THE WOMAN IN THE VIRAL PHOTO OF A BIKER FLIPPING OFF TRUMP'S
MOTORCADE HAS BEEN FIRED OVER THE IMAGE.
THIS WOMAN IS JULIE BRISTOW MAN, A 50-YEAR-OLD MOTHER OF TWO.
SHE SAID SHE WAS STUNNED THAT SOMEONE HAD TAKEN A PICTURE
OF HER GIVING TRUMP THE MIDDLE FINGER.
APPARENTLY HE WAS DRIVING BACK FROM A GOLF COURSE AND SHE
WAS ALONG THE ROUTE.
SHE SAYS SHE GAVE IN THE MIDDLE FINGER A FEW TIMES AND THE
PICTURE WAS SNAPPED BY A WHITE HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHER.
IT HAS SINCE GONE VIRAL.
AS THE PHOTO CIRCULATED ONLINE SHE DECIDED TO TELL HER
COMPANY WHAT HAPPENED.
WHEN SHE WENT TO WORK ON MONDAY – BY TUESDAY HER BOSS IS CALLED
INTO A MEETING AND HAD VIOLATED THE COMPANY POLICY BY
MAKING THE PICTURE OR PROFILE PICTURE.
SHE WANTED TO GIVE HER COMPANY A HEADS UP, THEN ON TUESDAY
THEY FIRED HER OVER THIS PHOTO.
THE COMPANY SAID THE
PHOTO COULD HURT THEIR BUSINESS BECAUSE
THEY ARE A GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR.
THAT LOGIC DIDN'T SEEM TO HOLD TRUE IN OTHER CASES.
IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE MAY BE A LITTLE BIT OF A POLITICAL
BIAS THERE.
IT SEEMS ABSURD THAT HE WOULD KEEP HIS JOB FOR SAYING THAT BUT
THEN FLIPPING OFF TRUMP'S MOTORCADE, THAT SEEMED MORE
OBSCENE AND RUDE THAN USING THAT SORT OF LANGUAGE ONLINE.
IT SEEMS SORT OF ANTITHETICAL TO A LOT OF THE RHETORIC YOU HERE.
THEY ARE ALL AGAINST THIS PC CULTURE, AND THEN SOMEBODY FLIPS
SOMEBODY OFTEN THEY ARE FIRED OVER THAT?
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
>> THAT IS KIND OF THE DANGER OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
THERE'S A LOT OF PERKS, BUT ON THE DOWNSIDE IF YOU DO
SOMETHING LIKE THIS WHICH IS FREEDOM OF SPEECH
TECHNICALLY AND THEN YOU USE IT AS YOUR PROFILE PICTURE AND THEN
PEOPLE IDENTIFY WHERE YOU WORK, THEY KIND OF GO HAND IN HAND.
I DON'T REALLY AGREE WITH HER USING IT AS HER FACEBOOK
PHOTO BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT IS KIND OF CRAZY THAT SHE GOT
FIRED OVER THAT.
>> I THINK IT IS EXACTLY RIGHT.
>>YOU REALLY ARE ASKING FOR IT.
YOU ARE LOOKING FOR TROUBLE.
>>AND THEN YOU GO TO HR AND YOU POINTED OUT TO THEM.
YOU MIGHT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH IT.
BUT THERE IS NOTHING IN THE PICTURE THAT NECESSARILY
INDICATED WHO SHE WAS.
THERE COULD'VE BEEN ANONYMITY BUT CLEARLY SHE WASN'T GOOD
WITH THAT.
>>SHE WAS PROUD OF WHAT SHE DID, BUT THEN TO MAKE IT AS YOUR
SOCIAL IDENTITY – WHAT IF PEOPLE GO TO THAT BUSINESS AND SAY THIS
EMPLOYEE IS WORKING THERE, AND THEN IT BECOMES THEIR
BURDEN AND RESPONSIBILITY.
I FEEL LIKE THEY REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO DO THAT.
>> THE LAST THING ON THIS, IF YOU ARE AWARE OF THE CULTURE AT
YOUR ORGANIZATION YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE KINDS OF THINGS
THAT YOU CAN POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
BUT HAVING SAID THAT, THERE IS CLEARLY THE KIND OF
CONTRADICTION THAT HANNAH JUST OUTLINED.
LIKE I CAN CALL PEOPLE LIBTARD SAND THAT IS NOT
OBSCENE?
>> BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE CULTURE OF THE COMPANY
AND SOME YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH IT.
