The end of the Lindsey Stone episode
So, it looks like Lindsey Stone and her photographer have been fired, according to their employer. So it looks like someone in this country has discovered that actions have consequences. I sympathize with some people who claim she shouldn’t have been fired, but that was her employers decision, all I did was post the photo – and then I went to bed. By the time I woke up in the morning and logged on to the blog, it was completely out of my hands. There were over 250 comments and tens of thousands of visitors.
My former editor at Business Insider, Robert Johnson, a veteran himself, tried to defend Lindsey yesterday;
The blind adoration of the military and its personnel is getting creepy, and I’m talking from the inside looking out. While correcting the ugly way Vietnam veterans were treated is good, the over-compensation needs to stop. Putting on a uniform doesn’t change who you are, and questioning institutions and individuals, including the military and its troops, is good and healthy.
If there had been social media in the middle 70s, and a photo like this had been taken and spread around, it would have got guffaws and applause. Probably right up through the eighties, that photo would have elicited that response. The country had lost it’s way in the late sixties. People like John Kerry were heroes. Morals didn’t exist in the popular culture. Jimmy Carter awarded the folks who ran out on their responsibilities a pardon his first day in office. There were no consequences for bad acting.
What happened to Lindsey Stone this week had nothing to do with “blind adoration of the military”, it had to do with a line being drawn in the sand of the culture war. It turns out that some Americans are tired of the “Occupy” generation. Their outrage over this picture has been building in the last several years.
OK, Lindsey wants to make it about the sign, fine, the sign was there to remind people of how they behave in civil society, if the sign wasn’t there, most Americans would still know how to act.
That “blind adoration of the military” didn’t work so well for those Marines who urinated on dead Taliban. Some of them lost their jobs over that little photographic incident. How did Lindsey feel about that? What did Robert Johnson think about that? Me, personally, I thought it was stupid that they photographed their antics, but they shouldn’t lose their jobs over it, the same way I felt about Lindsey, but their employers thought differently. And I had no input in either case. I may be wrong, but I don’t remember Robert sticking up for those Marines either.
At Huffington Post, some yuppie turd named Chez Pazienza tells veterans how we should feel about this issue because, he claims, his father was a SEAL “for Christ’s sake”. I doubt that his father as a SEAL, that’s just something yuppie turds say because they have no moral authority in a discussion. In fact if you go through the comments, all of the yuppie turds claim that they have a dog in this discussion because someone they know was in the military, not that they themselves were in the military. Thanks, guys, but you are exactly the reason that most of America drew a line in the sand. “My cousin’s neighbor’s dog collar was made by a veteran” isn’t much moral authority at all.
Now that it’s all said and done, I’d like to thank The Burn Pit, Michelle Malkin’s Twitchy, Wizbang, Milblogging, The Shit Pile and Free North Carolina for recognizing that it was us who broke the story initially. And thanks to JP for sending us the link initially.
Welcome, Morons.
November 22nd, 2012 at 10:58 am
Happy Thanksgiving to the Lilyea family and everybody else here on TAH, from our house to yours.
street & Melony
November 22nd, 2012 at 11:16 am
Happy Thanksgiving Jonn and to everyone at TAH!
November 22nd, 2012 at 11:20 am
It was suprising to see the story move so fast from here to CBS/Boston to NBC and then Yahoo. Maybe my generation will learn some respect and also learn to be more mature in public. Only time will tell though. Anyways, Happy Thanksgiving from beautiful RC-East!
November 22nd, 2012 at 11:24 am
Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you for the work you do on the blog exposing the phonies.
November 22nd, 2012 at 11:39 am
“A little disconnected”…sounds like my life of late, Jonn. Heads up and enjoy a beerverage if you can.
I got the duty, so not happening here, but the turkey coma will be in full effect come about 5 PM.
A final word on little Lindsey and then I’ll be done. Should she and the photog have been fired? I’m pretty meh about it–that was a decision that was best handled by their employer, and was after a fashion. I’m not all that thrilled by the prospect that now I’ll be paying for her actions in the form of the “contribution” I make to her UE and other public assistance/dependence in the form of my taxes.
