THERE'S A RECENT CONVERT TO ISLAM NAMED CHERIE STANLEY,
A CONVERT TO ISLAM, A FLIGHT ATTENDANT
FOR EXPRESS JET.
SHE THINKS SHE CAN'T GIVE
ALCOHOL TO PEOPLE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE AGAINST HER RELIGIOUS
BELIEFS, SO SHE WANTS TO BE ABLE TO KEEP HER JOB WHILE ALSO
PRACTICING HER RELIGION.
SO OBVIOUSLY MIKE HUCKABEE AND
TED CRUZ ARE TOTALLY ON HER SIDE, THEY HAVE DONE A PRESS
CONFERENCE WHERE THEY ARE HUGGING HER -- OH NO, THEY
HAVEN'T.
THAT IS WEIRD.
AT THIS POINT YOU WOULD THINK, WELL, IF
YOU CAN'T SERVE DRINKS AND YOU ARE A FLIGHT ATTENDANT, THAT
MIGHT BE A PROBLEM.
EXPRESS JET WAS GOOD IN THE BEGINNING, THEY
SAID MAYBE SHE COULD WORK IT OUT IF SHE MADE A DEAL.
SO THEY
EXPLAINED, THE AIRLINE TOLD HER TO MAKE A DEAL WITH FELLOW
FLIGHT ATTENDANTS SO THEY COULD PROVIDE THE BEVERAGES, MASRI
SAID.
HE IS AT THE COUNCIL OF AMERICAN ISLAMIC RELATIONS, THE
MICHIGAN CHAPTER.
IT WORKED FOR A WHILE, SHE WOULD GO TO HER
FELLOW FLIGHT ATTENDANTS AND SAY I CAN'T
BECAUSE OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS HAND OUT THE ALCOHOL, CAN YOU DO IT
FOR ME?
THEY WOULD SAY NO PROBLEM.
THEN IT TURNS OUT ONE
OF HER FELLOW FLIGHT ATTENDANTS DID NOT AGREE.
AND BROKE THE
DEAL.
SO THEY WERE WORRIED THAT STANLEY, SHE HAD A BOOK WITH
FOREIGN WRITINGS AND WORE A HEADDRESS.
OOOH, THAT SOUNDS
SCARY.
HOW SAD IS IT HERE IN AMERICA THAT ANYTIME WE SEE
FOREIGN WRITING WE ARE LIKE OH MY GOD, FOREIGNERS!
REMEMBER THE
STORY WE DID IN LOUISIANA, A SIGN IN HEBREW THAT SAID WELCOME
HOME, AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE, OH MY GOD, IT IS IN ARABIC, MUSLIMS
ARE COMING.
SOMEONE OBVIOUSLY THREW HER UNDER THE BUS, OR IN
THIS CASE THREW HER UNDER A PLANE, SO SHE COULD NOT DO THE
DEAL ANYMORE.
SO SHE HAD TO EITHER DO IT OR LEAVE THE JOB.
AND EXPRESS JET SAID IF YOU DON'T HAVE A DEAL, I NEED YOU TO BE A
FLIGHT ATTENDANT, PART OF THE JOB OF BEING A FLIGHT ATTENDANT
IS HANDING OUT ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, SO THEY PUT HER ON
UNPAID TWELVE-MONTH LEAVE, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT, ON THE WAY TO
APPARENTLY AN EXPRESS JET OUT OF THAT JOB.
HER LAWYERS
EMPHASIZED THAT STANLEY'S REQUEST TO ACCOMMODATE HER
FAITH WAS NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF ANYONE ELSE.
THEY ARE TRYING TO
DISTINGUISH BETWEEN HER AND KIM DAVIS, THE CHRISTIAN IN KENTUCKY
WHO SAYS I WON'T GIVE UP MARRIAGE LICENSES FOR GAY
COUPLES, OR EVEN STRAIGHT COUPLES, BECAUSE I AM SO
BOTHERED BY THE GAY COUPLE RULING OUT OF THE SUPREME COURT.
THEY SAY IN THIS CASE, THIS IS NOT A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL, SHE
DOESN'T HAVE CONTROL OVER ANYONE ELSE'S LIFE, SHE IS JUST TRYING
TO DO HER JOB WHILE HER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ARE RESPECTED,
AND IT IS NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF ANYONE ELSE.
I DISAGREE.
WAIT, I
WILL EXPLAIN WHY.
THEY SAY SERVING ALCOHOL IS NOT A CENTRAL
DUTY OF BEING A FLIGHT ATTENDANT.
I KNOW THE FLIGHT
ATTENDANTS LOVE TO TALK ABOUT, OUR JOB IS MAINLY FOR SAFETY.
I
KNOW, BUT LET'S KEEP IT REAL, FLIGHT ATTENDANTS DO HAND
OUT DRINKS AND FOOD.
THEY ALL DO.
YOU CAN PARSE YOUR WORDS AS
TO WHETHER THAT IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE JOB, BUT IT IS A
PART OF THE JOB, AND IF YOU SAY I WILL NOT DO THAT JOB, THEN YOU
CAN'T HAVE THAT JOB.
