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Should public officials be sanctioned if they create or forward offensive emails on a public account?

Response Percent Votes
Yes
 
 77% 405
No
 
 22% 117
Total 522

Comments

WilburM 1 year, 4 months ago

I voted "No" -- the real sanction has to come at the polls. If you want to keep electing folks who say stupid things, that's your right in a democracy. And we have any number of examples...

0

Paul R. Getto 1 year, 4 months ago

I voted 'No' as well. That's up to the voters. You are correct, Wilbur.

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snap_pop_no_crackle 1 year, 4 months ago

If I get to be the one who decides what is offensive, sure.

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consumer1 1 year, 4 months ago

Yo Mamma

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snap_pop_no_crackle 1 year, 4 months ago

Yo Yo Ma

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Moderate 1 year, 4 months ago

And how do we decide what is offensive? Who does the deciding? What about due process?

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beatrice 1 year, 4 months ago

WilburM got it right on the first response. The answer is no. That doesn't mean we can't express our displeasure, and if enough people speak up it could push an elected official toward stepping down. Of course, if something is offensive enough, one's own party might even ask a politician to step down.

I know Anthony Wiener stepped down because of his personal e-mails. It does happen.

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Stain 1 year, 4 months ago

O'Neal is a disgrace to Kansas. I want him to resign. Kansas is better than this. Kansas are better than this.

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Armstrong 1 year, 4 months ago

Where is the freedom of speech crowd now ?

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Armstrong 1 year, 4 months ago

Ah, the I support only the speech I like crowd. Thanks for clearing that up. Emma would be ashamed

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bevy 1 year, 4 months ago

If a state employee sent an e-mail like that one, he or she would at minimum be sanctioned,or possibly even fired. Don't elected officials have at least the same responsibilities?

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hear_me 1 year, 4 months ago

Offensive or not, personal stuff should not be done on government equipment.

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jayhawklawrence 1 year, 4 months ago

I voted no for the same reasons as others.

If voters keep electing dumb people, that is one of the things you have to accept in a Democracy. Being dumb is not against the law.

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Agnostick 1 year, 4 months ago

The content isn't the issue--the issue is a state employee behaving recklessly with a public account, and/or using state equipment. As I pointed out in the other thread, O'Neal is reckless and childish. He should not be sanctioned--but he should have his state/public computer and internet privileges suspended until he can demonstrate more personal responsibility and common sense.

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Grump 1 year, 4 months ago

". . . until he can demonstrate more personal responsibility and common sense."

My guess is that's not going to happen. (I've met him in-person.)

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ivalueamerica 1 year, 4 months ago

anyone who is using government computers to present personal messages, offensive or not, should be sanctioned.

Also, State leaders who do not think they should be held to greater accountability than regular employees or a greater standard of ethics should leave their posts because they do not understand their job.

I voted yes because of that.

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jayhawkinsf 1 year, 4 months ago

I'm just guessing, but with the use of mass mailings, mass e-mails etc., done by paid staff and by volunteers on behalf of politicians, I could easily see how some offensive things could be sent out without the politician ever having seen the material. It would be great if we could hold the politician responsible, but there are only 24 hours in a day. A pattern of such behavior would indicate a lack of managerial control, which might make such a person unworthy of public office.

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Alceste 1 year, 4 months ago

Kansas state legislators need to be subjected to the same standard any employee of the state of Kansas is subjected to.

Had any state employee forwarded the tripe O'Neal has been forwarding using his state of Kansas issued email address, he would have been discharged.

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patkindle 1 year, 4 months ago

they should sanction who ever ratted them out

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brutus 1 year, 4 months ago

Let's just fire anyone that offends anyone. This has gotten out of hand. I'm waiting for someone to step up and say "I'm not sorry, go screw yourself!"

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pace 1 year, 4 months ago

I believe we have that in Brownback.

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Oldsoul 1 year, 4 months ago

One Million Pissed Off Women was encouraging mass email and phone protest against this clown the last time I visited their page on Facebook.

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