But looking on FB, with her “Hire Lindsey Stone” page, it’s painfully apparent that she did not learn her lesson, despite the surely incredible backlash she and her loved ones felt from this incident. That, IMO, is the real tragedy in this situation–she went through all that shit and didn’t learn a damned thing.
November 22nd, 2012 at 11:42 am
Very well put and for that you get an Amen! Happy Thanksgiving and keep up the great job!
November 22nd, 2012 at 11:45 am
A Happy and delicious Thanksgiving to you and yours Jonn, and to all the TAH family.
For me, it is turkey day, I’m not the main course, so life is good.
November 22nd, 2012 at 11:47 am
Happy Thanksgiving! Good news! Take care and God Bless!
November 22nd, 2012 at 11:49 am
Let me first say, happy Thanksgiving and then say, I concur with you 100%. Actions have consequences. Most people who say they “support the troops” are full of shit. Supporting the troops means actually doing something besides saying I support the troops. The present Commander in Chief says he supports the troops and loves veterans however, all evidence is to the contrary.
My family will gather around the dinner table tonight and give thanks. Every male a veteran. Our actively serving sons are all home (Army, Air Force and Marines) and safe. We’ll pause in a moment of silent prayer for our comrades overseas and especially for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only POW in the present conflict.
God bless the US Army, however as we approach another epic battle in December, I must also say GO NAVY – BEAT ARMY!
November 22nd, 2012 at 11:52 am
“Putting on a uniform doesn’t change who you are,” I disagree!
Happy Thanksgiving to the Lilyea and TAH families.
November 22nd, 2012 at 11:59 am
Jonn,
This was well written brother and spot on. I will be posting it tomorrow if you don’t mind. Now enjoy the turkey and games.
Semper Fi,
Taco
November 22nd, 2012 at 12:10 pm
While I get uncomfortable occasionally with so called blind adoration, there is a huge difference in the amount of respect a soldier killed in action deserves compared to a still living veteran. So I think Johnson missed the point
November 22nd, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Well done, all!
Happy Thanksgiving. May yours be blessed and those blessing we have continue for a very long time.
(Anyone else notice that the Air Force Band Drill Team had bayonets fixed as they marched in the Macy’s parade? Hah!)
November 22nd, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Screw her.
And a Happy Thanksgiving to you and your House, Jonn, as well as all the TAH troglodytes.
November 22nd, 2012 at 12:56 pm
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Now time to crack open the Blackberry wine
November 22nd, 2012 at 12:58 pm
“My cousin’s neighbor’s dog collar was made by a veteran” isn’t much moral authority at all.
On that note, if you need a leather dog collar, I can make one for you for a reasonable price. Leather is my latest therapy/hobby.
November 22nd, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Generally speaking, being an ass in public shouldn’t end in losing one’s job, particularly in this economic climate.
But, in this particular case, she was apparently on the job and so her time belonged to her employer and she documented how much respect she showed them and those around her. While I don’t think this sort of behavior shouldn’t cost someone a job, I think this sort of behavior is not the sort of thing I should have to expect from someone who is a care-giver to the disabled.
These are not people who can simply move to the other end of the bar (so to speak) when the local ass starts holding forth. Her self described behavior as “a douchebag” (“its who we are”) means she does not have the character to be in a position where she may have complete control over the powerless.
She seemed proud enough of her behavior in this and other instances to document it on Facebook. This behavior is of the sort that makes the world a little worse for those around such a person every day.
So I regret she lost a job. I have a small feeling of relief that she lost this particular job.
(I am posting this anonymously because we now live in a world where people can lose their jobs for speaking in public in a manner those in power find objectionable.)
November 22nd, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Well, it seems like ding-bat didn’t learn a damn thing but if one young person did then this whole fiasco was worth it. If one young person stops and thinks of the possible consequences of their actions then LS’s ordeal has had a positive outcome. IMHO!
November 22nd, 2012 at 2:24 pm
Now she’s gonna cry to the ACLU. Great. He should have been forced to resign, and therefore be ineligible for unemployment benefits.
