Brendan Eich steps down as Mozilla CEO due to his Prop 8 support

[Travis]

I don't think you could find someone who is more opposed to Prop 8 than me. I dislike everything about it and I rejoiced to see it overturned. But to call Prop 8 supporters allies of evil is ridiculous. The answer to that kind of wrongheaded intolerance isn't more wrongheaded intolerance.

I've seen the stuff such people say about gay people. So they can't take what they dish out?

So you believe that Obama cynically threw the rights of gay people under the bus to further his own political ambitions? If so then why would you vote for someone like him?

Because the other guy had someone named Palin attached to their campaign.

 

[Polaris]

I doubt very many people here are so fabulously wealthy that $1000 would be a sum they could trivially throw away, so picture $1000 in your mind. See it? Good.

Now imagine taking that $1000 and using it for the sole purpose of preventing complete strangers from marrying who they love, after they'd been legally allowed to at that.

That's what Eich did. **** him, I hope he dies homeless and penniless.

 

[Neally]

Mozilla should have done a better job of vetting its candidates.

Yes, the thought police dropped the ball big time in this situation. Yet according to Mozilla,

We have employees with a wide diversity of views. Our culture of openness extends to encouraging staff and community to share their beliefs and opinions in public. This is meant to distinguish Mozilla from most organizations and hold us to a higher standard.

Which by their actions, are essentially saying,

“We are fine with people who have different beliefs. What we object to is people who have WRONG beliefs.”

Kinda like, "We support freedom of speech, as long as we agree with what you are saying..."

 

[ravdin]

I've seen the stuff such people say about gay people. So they can't take what they dish out?

Yes, it is quite appalling. I like to think that we are better than that.

Because the other guy had someone named Palin attached to their campaign.

Ah, because Sarah Palin voted for DOMA while she was in the US Senate. Wait a minute, it was Joe Biden who voted for DOMA!

In fairness, I'll give credit where credit is due: both Obama and Biden did come around to the more enlightened position on marriage equality that Dick Cheney had reached years before.

 

[332nd]

No, you shouldn't keep using his products.

I didn't ask if I should or shouldn't. I asked if I should have to.

By the way, did you know that Brendan Eich is the creator of Javascript? So his invention is part of just about every website, including this one. I'll be sad to see you renounce your participation in the forum and the rest of the internet, but boycotting Eich is clearly the principled thing to do. It's been nice chatting with you!

As I Am Scum pointed out, unless he's getting a commission every time I click "submit reply", not much I can do about that, but... even if he did, your argument would still fail.

"Why" you ask?

Because I get to pick & choose how far I want to go in showing my displeasure in his actions. Thus I can use one of his products because it is ubiquitous (or nearly so) & there few to no alternatives, and not use another one of his products to voice my grievances.

So... Sorry about your "gotcha!" fail & your loss of internet points...

Now just for the record, do you believe that one has to agree or disagree 100% with someone to vote for them/use their products?

 

[ravdin]

Now just for the record, do you believe that one has to agree or disagree 100% with someone to vote for them/use their products?

Of course I don't. In case it isn't clear, I couldn't disagree more with Brendan Eich on the issue of marriage equality or Prop 8. However, I feel it has nothing to do with his qualifications to be CEO of Mozilla.

 

[332nd]

Yes, the thought police dropped the ball big time in this situation. Yet according to Mozilla,



Which by their actions, are essentially saying,

“We are fine with people who have different beliefs. What we object to is people who have WRONG beliefs.”

Kinda like, "We support freedom of speech, as long as we agree with what you are saying..."

More like "You are free to have your beliefs, you are free to speak and act on those beliefs (within the law), however you are not free from the consequences of your speech and/or actions..."

 

[Dessi]

After only being CEO for Mozilly for two weeks, Brendan Eich now steps down due to public pressure.

https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2014/04/03/brendan-eich-steps-down-as-mozilla-ceo/

Brendan Eich's vocally anti-gay opinions deserves no more or less respect than being a vocal racist or anti-Semite.

Seriously. **** Brendan Eich.

 

[mijopaalmc]

Brendan Eich's vocally anti-gay opinions deserves no more or less respect than being a vocal racist or anti-Semite.

Seriously. **** Brendan Eich.

Great to know that you only support free speech when you agree with it!

 

[Polaris]

Great to know that you only support free speech when you agree with it!

Great to know you oppose any consequences for acting upon irrational hatred of strangers who haven't hurt anybody.

 

[mijopaalmc]

Great to know you oppose any consequences for acting upon irrational hatred of strangers who haven't hurt anybody.

Great to know that you can't distinguish between consequences of speech and consequences of others' not approving of your speech!

