Discriminated against for owning firearms by social services.

[PlayboyPenguin]

This is a repost of an event that happened to me not to long ago. It came up in another thread and another forum member wanted to hear the whole story but that thread was not the place to really discuss it...so I am reposting it here.

Angry at Portland social and legal services!

I was recently involved in an botched attack by three underage gang members in downtown Portland (as some of you already know).

After the attackers were caught by police I worked with one of the prosecutors to try and come to an acceptable agreement for a plea deal that did not ruin the rest of the kids lives, but instead both punished them and educated them to the fact that there are other options in life. I wanted to see their punishment try to correct their behavior and not harden it.

After it was all over I was asked if I would be willing to be part of a Mentor Program for at risk youth sponsored by a local not-for-profit organization (which shall remain nameless). The woman represtenting the program said they were in dire need of people like me which I thought was sad in itself. I agreed since I have a lot of experience with that very population from when I was in social services myself and started the process of becoming a mentor.

After weeks of processing and interviews I was told today that I was rejected. This ticked me off a bit since I was the one they approached to become involved and I am highly experienced and educated in the field.

I went down today and spoke to the head of the program (a nice excuse to ride my kawi DT). I was curious if my sexual orientation was an issue. If it was I was going to be very upset.

I was informed my sexual orientation was not an issue at all. A lot of social service employees are gay and so are many of the mentors. In fact a lot of the kids in the program are also gay. I was already aware of all of this but wanted to be sure.

When I asked why I was rejected I was told that one of the people reviewing my file read some of the statements and court papers and learned that I had been carrying a firearm at the time I was attacked. They then asked one of my personal references if they knew if I was involved in any firearms related hobbies. The person they asked was a good friend of mine that I regularly shoot with and he told them I have a nice firearms collection and that we regularly engaged in sports shooting at a local range.

Because of this I was rejected from the program because they felt I might subject the client to a harmful "culture of firearms and violence" as the woman worded it in her report.

I guess the fact that I was the one attacked and that I did not use my gun, then went out of my way to do the right and compassionate thing, that I am a law abiding citizen, that I have ran successful businesses, and the fact that I have a degree in psychology and years of experience working with at risk youth is irrelevant. What matters is that I am a gun owner and that makes me an "unacceptable risk."

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[emanon]

Thanks for sharing this!

I really appreciate your desire for a better option for the kid than the "justice" system tend to provide. I'd also like to hear more about the attack if you care to share that.

What a terribly twisted mentality that person has... Did you try discussing and/or challenging their ridiculous decision?

As an aside, what an unfortunate turn of events that when people can finally start being more open about their sexual orientation, they have to be "closeted" about being gun-owners to avoid being discriminated against...:huh:

 

[markw76]

And they drank deep of the Kool-Aid, and would no longer listen to reason...


I tend to think it was actually your sexual orientation. I'd check into a lawyer...

 

[cameronhu]

Chalk another one up for the aggressively ignorant. I wonder if they consider law enforcement officers the same way....?

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

What a terribly twisted mentality that person has... Did you try discussing and/or challenging their ridiculous decision?

I did challenge the decision...and was well on my way to having it reversed when it became too time consuming and I had been soured on the whole organization.

 

[PDXGS]

Out the organization. Please
I spend a considerable amount of time and money volunteering and donating to local charities. I expect that most of them are on the up-and-up but this story gets my hackles up.

Shameless Plug- I'd like to add a plug for the Cat Adoption Team in Sherwood. I recently met him at a fund raiser and was surprised to find out that he's a life-long gun enthusiast.

 

[NK777]

That is a fight worth fighting PP. Discrimination doesn't change unless you fight to change it.

 

[coctailer]

I would go straight to OFF with this.

 

[BigBull 301]

And they wonder why they are having trouble finding mentors!!!
Good for you for TRYING.

 

[thelendog]

Ah, yes. I've run into that issue as well. I told them "no", as I never tell anyone that I don't know anything about my guns. It's all about the kid's safety, kinda like those billboards that say "is there a gun where your child plays? Ask."

 

[Joe Link]

I can't really put into words how wrong and upsetting this is. I agree with coctailer, notify OFF. I'd also like to know the name of this not for profit that would discriminate against a person trying to do a good thing based on a constitutionally protected activity. We need more people in this world like you if there's any hope for humankind.