November 22nd, 2012 at 2:36 pm
Well, she’s no angel. She’s a multiple offender. What about the picture of her mocking the mentally handicapped…at a Special Olympics type event?
November 22nd, 2012 at 3:10 pm
Instead of focusing on a nitwit, try focusing on the things you’re grateful for.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
November 22nd, 2012 at 3:39 pm
Happy Thanksgiving TAH.. And buh bye Lindsay..
November 22nd, 2012 at 3:42 pm
Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours.
Now it is time to crack open a beer and cook some meat.
November 22nd, 2012 at 4:32 pm
To the idiotic ex-editor. If he confuses blind admiration for someone who wore a uniform with the respect and dignity that should be given for someone that died wearing that uniform, he needs to get his money back for whatever “education” he received. He would have been better off being taught life lessons by a couple of old men sitting around a pickle barrel at a General Store.
November 22nd, 2012 at 4:48 pm
four generations of Lilyea women in my house
I’ve been giggling (hopefully just to myself) about this since you mentioned it the other day.
Hope your Thanksgiving is as entertaining as my imagination is Grandpa.
Thanks.
BTW, I sincerely doubt the firings will be the end of the thing. Cause Celebre seems more likely. 15 minutes of fame and all that.
November 22nd, 2012 at 6:10 pm
I didn’t do an article on this event. Jonn had it covered.
As to Mr. Johnson, he appears to be as confused as so many journalists as to what “blind aduration” and “hero-worship” is, and in how that differs from Earned Respect & honorable behavior.
As to Ms. Stone, putting on my “employer hat,” I would have fired her too. That is certainly not the kind of employee that I would have wanted as a public image representing my company, particularly not since it was done on the employer’s dime.
The bottom line is that that is improper behavior in ANY cemetary, not just Arlington, but Our Fallen have certainly earned that Respect.
If you commit a crime and post the pics online, you should expect your day in court. If you commit immoral behavior and post the pics online, you should not be surprised if public outrage results in negative actions, Ms. Stone.
November 22nd, 2012 at 6:15 pm
Happy Thanksgiving all.
November 22nd, 2012 at 6:37 pm
Happy Thanksgiving to all. (I will reserve comment on Stone’s firing until tomorrow.)
November 22nd, 2012 at 7:23 pm
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
If I had my druthers, she would have kept her job, and had to do hours of community service until she truly learned her lesson. ymmv
November 22nd, 2012 at 8:20 pm
I want to wish ALL U.S. Armed Forces Members serving around the Globe A MUCH BELATED AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING !
God Bless You All.
November 23rd, 2012 at 3:43 am
Actually, believe it or not, the first place that I saw this photo was on the Steve Jordan Facebook page @ around 6pm on Sunday – so, since you guys didn’t have anything until Monday, I would have to say that Snake Eyes broke the story…
November 23rd, 2012 at 7:54 am
The attention Stone invited upon herself caused her employer unwanted and undesirable attention and, no doubt, cost the employer time and money in dealing with Stone’s thoughtlessness, selfishness, and twisted sense of humor. Some folks regard Stone’s firing as over the top and heavy handed. Okay, what of the employer? What did the employer do to deserve the negative publicity, not to mention the lost man hours dealing with Stone’s foolishness and now having to replace Stone and her photographer buddy? The harm done to the company isn’t ended. It is not far-fetched to guess that some current LIFE residents will be withdrawn from there and that potential residents will look elsewhere now. Why? Because folks are pretty particular and sensitive about where they place their loved ones for care. And a company that had two irresponsible employees is a scale tipper. So, while some may find Stone’s punishment too harsh, my take is that the punishment imposed on LIFE by Stone’s actions was completely undeserved and it is the company, not Stone, who deserves our sympathy. (As does Jonn for having far too women at his home yesterday!)
November 23rd, 2012 at 11:31 am
She demonstrated her 1st amendment right to act like an ass.
Everyone else reserved their right to treat her like one.
