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What's soon to come to your state
Rockatansky
Member Posts: 11,175
Comments
Some of you may recall a post several months ago where I mentioned that my wife's employer (now former employer) not only does not allow firearms in their building but not anywhere on the property, including the parking lot even in employees' personal vehicles. If employees want to keep firearms in their vehicles then they have to park on the public street, which is about a quarter mile away from the building. This is a very large corporate campus for the financial wing of a major American motorcycle manufacturer. I will not mention them by name, but just think of the first company that comes to mind when I say "major American motorcycle manufacturer" and you got it.
My wife has a Nevada CCW and is very vocal about her 2nd Amendment rights, but she respected her employer's rules and never brought a firearm onto their campus. Unfortunately, throughout the 2 years she worked for this company she had a contentious relationship with some of her co-workers. So one day, earlier this summer, she looked up from her desk to see that she was flanked by two of the building's private security staff. They asked her to leave all of her belongings at her desk and come with them downstairs to the security office. She complied, not sure what was going on. When she was in the security office the security staff informed her that a co-worker had told them that my wife was carrying a firearm in her purse. They proceeded to question her for 30 minutes about whether she had ever brought a firearm onto the property, whether she owned firearms, etc. She gave them consent to search her person, which was conducted by a female staff member. They then escorted her back to her cubicle, where they had already begun to search her desk, since that was company property. They then asked for her consent to search her purse, which was locked in her desk. She gave them consent to do so, which they then proceeded to dump out all of her personal contents in plain sight of all her co-workers, such as feminine products, etc.
There was no gun. The security staff thanked her for her cooperation, restated the firearms policy of the company, and left her to continue her work. Of course she was in tears, feeling embarassed and violated in front of her co-workers. As far as she knows, there were never any repurcussions against the accuser (who remained unidentified).
When she got home that day and told me what had happened, I was furious. I considered calling a lawyer, but then realized that nothing illegal had occured. The company had the right to search their own property, and she gave them consent to search her purse. Nevada is an at-will work state, so if she had refused any of it she would have surely been fired. I then considered notifying the media, since this company constantly touts itself as being "all-American", but realized that the media wouldn't likely care. In fact they would probably come down on the side of the company.
This is real folks. Don't think it can't happen to you, no matter what state you live in. What is the recourse here? Basically you comply or get fired, or get expelled from school, or get escorted out of the building in shackles.
Maybe just a stupid question on my part, thesneakyrussian, but did you live in Russia?
I have, yes. Got a bit of everything except last decade and some change, meaning I saw the best of USSR - the Golden Years, the fall of communism, disintegration of Soviet Union, two little revolutions, took part in one of them, and the total chaos that ensued. Believe me, we're one step from living in the same regime as 1960-70's USSR just under different pretense.
I have told her that I made this post and that she is welcome to reply. She is a member of these forums and has posted in the past. It is up to her to pursue this if she wants, but she may just want to put it behind her. I will support her either way.
JP, if you know of any lawyers to contact then let us know, we live just outside of Carson City.
Seems to me that her rights were violated and she complied under duress. Call a lawyer, NOW!
Which rights? Private property, the owner can enforce their own rules however they want. If they couldn't then you end up with moral police watching what you're doing at home and so on. You (WW's wife in this case), or I, on the other hand have a right and a choice to not work or do business with such a person or business.
I did not want to persue with a lawyer then, nor do I want to now that I'm no longer employed...not because I was in fear for my job, but because I do not believe there was a violation of rights.
I did have an issue though with the fact that they wanted us to park our vehicles so far away if there was a gun in there...when I was told that, I was told that a few other emmployees opted to do just that. Great...so we have special parking where everyone in the building knows you have a gun in that car? No thank you. I chose to park in the parking lot anyway.
And I'll say now what I said to the people in HR...There is no shame in excersizing my 2nd amendment rights, and there is no reason why I shouldn't feel safe to bring them up in an work environment where people would talk about anything they felt like. I am proud to be practicing a right protected by my country's constitution...and I am just as proud to edjucate people about the same. This all came about because I was over heard explaining to a coworker what the right to bear arms means.
You know...in hindsight...though I was embarrassed that day, it actually gave me the opportunity to talk with quite a few others...see...many people came to ask me what happened, why I was searched, why my desk was emptied. And I got to explain to each and every one of them exactly why.
Indeed, as a private business, they may prohibit you from the means to defend yourself..and your fellow employees..from harm.
Stupidity..but their right.
You, Madam, are to be shouted from the rooftops as a heroine..and Wounded Wolf is a lucky dog, may I add ?
Would that we had men in America with your guts, Lady.
I am proud to be practicing a right protected by my country's constitution...and I am just as proud to edjucate people about the same.
Keep up the good work.
Ladies have a way of saying things, and getting through to others, that men just can't copy.
And yes, Highball, I am a VERY lucky dog. I forget sometimes, especially when reading about how some of you have argued with your spouse or even split because of conflicts between your beliefs, that my wife would be standing in the foxhole with me, or likely leading the charge ahead of me to attack the JBTs herself, should that day ever come. A lucky dog I am indeed!
WW, and Bunny, your Constitutional rights go with you everywhere. They do not end at the front door to private property. By this reasoning, the 4th amendment could not prevent them from strip search, cavity search, so on and so forth, which of course it does. Their desk? Fine. Your purse? NOT fine.
Judge for yourselves...
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized."
quote:Which rights? Private property, the owner can enforce their own rules however they want.
WW, and Bunny, your Constitutional rights go with you everywhere. They do not end at the front door to private property. By this reasoning, the 4th amendment could not prevent them from strip search, cavity search, so on and so forth, which of course it does. Their desk? Fine. Your purse? NOT fine.
Judge for yourselves...
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized."
I don't think you can bring the Bill of Rights into my house (private property). Try peacably assembling in my living room. Try free speech, or freedom of the press in my dining room. I'm pretty tolerant, but I won't let you set up a shrine to Mary in my bathroom, either. I'll exercise my right to remove you from my castle.