is the guy preaching Nazism? Is he anti-Semitic? If not, then move on.
I read a lot of biographies and history books. That doesn't make me a 'Nazi' or a 'Communist,' or 'Benjamin Franklin,' or 'Mao.'
People should be allowed to read what they want within reason. If the guy brought porno to work, maybe you'd have the right to complain. I really think what the guy reads is his own business. No one is forcing YOU to read the books.
This is an extremely silly gripe IMO. Guess he should stick to Sport Illustrated or the local paper?? Bravo for him for actually reading books of substance!
I believe learning/teaching about Hitler/Nazism is banned in Germany. Is that was you want in the USA? Pretty soon all the war survivors will be dead and there will be no more first hand accounts about the Holocaust. How else can we learn how to prevent this if we don't read about it?
I went to school in Germany and it's not banned, but there's a very light approach taken to teaching it. They teach the philosophy behind Nazism and why it is unacceptable in society. It's a very embarrassing thing still for Germans and only recently have we been showing our flags and finally being proud of being German. It took a very long time.
Personally, I would not have been offended by a book on Hitler..I have Mein Kampf in 3 different languages in my library at home, as well as numerous other history books on 'evil' people. If you study the past, you can stop atrocities in the future.
I went to school in Germany and it's not banned, but there's a very light approach taken to teaching it. They teach the philosophy behind Nazism and why it is unacceptable in society. It's a very embarrassing thing still for Germans and only recently have we been showing our flags and finally being proud of being German. It took a very long time.
Personally, I would not have been offended by a book on Hitler..I have Mein Kampf in 3 different languages in my library at home, as well as numerous other history books on 'evil' people. If you study the past, you can stop atrocities in the future.
No but out of respect I would keep the book in a drawer. There might be Jewish or other minorities that would find it crass and offensive.
Everyone is offended by something. People need to quit being such crybabies and get over it.
I'm an Atheist and what if I were to get offended by ANYTHING religious? Should I be able to complain that someone is wearing a cross necklace? That someone has a bible on their desk?
1) The boss may be Jewish or married/related to someone Jewish and may have found the book threatening;
2) The boss may have found the book threatening to other employees in the office; or
3) Your co-worker may be spending alot of time reading [anything] instead of doing his work and this is a way of showing him that he needs to be doing work, not wasting time on a personal hobby.
1) The boss may be Jewish or married/related to someone Jewish and may have found the book threatening;
2) The boss may have found the book threatening to other employees in the office; or
3) Your co-worker may be spending alot of time reading [anything] instead of doing his work and this is a way of showing him that he needs to be doing work, not wasting time on a personal hobby.
But why would a history/biography book be threatening to anyone? History is not just filled with rainbows and unicorn farts... I can guarantee that EVERYTHING is offensive to someone.
And I'm a German girl with Jewish heritage, and a predominantly Jewish genetic disorder.... so I guess I'm offended of myself.
Maybe I am offended by the swim suit edition of Sport Illustrated. Guess the doctor's office better ban that! Oh, and those womens' magazines telling me how to be a happier, more fulfilled housewife offend me as 'sexist'
Once we ban/control 'reading material' we've really sunk into Big Brother's ideal society.
I have a co-worker who's an avid reader of history books, he goes to used book stores during lunch breaks and buys any books that has anything to do w/history. He at times leave the books in his office (we have cubicles) and today, the manager talked to him and told him that one of his books is offensive. It's a book about Hitler,(hard bound and you won't really notice it not unless you're really "thumbing" through the books). Is this offensive? The manager said it is and asked him to apologize (he did since he wanted to leave the office). What should he do? Talk to the union? NAACP?
I am amazed that this is even discussed. Why would a book be offensive? Does that mean the manager goes through his private items?
The manager must see himself in the book as he or she is a Nazi!!!
An employee does have a certain amount of privacy at work!
Unbelievable, sounds like a story out of the old USSR!!!!
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