November 23rd, 2012 at 1:31 pm
I wonder if it ever occurred to these self-proclaimed douchebags that the men and women in that sacred place made the ultimate sacrifice precisely so that people like them would be able to enjoy the freedom of being douchebags.
November 23rd, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Let me disagree on your assertion that this would have been a laughing matter in the seventies and eighties. I was born in 65 and this would have never, ever been a laughing matter to me or to my family and friends. I agree that our elites lost their way but I’m not sure at all that the regular folks ever did. They have a funny habit of getting it right more often than not.
November 23rd, 2012 at 3:56 pm
First of all: Happy Thanksgiving everybody.
Doncha love it when morons take pictures of themselves doing stupid shit, for posterity? If little Miss Douche wasn’t aware of just how puerile and dumbassed her actions were, she is now. That sign is there for a reason. It’s to remind people that Arlington Cemetery is a hallowed place of honor and respect for the fallen men and women who gave their lives for this country. Anyone with even a speck of common sense wouldn’t need a reminder. She forgot where the sign was posted while she was bein’ a rebel without a clue.
November 23rd, 2012 at 4:38 pm
If being an asshole is going to begin to have consequences (again, like it used to), then I’m all for it and have zero sympathy for the occasional asshole who learns the hard way that assholery isn’t always going to be tolerated.
November 23rd, 2012 at 4:43 pm
“I wonder if it ever occurred to these self-proclaimed douchebags that the men and women in that sacred place made the ultimate sacrifice precisely so that people like them would be able to enjoy the freedom of being douchebags.”
The few that have actually thought that far into it simply do not care, which makes them more frightening than those who are just plain ignorant. The latter will tend to be idiot young (teens, usually), so a degree of disrespectful stupidity is to be expected of them. But the former – like the woman in question – are older and so know better but proceed with being disrespectful assholes anyway.
Point is, you can hope the kids will eventually grow out of it; they usually do sooner or later. Someone like her? No chance.
November 23rd, 2012 at 5:12 pm
[...] buddy Jon at This Ain’t Hell, who initially broke the story, sums it up: If there had been social media in the middle 70s, and a [...]
November 23rd, 2012 at 5:19 pm
page got shut down due to her. really tired of hearing this chicks name
November 23rd, 2012 at 5:19 pm
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joes-Against-Hoes-II/227426647388809
November 23rd, 2012 at 6:58 pm
Fuggin Paultards. Most people I know agree with some of his ideas, but not all. The ones that agree with everything he says are just as batshit fucking crazy as he is. If someone can limit his speeches to about 10-15 minutes, before he shoots himself into space like he usually does, he might get somewhere.
November 23rd, 2012 at 7:03 pm
The older Ron Paul gets, the sillier he becomes.
November 23rd, 2012 at 7:57 pm
Got that everyone? We are to quit the RNC/GOP!
A couple of quick questions – those among us here who actually belong to the RNC/GOP might want to know where it is they are supposed to go instead? Wouldn’t it be more productive if they stayed in the RNC/GOP and fixed the problems instead of running away from them?
For the rest of us here who are not in the RNC/GOP, how can we leave something to which we do not belong? Are you suggesting that we should support Dems who reflect none of our values whatever instead of supporting other candidates who do? Or the polite Dems who hang out here are to do what exactly other than to reflect on your outrageous suppositions about those who read this blog regularly?
If that pitch was supposed to entice us to something, it won’t work with many, if any, here.
November 23rd, 2012 at 8:29 pm
Guess it was dropped on it’s head recently because it certainly is not capable of cogent thought. Or even polite enough to respond to a few very simple questions.
None of which has anything to do with the topic, of course.
November 23rd, 2012 at 8:41 pm
I wonder whose tool bag Jacke fell out of.
November 23rd, 2012 at 8:50 pm
@54. Our hearts are in our chest cavities. Lay off the red wine. And yes, your tone is wrong. So, too, is your word choice. Come back after you have complete thoughts to share. You might try using Word first. Then, when you’re happy with what you’ve written, edited, and rewritten, paste it to another comment block here.