>> THIS COMPARATIVELY IS NOT THE SAME SORT OF THING AT ALL.
>> THAN THEY SHOULD HAVE CONSEQUENCES AS WELL.
>> I FEEL A LITTLE CONFLICTED AND I DO THINK THAT TO SOME
EXTENT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPRESS YOURSELF HOW YOU
PLEASE IN YOUR FREE TIME.
IF YOU ARE ON COMPANY TIME, OR IN A BUSINESS SITUATION,
THAT IS ANOTHER STORY.
>>THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID, IT WAS NOT COMPANY TIME.
>> SOCIAL MEDIA COMPLICATES IT BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN SEE
WHERE YOU WORK.
>>YEAH, DON'T POST WHERE YOU WORK.
>>BULLETS HAVE SOME FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
>> DO YOU FEEL LIKE IN OUR SOCIETY WE DO KIND OF BASE
THINGS ON OUR OWN POLITICAL VIEWS?
DO YOU THINK THAT LIBERALS DO THAT AS WELL?
OR DO YOU THINK IT IS JUST SOMETHING THAT THE RIGHT
DOES MORE?
>> NO, I THINK IF I HAD SEEN SOMEBODY FLIPPING OFF OBAMA OR
BERNIE SANDERS AND HAVE THEIR JOB LISTED, I DON'T THINK
THEY SHOULD BE FIRED, OF COURSE NOT.
WE ARE GOING TO GET TO A STORY THE NEXT STORY WERE GOING
TO DO IS TALKING ABOUT RAND PAUL BEING ASSAULTED.
I DON'T AGREE WITH RAND PAUL, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE YOU
SHOULD BE ASSAULTED.
YOU CAN DISAGREE WITH SOMEBODY'S POLITICAL OPINIONS OR AGREE WITH
THEM, BUT STILL I THINK THERE ARE CERTAIN COURSES OF ACTION
THAT SHOULD NOT TAKE PLACE BECAUSE –
>>I THINK SHE WAS JUST SORT OF INVITING –
>>I
THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT MAYBE IT WASN'T THE SMARTEST THING.
BUT TO YOUR POINT IT IS IRONIC BECAUSE THE SIDE OF THE
AISLE THAT CALLS OUT SNOWFLAKES ALL THE TIME FOR POLITICAL
CORRECTNESS CAN'T TAKE A LITTLE FLIP OF THE BIRD IN TRAFFIC.
>>IT WAS CLEARLY JUST EXPRESSION.
>>I THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY WHEN IT FIRST BROKE.
>>SHE'S DOING SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF US FEEL.
>> PLUS IT WASN'T A PICTURE OF HER IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE
SO SHE WASN'T REALLY IN THE HEART OF INTENSE CONTROVERSY BUT
AS WE ALL NOW HAVE SAID, HER TERRITORY WAS NOT SO –
>>I DON'T PUT THE SPECIFICS AS TO WHAT I DO.
I PUT THE SPECIFIC PLACES I CONTRIBUTE TO BECAUSE I
DON'T WANT PEOPLE – IT IS JUST TOO MUCH INFORMATION.
IF YOU ARE AN OUTSPOKEN PERSON AND YOU HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA THERE
ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SAFE SPACE
FOR YOUR OPINION.
IF YOU DON'T DO THAT, PEOPLE WILL DISAGREE AND
ULTIMATELY FIRE YOU, LIKE THIS WOMAN.
I HAVE FRIENDS WHO DON'T REALLY PUT THEIR GOVERNMENT NAME ON
FACEBOOK, THEY HAVE ANOTHER NAME AND THEY DON'T PUT THEIR
OCCUPATION SO IT IS LIKE THEIR FREE SPACE – IT IS THEIR FREE
SPACE TO KIND OF SAY WHAT THEY WANT AND DO WHAT THEY WANT.
IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, AND YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR
PROFILE PICTURE LIKE THAT, THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR
OCCUPATION UNDER THERE.
>>HOW WOULD THAT HAVE CHANGED IT?
>>MAYBE IT WOULD'VE TAKEN A LITTLE LONGER FOR THEM TO
IDENTIFY WHO SHE WAS?
>> I FEEL LIKE IF YOU ARE TAKING A PICTURE OF YOURSELF –
THAT IS ONE THING.
BUT THIS IS THE MOST INNOCUOUS THING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.
>> AND YOU CAN'T EVEN TELL WHO SHE IS, IT'S NOT LIKE SHE'S
WEARING A COMPANY JACKET.
>> TOO ABSURD.