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After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

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131–140 of 841 posts

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#131
post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Suppose that: 1. You provide tools to a group. 2. You believe (in a informed way) that the group intends to act immorally. 3. Your tools will make the group more effective at acting immorally. Do you have any responsibility for what happens?

Suppose that I'm highly religious: 1. I make tools (wedding planning software) 2. I believe (in an informed way) that a group intends to act immorally (use my tools to plan a gay wedding) 3. My tools will make the group more effective at acting immorally Do I have any responsibility for what happens? Or (alternatively): 1. I make tools (highly specialized chemicals) 2. I believe (in an informed way) that a group inte…

Lot's of people seem to think so. Masterpiece Cake shop was a supreme court decision around, essentially, that question, that upheld the right for the private entity to discriminate.

So yes I think everyone would agree you have some responsibility (otherwise no one would care about the outcome of the case, why request the right to discriminate if you don't feel that you have any responsibility for the resulting acts?)

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#132
post #14

What a bummer that workers are publicly demanding this, and (presumably) seeking press attention on it. I'm no fan of ICE – a very large percentage of my friends in the US are immigrants, and I generally want my country to be a welcoming one. ICE has certainly committed unethical and probably illegal acts (probably true of most federal agencies). But to expect that a _federal agency_ will be denied service from a pri…

> But to expect that a _federal agency_ will be denied service from a private entity, especially for essentially political reasons, is lunacy. Um, think you've got this backwards. Private entities shouldn't have to take on anyone they don't want as customers (for whatever reason - do you have to justify who you do or don't want in your livingroom?), but publicly-funded institutions shouldn't be able to deny service o…

> Private entities shouldn't have to take on anyone they don't want as customers (for whatever reason - do you have to justify who you do or don't want in your livingroom?)

Actually that one is illegal in many jurisdictions, e.g. when it's a store refusing service to gays and lesbians.

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#133
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really dislike labeling any recognition of an issue as "cheap". It was not that long ago that any positive recognition of even gay people existing in modern media outside of farce, recognition by corporations was seen as a HUGE step forward as far as making people or concerns SEEN. Maybe some CEO's out there are all Snidely Whiplash and putting out all their messaging for free PR, but I'm not going to assume that a…

I understand the position, but nowadays Twitter is full of #BlackLivesMatter posts, pride flags can be seen commonly, all while, to bring the two most currently visible things that haven't changed, the sex/race pay gaps are still there, and Black folk are still much more likely to die during police interventions. I guess I'm glad that the recognition and posts from CEOs is there, but posting rainbow flags and "Black…

"... and Black folk are still much more likely to die during police interventions."

Care to link to a source?

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#134

i wish someone of these workers quit. Tons of IT jobs even in covid. If you are not quitting then you are also profiting form ICE contract.

Are you suggesting people give up their cushy, lucrative, fully-remote jobs in the name of a cause they claim to support? And potentially make sacrifices for themselves?!

No no, my friend, life is much more comfy lying through your teeth in the interview, taking that cushy job and attempting to subvert the company from within via social media or internal comms, knowing full well the media has your back and will be armed with outrage porn should you get canned for fomenting what amounts to hostility in the workplace.

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"By accepting the ICE contract previously it was political." Just a reminder that government entities like ICE are executing the current laws of the land.

Demonstrably and rather obviously untrue. They're violating the law in many instances, including but not limited to the cases of asylum seekers and current green card holders; it's just they're following the evil, xenophobic whims of the current political leadership, who are failing to hold themselves or ICE accountable to the rule of law, so they are, for the moment, getting away with their lawlessness. I hope we ca…

ICE arrests are significantly down under the current administration compared to the previous administration.

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#137
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But to expect that a _federal agency_ will be denied service from a private entity, especially for essentially political reasons, is lunacy. Um, think you've got this backwards. Private entities shouldn't have to take on anyone they don't want as customers (for whatever reason - do you have to justify who you do or don't want in your livingroom?), but publicly-funded institutions shouldn't be able to deny service o…

What about anti-discrimnation laws? Where do you stand on the issue with the baker refusing to bake a cake for the gay couple?

Being an immigration cop is not a protected class, and shouldn't be.

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#138
post #99

If working with ICE is so reprehensible, why are none of these employees taking advantage of their in-demand skillset and moving on to companies that better respect their values? I'm sympathetic with those who point out that corporations typically have more leverage than individual employees, and that changing jobs is not so easy for those who are less privileged. That category, though, of "less privileged" with rega…

I wholeheartedly agree with you. I think a lot of these tech workers want to justify their stance and feel like they did something to help. Anyone working for Facebook, Google, Amazon and now Github needs to reconcile that they are working for companies that throw morals out the door for money (which is what business usually comes down too) and deal with that in a certain way, or leave.

Walkouts are worthless if you come back to work.

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#139

I guess this is the reason lot of corporates try to stay out of politics. Because once you set a precedence then people will use that as to push their own political agendas. I personally don't like the slippery slope argument since it's very lazy and justifies inaction in many cases. But at the same time when I see news like this, I just wonder how long it will take two different subgroups trying push their own confl…

All corporations engage in politics. They just usually do a better job of hiding it.

Re: After GitHub CEO backs Black Lives Matter, workers demand an end to ICE contract

#140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a genuine question. I want to immigrate to USA, but currently there is no easy way to immigrate to USA. On the contrary Canada has a fair immigration system that allowed me to stay, work and eventually be citizen. Why don't people push for a fair immigration system in USA instead of abolishing ICE? What exactly am I missing here?

ICE only was founded after 9/11, and given that in their short history they've caused so much suffering, it's not unreasonable to demand that the agency be shut down.

ICE was a consolidation of United States Customs Service, the criminal investigative, detention and deportation resources of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the Federal Protective Service.
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