Do you think this is offensive?

RE: Do you think this is offensive?

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 08:10:17 GMT

[quote userid="2368" url="~/f/nonclinical-discussions/32496/do-you-think-this-is-offensive/178538#178538"]I do feel though that in this day and age we seem to get offended by everything! (i sound like my mother!)[/quote]

Couldn't agree more. One thing that has caught my eye recently is how the RCVS has taken to issuing press releases with a warning on them. For example, this tragic story came with a warning above that: "Please note that this story contains references to the death of a child."

It seems as if the College is trying to spare journalists from being offended or upset by bad news, which seems slightly barmy to me!

But coming back to the point ....

[quote userid="2368" url="~/f/nonclinical-discussions/32496/do-you-think-this-is-offensive/178538#178538"]It does show that what you say on line can really affect your employment![/quote][quote userid="61064" url="~/f/nonclinical-discussions/32496/do-you-think-this-is-offensive/178546#178546"]Does make me think about where and who I vent my frustrations to, [/quote]

Eve Burns Exactly why I shared the full text. It really is food for thought. I think if I were a vet or vet nurse (or a member of any other profession) posting on a public platform, I would not engage in anything controversial, full stop. I would be faultlessly polite at all times, and if I felt I couldn't be (because I found someone else's comments too infuriating), I would just leave without posting / replying.

[quote userid="2368" url="~/f/nonclinical-discussions/32496/do-you-think-this-is-offensive/178538#178538"]i think we have all probably done a facebook stalk on new employees.[/quote]

Of course, every employer does that. They would be mad not to! Which is why it is important to make sure your posts are good natured, polite, helpful etc.

RE: Do you think this is offensive?

Eve Burns — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 15:51:47 GMT

The schedule one list are odd to call offensive, and in some she does state herself as a vet nurse, not a vet. Sounds like letting off some of the frustration I know I have felt over my nursing career, and sometimes vent such thoughts to my family at home....

I'm surprised they bothered to use that list all a charge at all given the schedule 2 statements. They certainly were disgraceful misconduct and do bring the profession into disrepute. The fact they were worried about the first list at all surprises me a little, but I suppose in some she does say vet not vet nurse. Does make me think about where and who I vent my frustrations to, I'm sure I'm not the only one to have them from time to time? The wall of silence is hard to maintain sometimes, although I try my best to never let it get into the public realm,

RE: Do you think this is offensive?

Selena Carnell — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 09:00:56 GMT

It does show that what you say on line can really affect your employment! nothing is safe these days and i think we have all probably done a facebook stalk on new employees.

The schedule one comments i think anyone could make and i have seen worse, one reason i left a lot of online pet groups as i could easily end up saying something that could get me in hot water!.

The racism is a step too far, not needed at all in this day and age.

I do feel though that in this day and age we seem to get offended by everything! (i sound like my mother!)

RE: Do you think this is offensive?

jenni99 — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 17:40:02 GMT

The xenophobia & racism is shocking and wrong (but often seen on facebook etc, and in my mind should be taken down by those platforms regardless of who posted it

However a couple of the the Schedule 1 comments, I kinda feel I'd make them after a glass of wine or two . . . minus the twit word, oh and fur baby !! However they may read differently when in context, so this one is not offensive, but if its sort of linked to have a go at Jnr Doctors ? some might find it inflammatory ?

No one claps for us, we don’t get discounts or great pensions… we are there 24/7 for your fur babies… perhaps we should strike?... I don’t know a single vet nurse or vet that would put animal lives in danger to do this though”

Yeah we’re driving round in Ferraris and doing snow angels in our cash. There’s no NHS for pet which is why twits like you don’t understand costs to run a vet practice”

Also, any random person can say, on social media "I'm a vet ", and there is no comeback, anyone anywhere can hold themselves out to be a "Veterinary Nurse " with no comeback, which needs to change, but that's a different thread !!

RE: Do you think this is offensive?

Katherine Spear — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 08:44:22 GMT

Yes very good points,they do show the sentence was correct,not tame atall! Yes fair enough,I can see why they were included. Very interesting case that certainly does highlight the importance of maintaining our professional status online as well as in real life.

RE: Do you think this is offensive?

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 08:20:02 GMT

Katherine Spear Hi, I agree with you, the racist tweets make for very uncomfortable reading. I did think long and hard about publishing them, but decided in the end that social media is such a minefield for professionals, and it would be important to share them so that you could see what led to a colleague being struck off. I also think, however distasteful we may find the news, it is important to report bad stuff too, so that good people know what is going on around them, if that makes sense.

Finally, one of my points was that the tame tweets were, well, tame, and I needed to illustrate that others were categorically not tame and that the sentence was appropriate. Else everyone would be shouting that she was struck off unfairly!

RE: Do you think this is offensive?

Katherine Spear — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 21:16:50 GMT

For me, reading that article I felt that the majority of those tweets - the racist ones - should not have been republished here, or anywhere, they were better left without putting out such awful hatred again, giving further platform for such views as the racist ones were shockingly offensive. I think the impersonating a vet ones were more relevant to give the article & actions taken by the RCVS context and explanation but think that racism is best not repeated, it was awful to read, I couldn't read to the end.

RE: Do you think this is offensive?

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 10:08:01 GMT

[quote userid="2314" url="~/f/nonclinical-discussions/32496/do-you-think-this-is-offensive/178501#178501"]I agreed with a couple of things[/quote]

Yeah, I wasnt quite sure why the DC highlighted the comment asking the BBC why it didn't highlight the work of nurses.

[quote userid="2314" url="~/f/nonclinical-discussions/32496/do-you-think-this-is-offensive/178501#178501"]but when she started being racist then I lost sympathy for her[/quote]

Me too - I think some of those remarks would be universally accepted as offensive!

[quote userid="2314" url="~/f/nonclinical-discussions/32496/do-you-think-this-is-offensive/178501#178501"]HOWEVER if everyone's social media/views were investigated by their employers then a lot of people would be subject to disciplinaries![/quote]

I'm not so sure ... I do think you have to step quite far over the line before you'd be in trouble, and most of us (I like to think) just don't have it in our make up to think, let alone express such unkind thoughts.

I suppose where it gets difficult is when you talk about opinions which are just controversial rather than being hateful.

Trans issues are of course the current biggy. My view, expressed simply, is that I have EVERY sympathy for anyone who doesnt feel comfortable in the body they were born with. Do I think that makes them the sex they want to be? Nope! Is my opinion offensive? Well, clearly to some people yes.

Of course there is a difference between the standards that I should be held to (as just a bloke on the street), and those which members of a profession should be held to.

[quote userid="25125" url="~/f/nonclinical-discussions/32496/do-you-think-this-is-offensive/178502#178502"]I don't condone the racism obviously but some of her Schedule 1 comments are reasonable. This mostly gives me concern for free speech generally and nanny state type monitoring. Did she target any individuals or cause any upset/harm? How do you judge this [/quote]

TammK64 - hi, yes, that's another good point which crossed my mind as I read these posts, which is that we're seeing them out of context, and whilst impersonating a vet and racism are clearly indefensible, I think context is important.

RE: Do you think this is offensive?

TammK64 — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 10:03:51 GMT

I don't condone the racism obviously but some of her Schedule 1 comments are reasonable. This mostly gives me concern for free speech generally and nanny state type monitoring. Did she target any individuals or cause any upset/harm? How do you judge this

RE: Do you think this is offensive?

Sarah Cahill — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 09:43:56 GMT

I agreed with a couple of things, but when she started being racist then I lost sympathy for her - HOWEVER if everyone's social media/views were investigated by their employers then a lot of people would be subject to disciplinaries!