I WISH IT ALL WORKED OUT, IF EVERYBODY WAS
COOL AND EVERYBODY WAS DOWN AND FELLOW FLIGHT ATTENDANTS STEPPED
UP ON HER BEHALF AND WERE GOOD FRIENDS TO HER, GREAT, EVERYBODY
IS A WINNER AND WE DON'T HAVE THIS ISSUE.
BUT THE ONE IS
WORRIED ABOUT THE HEADDRESS AND FOREIGN WRITING, SHE OR HE IS
PROBABLY WORRIED ABOUT EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD.
SEES
SPIRITS AND DEMONS IN ALL THE CORNERS.
BUT THAT IS HIS OR HER
RIGHT, SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO HAND OUT DRINKS AS A FAVOR TO THIS
OTHER EMPLOYEE.
SHE HAS EVERY RIGHT IN THE WORLD TO SAY, I
WILL DO MY JOB AND YOU DO YOURS.
AND IF THIS WOMAN IN THIS CASE
CAN'T DO HER JOB, I AM SORRY BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE IT.
YOU HAVE TO
GET ANOTHER JOB.
NOW WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SUING -- WE HAVE
BEEN OVER THIS MANY, MANY TIMES.
YOU SAY THAT YOU WANT A JOB, BUT
THEN YOU DON'T WANT TO DO PARTS OF IT BECAUSE OF YOUR RELIGION,
I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT YOUR RELIGION.
I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE
TO PRACTICE YOUR RELIGION, YOU GO HOME AND IF SOMEBODY COMES TO
YOUR HOUSE AND THEY WANT A DRINK, THEY HAVE ANOTHER THING
COMING TO THEM BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT GIVING HIM A DRINK.
NOT IN
YOUR HOME.
HAM, BACON, HELL NO.
NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
I COME TO
YOUR HOUSE AND ASK FOR A BLT SANDWICH, YOU KICK ME IN THE ASS
AND TELL ME TO LEAVE.
IT IS A FREE COUNTRY.
YOU GET TO DO IT
IN THE PRIVACY OF YOUR OWN HOME.
BUT IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN CLERK
AND YOU SAY I WILL NOT DO MY JOB BECAUSE I HAPPEN TO HAVE A
RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCE WITH THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, THAT
IS A SAD DAY FOR YOU.
IF YOU ARE A FLIGHT ATTENDANT AND YOU SAY I
WILL NOT DO A PART OF MY JOB BECAUSE I HAVE OTHER RELIGIOUS
POLICE, I WILL CHALK THAT UP TO A SAD DAY FOR YOU.
ONE MORE FROM
HER ATTORNEY, SHE SAYS WHAT THIS CASE COMES DOWN TO IS NO ONE
SHOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEIR CAREER AND RELIGION AND
IT'S INCUMBENT UPON EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHERE
EMPLOYEES CAN FEEL THEY CAN PRACTICE THEIR RELIGION FREELY.
NO, IT IS NOT INCUMBENT ON EMPLOYERS TO DO THAT AT ALL.
IT
IS INCUMBENT ON EMPLOYERS TO DO WHATEVER THE HELL THEY DO IN
THEIR LINE OF WORK.
IT IS INCUMBENT ON YOU IF YOU WANT
THAT JOB, TO DO THAT JOB.
SO I WISH IT WOULD WORKED OUT, I HAVE
NO ANTIPATHY TOWARDS HER, AND I GET HER MOTIVATIONS AND I WISH
HER WELL, I HOPE SHE FINDS A GREAT, GREAT JOB, AN EVEN
BETTER JOB WHERE SHE MAKES MORE MONEY AND LIKES IT MORE AND MORE
AT PEACE WITH IT.
YOU CAN'T ASK OTHER PEOPLE TO DO YOUR JOB AND
IF THEY DON'T HELP YOU OUT, YOU SUE YOUR EMPLOYER FOR MAKING YOU
DO THE JOB THAT YOU SIGNED UP FOR.
CAN'T HAVE IT, NO WAY.
DON'T AGREE WITH HER, AND SHE HAS GOT TO GO GET ANOTHER JOB.
YES, ALL THE HYPOCRITES IN THE WORLD, THE CHRISTIAN DEMAGOGUES
IN THIS COUNTRY LIKE HUCKABEE ARE NOT RUSHING TO HER DEFENSE,
OF COURSE.
IS IT IRONIC ON THEIR PART?
OF COURSE IT IS.
IS IT A FLY IN THEIR CHARDONNAY?
APPARENTLY, IN A COUPLE OF
DIFFERENT WAYS.
BUT OVERALL, YOU CAN'T SAY THAT MY RELIGION
DOESN'T ALLOW ME TO DO YOUR JOB, BUT KEEP PAYING ME FOR THAT JOB
ANYWAY.
IMAGINE I DON'T KNOW, HARE KRISHNAS, THEY COME IN
HERE AND SAY I WOULD LIKE TO DO A TALK SHOW, BUT I CANNOT TALK
BECAUSE OF WHATEVER THEY BELIEVE.
WELL, THAT IS YOUR
PREROGATIVE, DUDE, BUT THERE IS A HARE KRISHNA CENTER RIGHT DOWN
THE STREET.
TAKE YOUR NON-TALKING ASS OVER THERE.
AND
ON AIRPLANES, HERE'S WHAT PEOPLE REALLY NEED: A GOOD DRINK.