 

[Dessi]

Of course I don't. In case it isn't clear, I couldn't disagree more with Brendan Eich on the issue of marriage equality or Prop 8. However, I feel it has nothing to do with his qualifications to be CEO of Mozilla.

Will have to disagree here. Mozilla is deeply invested with the open source software development community, and has a huge number of users who enjoy its open source products. FOSS and users are made up of a huge number of LGBT people and even larger number of allies. If Mozilla drives away this community, its user and development pool dries up, harming the company.

Public image, PR, and choosing not to embarrass one's self for a worldwide audience matter are bona fide occupational qualifications for a CEO

 

[Polaris]

Great to know that you can't distinguish between consequences of speech and consequences of others' not approving of your speech!

Great to know you believe a difference exists between the two.

 

[Dessi]

Brendan Eich's vocally anti-gay opinions deserves no more or less respect than being a vocal racist or anti-Semite.

Seriously. **** Brendan Eich.

Great to know that you only support free speech when you agree with it!

Nice job purposefully misrepresenting my statement and criticizing a view I do not hold in the first place.

Brendan Eich's free speech should not be restricted or limited, no matter how vial and awful those views are. Even Westboro Baptist has their right to free speech. However, Eich must be living in an alternate universe if he thinks "free speech" shields him from criticism -- it does not.

Public officials are criticized every single day for the idiotic things they say, some of which are severe enough that an official is fired or resigns their position. "Series of tubes." "Legitimate rape." "Depends on what the meaning of 'is' is." "<insert everything Mel Gibson says about Jews ever>." The examples are endless.

But seriously. **** Brendan Eich.

 

[Giordano]

Great to know that you only support free speech when you agree with it!

Free speech is that you can say anything you want without the government punishing you or sending you to jail. I fully support that.

Free speech is not that you can say anything you want and other people have to like you or even hire you. Would you like to change this?

I find it ironic that people continue to legally punish gay people, including not hiring them in many states (for reasons relating to their involuntary choice of who they might fall in love with), yet I am expected to support with my money anything Eich voluntarily says.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

The point is that heterosexual people have the right to marriage. Homosexuals are often excluded from that. Which makes it discrimination, and should to be changed since there is no valid reason to not allow homosexual marriage. They are denid a basic right that others have.

While I have no objection to gay marriage, I wouldn't put it that way. In places where gay marriage is not legal, a gay man is still able to marry just as much as a straight man is able to marry, and not able to marry just as much as a straight man is not able to marry. In reality, they are denied nothing that others are not.

More on-topic, what constructive purpose does Eich's ousting serve? Does anyone here think he will change his opinions because of it? Does anyone here think anyone will abandon their opposition to gay marriage because of it? Or is it more likely that resentment of gays and gay marriage will increase but just be more closeted (no pun intended)? Is there a constructive change that is expected because Eich was run out of his job, or is this just pigs wallowing in the mess they made for no reason other than spite?

ETA: Is it possible that the best way to engender tolerance is with tolerance?

 

[Christian Klippel]

Brendan Eich's vocally anti-gay opinions deserves no more or less respect than being a vocal racist or anti-Semite.

Seriously. **** Brendan Eich.

If it only were his opinion... He actively tried to impose his morals onto people he has nothing to do with, by giving money to folks with the intent purpose of going to court to take away a right that these people already had. That's just disgusting.

Greetings,

Chris

 

[Christian Klippel]

While I have no objection to gay marriage, I wouldn't put it that way. In places where gay marriage is not legal, a gay man is still able to marry just as much as a straight man is able to marry, and not able to marry just as much as a straight man is not able to marry. In reality, they are denied nothing that others are not.

Is this for real, or do i just have flat batteries in my irony meter?

Greetings,

Chris

 

[Checkmite]

Great to know that you can't distinguish between consequences of speech and consequences of others' not approving of your speech!

I absolutely support Brendan Eich's right to give money to people who work for any particular cause he believes in, as a form of speech.

Why do you not absolutely support my right to not give Brendan Eich money because of his support for any particular cause I don't believe in, as a form of speech?

 

[Travis]

Yes, it is quite appalling. I like to think that we are better than that.

Well you won't see me out voting to take away an anti-gay persons basic rights. So I have that in my favor.

Ah, because Sarah Palin voted for DOMA while she was in the US Senate. Wait a minute, it was Joe Biden who voted for DOMA!

Let us face it, in 2008 neither candidate was pro-gay marriage. Which was unfortunate. But Obama had plenty else for me to like. He was even pro-high speed rail!

In fairness, I'll give credit where credit is due: both Obama and Biden did come around to the more enlightened position on marriage equality that Dick Cheney had reached years before.

If only Cheney had been able to convert more of fellow Republicans.