<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16527" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Exactly my concerns. I realize she is young, and
perhaps a bit foolish, but where is the training on diversity and tolerance that
would prevent this obviously biased person from carrying those biased views into
the workplace? Latah County is diverse, and is becoming more so daily. These
biases need to be addressed, even if only held by one silly young person working
there. I am sure she is intelligent and well qualified for the position for
which she was hired--she would not have been hired otherwise, given the hiring
process--but does that process take into account the need to work with a diverse
population in a respectful and professional manner? Following hiring, is there
mandatory diversity training for employees? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I know from people of color who live in Latah
County that they are <U>terrified</U> of being stopped on the highway (more so
than the rest of us who just hate to be stopped). Latah County is a great place
to live, but our reputation still is linked with the north Idaho Neo-Nazi folks.
I have students of color who will not come to my home in rural Latah County
unless I am driving. For them, the police are part of the problem. It may
not be the truth, but it is part of their view of reality. It doesn't help that
the young person in question at the Sherriff's office sent messages to a
religious organization linked to the League of the South (and, believe me,
people of color know about that organization in a bad context!!) promoting the
Sherriff's office as a place for them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I believe the Sherriff's Department has sent
officers to the Finding the Center Conference Human Rights Conference (someone
check me if I'm wrong), and I know this is an issue about which our Sherriff
cares. Perhaps some visible training announcements could assist in changing the
perception of Latah County as a bastion of intolerance and bias? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I know I have to counter this perception of racism
in Idaho on a daily basis. I hear "I want to go to the Palouse Mall, but I know
I'm going to be watched like I'm a shoplifter", "If I get stopped by the police
in Idaho I will just go to jail and maybe get beat up", "I need something
from.......but don't dare go to Moscow. They are racist. Could you pick it up
for me?", and, from my friends who live way out on Highway 95 North, "I'm going
to be coming home late from work tonight. Can I stay at your house? I'm
afraid of getting stopped because I'm driving while being Black." Again, it is
about being afraid of our reputation, not about knowing the truth of our
community. We didn't earn it, but we have to own it. We also have to change
it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm tired of being labeled as a North Idaho Redneck
Racist when I live in a diverse and accepting community. I love Moscow and Latah
county. Who we really are is not on the radar. The anti-diversity, Neo-Nazi
image still prevails. I want to change this perception. As a community, how
can we do this? Step up to the plate, you lurkers. get some guts. Find a
positive way to make the change. Stop talking about it and DO
something!!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Debi R-S</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=starbliss@gmail.com href="mailto:starbliss@gmail.com">Ted Moffett</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=suehovey@moscow.com
href="mailto:suehovey@moscow.com">Sue Hovey</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A title=vision2020@moscow.com
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">MoscowVision 2020</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, August 25, 2007 2:55
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Vision2020] Religion Has No
Part in Process</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sue et. al.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Assuming this communication was sent from Latah County Law enforcement
computers, personal use of work computers, whether in the public or private
sector, is sometimes tolerated. But sent from a tax payer supported
work computer or not, this e-mail sent to a church business
list (this was not a purely personal communication) expressing religious
and gender bias (the e-mail did not merely inform of job openings, but
expressed a desire for "Christian men" to fill the ranks) from an
employee of the Latah Sheriff Dept. raises serious issues that an apology and
press release do not fully address. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Expressing preference for a specific religion and gender in a
communication to recruit fellow employees demonstrates arrogance towards
and disregard of the principle of non-discrimination in hiring, a
principle that all tax payer supported employees of all public institutions
should be thoroughly aware of and respect. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Given this employee would prefer to have "Christian men" employed by
the Latah Sheriff's Dept, how well would this employee work with, for example,
a Wiccan, atheist or Islamic co-worker? What about a
lesbian? And in the "battle against evil," will this employee
be capable of maintaining total objectivity on the job, regarding
ethical issues that are problematic for their religion, given their
obvious religious bias? </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I doubt it. And this doubt extends to the objectivity that any
religious fundamentalist or extreme ideologue might be capable of applying on
the job.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The fact this employee appeared oblivious to the ethical flaw in
promoting religious and gender discrimination (though we are being led to
believe this employee was not representing the department when sending
this communication?) in the hiring process for a public service job clearly
expresses the insular bias that is unconsciously embedded in the mentality of
religious fundamentalism. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Quotes from the communication in question:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"We currently have three open positions down in our jail," she wrote.
"It<BR>would be great to see them filled with Christian men. The Lieutenant of
the<BR>jail, Jim Loyd, is a strong Christian and so are several of the
detention <BR>deputies." </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"You are issued a handgun and rifle, and you get to work for Sheriff
Wayne<BR>Rausch, a wonderful Christian," she continues. "Working as a cop is
an<BR>excellent opportunity for Christians to be at the forefront in the
battle <BR>against evil."<BR>--------------------</DIV>
<DIV>Ted Moffett</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=gmail_quote>On 8/24/07, <B class=gmail_sendername>Sue
Hovey</B> <<A onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="mailto:suehovey@moscow.com" target=_blank>suehovey@moscow.com</A> >
wrote:</SPAN>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">Roger,
et al. When one is posting a message on a computer which belongs
to<BR>the place where you work, the message better be in compliance with
hiring <BR>practice and the law. Regardless of her views, she
should not be posting<BR>them on a computer that does not specifically
belong to her.<BR><BR><BR>Sue<BR>----- Original Message -----<BR>From:
"lfalen" < <A onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="mailto:lfalen@turbonet.com"
target=_blank>lfalen@turbonet.com</A>><BR>To: "keely emerinemix" <<A
onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="mailto:kjajmix1@msn.com" target=_blank> kjajmix1@msn.com</A>>;
"Debbie Gray"<BR><<A
onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="mailto:graylex@yahoo.com" target=_blank> graylex@yahoo.com</A>>;
"Tom Hansen" <<A onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com" target=_blank> thansen@moscow.com</A>>;
"MoscowVision 2020"<BR><<A
onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com"
target=_blank>vision2020@moscow.com</A>> <BR>Sent: Friday, August 24,
2007 11:43 AM <BR>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Religion Has No Part in
Process<BR><BR><BR>> Keely<BR>> You and many other may disagree with
her, but there was nothing wrong with<BR>> her expressing her views.
It was intended to be a private communication. <BR>> It was
not an official job posting or representing the department in any<BR>>
way. What is suspect is the leaking of a private communication to
Vera<BR>> White.<BR>> Roger<BR>></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P>=======================================================<BR> List
services made available by First Step Internet, <BR> serving the
communities of the Palouse since 1994.
<BR>
http://www.fsr.net
<BR>
mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR>=======================================================</BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>