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Farewell Dear Larry: You are the sanest man in America! I look forward to your columns because I ALWAYS agree with your answers. Great work! Thanks for speaking the simple truth about all issues — racial, political, parental, common sense, etc. I often …Read more. Hate Groups Dear Larry: I want to forget for a moment that it is their constitutional right, because I detest the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis and all other groups that preach hate. A long time ago, they came into cities across America without any protest. Now …Read more. Troubles With Raising Teenage Son Dear Larry: I am African-American and a single mother with three children, ages 15, 10 and 8. All of them are boys. I am having a lot of problems with them, especially the eldest. He argues with me about almost everything. He thinks he is the man/…Read more. How To Get Race Relations Back on Track Dear Larry: So many of my friends are upset with the way things are going, especially race relations. They are not saying anything openly, but among themselves there is constant complaining and fear. There is something simmering and brewing that …Read more.
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Ethnically Speaking, July 18

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Dear Larry: My employer posted a notice from a legal Web site that stated that supervisors in a diverse workplace need to be given extra sensitivity training to avoid illegal bias.

This need for more instruction happened because a woman from Mexico spoke English with such an accent that her fellow employees often responded to her comments by yelling "what?" or "I do not understand you."

This woman complained to her supervisor about her treatment. The boss replied that her fellow employees were just voicing legitimate complaints about her speaking skills.

The woman disagreed, and she sued the company for allowing a hostile work environment to take place.

Believe it or not, the court decided her English was good enough for her to do the job. The court also decided the co-workers were not making legitimate complaints, and the behavior was deemed taunting and harassing.

Larry, please respond to this posting. Your answer also could apply to communicating with stroke sufferers or anyone with speaking difficulties. — Phil

Dear Phil: Just when I think I have heard every angle to discrimination, another one comes up to surprise me.

The co-workers have a right to and should tell someone they do not understand her words. This finding by the court on the surface seems to be expanding political correctness to another level.

With that said, the court's finding may not have anything to do with co-workers asking for clarification. Everything depends upon context. I can visualize the employees saying those words just to tease, harass or belittle.

I believe this case should be a warning that any supervisor must be diligent and investigate each and every complaint regardless of how frivolous it may sound.

There are many supervisors who have been removed from their positions because they just brushed complaints aside or felt they did not have merit.

If any complaint involves anything related to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or physical disabilities, alert signals should arise, and a complete investigation and documentation must be completed for the record.

If there is any merit to the complaint, I would recommend an outsider conduct the investigation.

Dear Larry: I want to thank you for supporting fathers and advocating that fathers stay involved with their children's lives. There should be more people like you. Please keep up the good work. — Loretta

Dear Loretta: Thank you for the kind words. Most people who wrote to me about this subject agreed with you. However, there are always a few who disagree. Read on.

From Robert: Keep your opinions to yourself. My father was a jerk. He was lazy and beat the crap out of my mother and me. My mother did it all. I did not and do not need a father. There is nothing about him for which I am thankful; that includes his sperm.

From A.B.: I am a single mother and have raised seven children alone. The children's father decided that the grass was greener on the other side and that a childless 23-year-old was better. All the children are now grown. All but one finished college, and none of them ended up on the wrong side of the law.

Who needs fathers? They are not reliable and only cause pain.

To Robert and A.B.: I understand your pain, but all fathers are not like the ones in your experiences. It is obvious you are carrying a lot of pain. Please seek someone to help you let go.

To find out more about Larry G. Meeks and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM


Comments

2 Comments | Post Comment
I don't always agree with Mr. Meeks, but GAWD, some people are just clueless: "My husband ran out on me and my kids. Therefore ALL fathers are useless." "My father was an abusive b-tard, therefore NOBODY needs a father." Where is the logic in these conclusions? When Larry Meeks urged fathers to stay in their children's lives and be involved parents, that DID NOT include beating the kids and their mothers. When Larry Meeks urged fathers to stay in their children's lives and be involved parents, that DID NOT imply that single mothers are not capable of raising perfectly good, law-abiding, high-achieving children. Yeah, single women can and do raise good kids, but how does that diminish the fact that having two loving and caring parents is a good thing, not a bad one? Yeah, there are abusive parents out there, both mothers and fathers, and yeah, the other parent needs to leave for his/her safety and the children's, but what does that have to do with non-abusive families?
Comment: #1
Posted by: Ariana
Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:55 AM
Re: Ariana. Right on. A single-parent situation can be good; a two-parent situation is (nearly) always better. A dad is needed to teach sons how to be men and what that means...and daughters how to behave around men so that they aren't taken advantage of and abused by selfish (horny) young males. I will always be a big part of my daughter's life because there is a lot I can teach her that her mother cannot. I'm going to tell her about all the nonsense things guys will tell her when they're trying to get into her panties, for instance. Forewarned is forearmed.
Comment: #2
Posted by: Matt
Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:38 PM
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