 

[markw76]

Out the organization. Please
I spend a considerable amount of time and money volunteering and donating to local charities. I expect that most of them are on the up-and-up but this story gets my hackles up.

Up to you, but +1. They shouldn't get a pass.

Shameless Plug- I'd like to add a plug for the Cat Adoption Team in Sherwood. I recently met him at a fund raiser and was surprised to find out that he's a life-long gun enthusiast.

Always nice to see someone active in a cause that can think for themselves.

I can't really put into words how wrong and upsetting this is. I agree with coctailer, notify OFF. I'd also like to know the name of this not for profit that would discriminate against a person trying to do a good thing based on a constitutionally protected activity. We need more people in this world like you if there's any hope for humankind.

Not sucking up or anything, but +1.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

Out the organization. Please
I spend a considerable amount of time and money volunteering and donating to local charities. I expect that most of them are on the up-and-up but this story gets my hackles up

This is one of those situations where I feel the agency itself does so much good for so many youth in this city and I feel that it is just the pigheadedness of a few management level people that constitutes the problem. I would feel I did a horrible disservice to the community if I denied the agency a single dollar by outing them on this issue.

I will say that a couple of people have already guessed correctly so I do not think I am the only person to have ever experienced this from them.

 

[Joe Link]

This is one of those situations where I feel the agency itself does so much good for so many youth in this city and I feel that it is just the pigheadedness of a few management level people that constitutes the problem. I would feel I did a horrible disservice to the community if I denied the agency a single dollar by outing them on this issue.

That's understandable, you have to weigh the good and the bad. Is there anything we can do about these few management level people? Maybe superiors we could petition? I think it's an injustice to the youth that the majority of the best people I know would be barred from helping them.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

That's understandable, you have to weigh the good and the bad. Is there anything we can do about these few management level people? Maybe superiors we could petition? I think it's an injustice to the youth that the majority of the best people I know would be barred from helping them.

This all happened pretty early last year. If you went and checked now, as anyone in social services can tell you, management is likely to be completely different. Turn over is pretty high in middle management. People have to switch jobs to get pay raises and many are women who leave for family issues. I am not saying that is a sexist way. It is just a reality of the business.

 

[markw76]

Turn over is pretty high in middle management. People have to switch jobs to get pay raises...

Sounds tailor made for the Peter Principle...

 

[slickx45]

This all happened pretty early last year. If you went and checked now, as anyone in social services can tell you, management is likely to be completely different. Turn over is pretty high in middle management. People have to switch jobs to get pay raises and many are women who leave for family issues. I am not saying that is a sexist way. It is just a reality of the business.

This would be all the more reason for you to continue with an appeal to the original decision. If the individuals who made and supported that ruling are no longer with the organization, then perhaps you will get a fair review.

Why post your grievance here if you aren't willing to stand up against the injustice that you suffered? You stated that you were “well on the way to getting it reversed…..” but then you gave up only to “vent” about it here, nearly a year and a half later?

I guess I am just failing to see the point of the post.

 

[ernurse]

Playboy, sorry you had to go thru this, When we adopted a child their eyebrows were raised about the fact I ccw, But when I told them what I do for a living and the people I deal with daily they relented and gave me a pass.

Unfortunately many in our state government think this way and perpetuate this bias against us all. To really help this orginaization you should out them and help them see the light. How many other law abiding citizens have they denied, if they let only the liberal few educate our young we are lost. But it is your decision and I respect whatever you do. Scott

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

This would be all the more reason for you to continue with an appeal to the original decision. If the individuals who made and supported that ruling are no longer with the organization, then perhaps you will get a fair review.

Why post your grievance here if you aren't willing to stand up against the injustice that you suffered? You stated that you were “well on the way to getting it reversed…..” but then you gave up only to “vent” about it here, nearly a year and a half later?

I guess I am just failing to see the point of the post.

I did originally appeal the decision and did get as far as being told they had no grounds to deny me and that I could reapply and would receive a reversal of the decision...but by that time I had soured on the whole idea and I was too tied up in opening our new business.

I only posted it here now because I was asked to by another forum member.

 

[markw76]

Yeah, it's easy to say "fight it!" when you're not in it I guess...