[SML] job ethics

[Steven Mclean]

This may not be on point, but true war story.  Several years ago, my school
booked an event for a then has-been tv star, not yet political candidate.
It was to be a “conference on education”.  The principal’s advance team
wanted him to have a wireless lav mic, despite our caution that in our
thrust venue with center cluster & our sketchy onni lav there was a very
real likelihood of crappy sound & feedback.

fast forward to the event.  It was held during my class period, so my
colleague ran the event with student labor. The predicted sound problems
ensued,  & when my colleague saved his a**  by bringing the principal a
hand-held mic p, he was thanked with “you’re fired”

None if us but presumably the conferences office & the students running the
event were paid extra for the event & the principal was less-than pleased
by the school newspaper’s coverage and opinion of the event.

On Thu, Jan 14, 2021 at 3:25 PM Riter, Andrew via Stagecraft <
stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:

> And when "harm" doesn't reach physical, but may only be emotional?
>
> "trans people are mentally sick" "there are only 2 sexes, determined by
> the genitalia between your legs"  "gay people are abhorrent" "ni***r"
>
> These words can harm other people.  We had 1 trans person speak up against
> Shapiro.  It didn't go well.  They left in tears, based on shapiro's words,
> and audience reaction (cheers, laughing).  They chose to come, they chose
> to speak, they walked into the lion's den.  But they were harmed.
>
> I don't know if any of our trans / non declared staff worked that event,
> so I don't know if they were harmed that were directed at another like
> them, but not directly at them.
>
> It's a big can of worms.
>
> We also produced "Black Like Me: an exploration of the word n******"    a
> story piece, with dancer, and a panel discussion of Black people about the
> use of n******, either by white or Black people.  The word was said in full
> several times, by audience and panelists, and in recordings when used
> abusively.
>
> Some could have found the event disturbing, harmful.  But in this case it
> was more of a scholarly discussion, rather than a rally or rant about
> "them."
>
> Andrew M. Riter
> Assistant Technical Director, Head Lighting Technician
> Chan Centre
>
> Phone 604 822 2372
> andrew.riter at ubc.ca
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stagecraft <stagecraft-bounces at theatrical.net> On Behalf Of Mick
> Alderson via Stagecraft
> Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2021 11:36 AM
> To: stagecraft at theatrical.net
> Cc: Mick Alderson <mick.alderson at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [SML] job ethics
>
>
> Speaking for myself, I’ve always regarded such jobs as “just another gig”.
> I am a stagehand. My job is to provide a service to facilitate events, not
> pass judgment on them. I take that back; stagehands _always_ pass
> judgement! :-) Besides, I am usually an employee of the venue or perhaps a
> contractor for such calls. It’s not my place to tell my employer who to
> accept as a client. Of course, with Covid19 wiping out most events of any
> sort since March, the question did not come up this year.
>
> It helps that I firmly believe, for example, in the right to speak your
> mind as loudly as you want SO LONG AS you extend the same privilege to
> everyone else, AND so long as nobody else gets hurt. (You can hurt yourself
> if you want.) Threats and intimidation cross the line, as that inhibits the
> free speech of other people. Encouraging or doing actual violence to others
> is simply beyond the pale.
>
> On the other hand, while I may support your right to say what you want, no
> private person or entity should be FORCED to support  or enable an opinion
> they don’t agree with. My ethics tells me to support the rights of those I
> disagree with right up until they cross my personal line, i.e. when someone
> else is harmed, according to my definition of harm. It is your right to
> draw YOUR line in a different place, to follow your conscience and act
> accordingly. Your definition of “harm” may be different than mine. I
> respect that.
>
> Yet words and actions are not without consequences. If you cannot do a gig
> because of your personal ethics, you must accept that there will
> undoubtedly be a cost. Withy luck, the cost will only be monetary.
>
> Mick Alderson
> IATSE 470
> USITT Midwest Section
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Steven J McLean
515-480-8461
stevenjmclean at gmail.com
designandtechtheatre.wordpress.com
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