Joe Hill LTD Project
Unbelievably, Joe received the following email from a reader of the blog containing the following copy of an email alleged to be from Ken Hamm. Joe Hill had to interupt the discussion about the strategic plan to reveal this insensitive email from Hamm. This email was apparently sent on the LTD computer network to LTD employees. In recognition of the space that all of the email addresses took for reproducing this for the BLOG, Joe Hill has edited out some of the recipients.
Joe Hill did not write this email, Joe Hill does not know who did. In fact, I can't prove that Ken Hamm sent this inappropriate religious email to other LTD employees. No Union employee names were on the list, but then most of us don't have email addresses (except a few folks in the shop and all of the Customer Service employees).
In Joe Hill's opinion, LTD is not the place for the practice of one's religion and forcing it upon unsuspecting email recipients. This apparently happened along time ago. Someone should ask any of the recipients shown if they remember getting this email. Joe Hill sure would like to know for sure.
----- Original Message -----
From: "HAMM Ken (LTD)" <Ken.Hamm@ltd.lane.or.us>
To: "BERGERON Ed C" <Ed.Bergeron@ltd.lane.or.us>; "BRADFORD Hannah" <hannah.bradford@ltd.lane.or.us>; "HANSEN Patricia A" <patricia.hansen@ltd.lane.or.us>; "PANGBORN Mark J (LTD)" <mark.pangborn@ltd.lane.or.us>; "RAYACK Stephen" <Stephen.Rayack@LTD.Lane.OR.US>; "SULLIVAN Jo E" <jo.sullivan@ltd.lane.or.us>; "SWEARINGEN Don" <don.swearingen@ltd.lane.or.us>;
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2001 4:42 PM
Subject: FW: Prayer Wheel
> Prayer Wheel -This is too beautiful not to forward!
> Prayer Wheel
> Let's see the devil stop this one!
> Here's what the wheel is all about.
> When you receive this, say a prayer for the person that sent it
> to you....That's all you have to do....There is nothing attached....
> This is so powerful....Just send this to seven people and watch
> God's answer to prayer work in your life. Do not stop the wheel,
> please.... Of all the free gifts we may receive, Prayer is the very
> best one..... There are no costs, but wonderful rewards.... Let's
> continue praying for one another..
> A Prayer
> Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this right now.
> I am asking You to minister to their spirit at this very moment.
> Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy.
> Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence in
> Your ability to work through them.
> Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I ask You to give them
> understanding, patience, and strength as they learn submission
> to Your leading.
> Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by
> revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater
> intimacy with You.
> Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Your
> courage.
> Where there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and break its hold
> over my friend's life.
> Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up
> leaders, and friends to support, and encourage them.
> Give each of them discernment to recognize the evil forces
> around them, and reveal to them the power they have in You to
> defeat it.
> I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name.
> In love, Your Friend
> > Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will bless you both.
> Passing this on to one not considered a friend is something Christ
> would do.
Well, this is far from comforting. This message ignores the personal beliefs of the recipients. It uses taxpayer assets to spread Hamm's version of religiosity. This is wrong and wasteful. Union Brothers and Sisters the problem is worse than I thought. Hamm must believe that he is leading us by inspiration from God.
All I can say is shame on him. Where is the Board on this inappropriate use of LTD equipment. Again, no where in sight!
In Solidarity,
Joe Hill
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2 comments:
I have worked in many offices. This kind of e-mail, such as a prayer wheel is common. People working in offices communicate with each other like this often. They communicate about all kinds of things not just work. I did not feel Ken Hamm was out of line in sharing this with people he obviously thought would be open to such a thing nor do I think he was forcing anything on anyone. This seems like a petty thing to bring up.
Joe Hill Responds to Anon. on
JH 32 - LTD, Hamm's Flock to Proselytize
Sorry if this article offended you.
There is a big difference in this circumstance from my way of thinking. First, Ken Hamm is the top public paid official of LTD and I think that it demonstrates poor judgement to spread religious messages that might be offensive to non-Christians. Plus Hamm is in the power position, so who dares speak up about it.
Second, LTD is a tax supported agency. As a government, we should not establsih any religion either by action or expense. I think that it should apply to emails also. And Jewish, Muslim, non-believers and others could be threatened or be uncomfortable with this. The fairest way and best way is to remain silent on personal issues like this on offical business machines. Wear a Crusifix, Star of David, Red Crescent or a Pentagram for all I care. Send religious messages from home, fine. But I think that someone making more than $100,000 has better things to do with his time at work than personally address emails to employees with prayer messages.
Third, if Ken Hamm is such a proud and faithful Christian then I really hope that he is asking the question "What would Jesus do?" with regard to our collective bargaining. If the answer is what Hamm and Management is doing then he reads a different Bible than I do.
OK I will agree that it may be petty to some. But I would not have done the article if I had not received the email from an employee who was offended by it.
Lastly, We do not want the Joe Hill LTD Project to be a forum on religion. It is a forum about bad LTD management judgements, and how they affect workers, fairness for workers and our collective bargaining solidarity. I apologize to all who did not like the article and this reply to the comment.
In Solidarity,
Joe Hill
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