November 23rd, 2012 at 8:51 pm
What the heck? Did I just enter the Twilight Zone?
November 23rd, 2012 at 8:57 pm
I think someone just yanked jacke’s comments.
Can we now bring a close to the Adventures of One Lame-brained Idiot? Thanks!
November 23rd, 2012 at 8:59 pm
#48, No, no Twilight Zone. I’ve taken to deleting trolls lately, especially if they have nothing of value to add to the conversation. That’s probably why we haven’t been blessed by their presence lately. If all they bring is the same tired shit we’ve all heard and call names, we really don’t need them, do we? I mean Jacke was recruiting for the Ron Paulians in a discussion about something entirely different.
November 23rd, 2012 at 9:24 pm
If you missed his comment, he pasted it from the same comment he posted at Ace. I guess he figured that it was so clever that the internet needed it twice.
November 23rd, 2012 at 9:47 pm
Jonn the Terminator.
November 24th, 2012 at 10:17 am
(Sigh!) I refer to my former military rank only as a screen name suggested to me by one of my student when I taught high school. I served 24 years in the Army National Guard. Enlisted as a PV1, promote to PV3 because of college ROTC. Went to OCS when my CO and 1SGT decided that I “…wasn’t NCO material.” Prepped for the Great Fulda Gap Live Fire Exercise that was cancelled in 1989. Retired in 2000 after 15 years as a Federal Readiness Technician for the Guard.
I have peacetime decorations (several ARCOMs and AAMs, service ribbons, etc). So I’m a marginal veteran, at best.
That said, my oath to the Constitution is still in force. After 12 years out, my old uniforms still fit, and I still meet Army height/weight standards. I can still shoot expert with the 1911A1, M16 and probably with the M60.
One day, I’ll take my place at the National Cemetary where my fater now resides. I hope that by that time the self-proclaimed douchbags like Ms. Stone get their collective asses kicked on site for similiar behavior. I’m grateful and humbled for the sacrifice made by mena and women better than me who haved allowed me and my family to live in this country.
The phonies and the douchbags seem to survive while the real heroes are lost to us, Hell of a deal.
Rant over. Thanks for putting up with an often angry old fart.
November 27th, 2012 at 7:29 pm
Cite your proof that we collaborated to get her fired. Collaboration, by it’s very nature, requires a degree of coordination and cooperation. I didn’t see anyone coordinating an effort to get her fired.
Did we somehow control the media to report on this? Did we somehow find the means to control the 18k+ people on the “Fire Lindsey Stone” Facebook page? Did we somehow coerce the company to fire her? With a remote control or something, I’m guessing.
No. We did none of that. I did see a handful of people sent an email to the company.
I also saw some people celebrating the fact she was fired. Saying that’s evidence of a collaborative effort is saying that the people who celebrate the Cowboys’ next win are controlling the situation.
I further see exactly no evidence that anyone here was in communication with her to educate and explain things. I did, however, witness her flailing attempts on Facebook, where she continued to ridicule and seek to offend Veterans.
I also see you making baseless accusations against a group of people, yet claiming we should take the high road.
And further, her life is not ruined. And if you claim her life is ruined, you have a far weaker definition of adversity than I.
November 27th, 2012 at 7:29 pm
Bah. The post I was rebutting is no more. I didn’t imagine the whole thing. Promise.
November 27th, 2012 at 7:31 pm
Oh, Nik, it’s just The Dude trying to stir up trouble by blaming us for somebody else’s crass, vulgar and socially unacceptable behavior.
November 27th, 2012 at 7:43 pm
Well…bleh.
November 27th, 2012 at 8:13 pm
Sorry, Nik, but I’ve reached the limits of my tolerance for some of the trolls. If they have something of substance to add to the discussion instead of just calling people names and their silly accusations, I’ll let them play with us.
November 27th, 2012 at 8:18 pm
No need to apologize Jonn. It’s your house. We just come to visit. And even so, I can’t think of a single reason to blame you.
April 8th, 2013 at 9:46 am
Does anyone know if this loser ever got another job?
Curious.