I believe that companies should have a "no soliciting" law because employees can become trapped and reputations can become damaged. It can definitely become a "damned if I do; damned if I don't" situation. Read on.
Last night, I was working when a customer approached me asking me to sign a petition. After hearing her out, I certainly felt that her intentions were honorable; however, simply hearing her out automatically trapped me. She and a friend of hers have pet raccoons, and they would like to catch wild raccoons and vaccinate them for distemper, rabies, etc. Colorado, however, apparently prohibits giving these types of vaccinations to wild animals. After explaining their intentions, I was asked to sign the petition to make it lawful for them the administer vaccinations. I first checked with a manager to see if we had a policy regarding signing petitions... we do not... unfortunately. If I were to say "no," this puts me in the position of representing my employer as one who does not care about animals. Considering that I work in an animal place, that is not a good reputation to bestow upon my employer. If I say "yes," I am put into a position for those opposed to feel as though my employer supports a system of making decisions for wildlife. Damned if I do; damned if I don't. This was a no-win situation. If the company didn't allow solicitation, I could just say that we don't permit any type of solicitation in the store, thank you very much. Problem solved.
Ultimately, I signed the petition... peace was kept and they went on to spend some money in our store. Had I been approached on the street, would I have signed it? Most assuredly not. I understand what they are attempting to do; however, nature has a way of controlling its own population. I believe that diseases are a form of population control. It is not a human's right to decide these things. Understandably, this was small scale, but let's say that they vaccinated raccoons and they no longer died from rabies and distemper... we might be overrun by raccoons, which is not pleasant, or nature might be forced to develop an even stronger disease for population control. Perhaps on a bubonic plague level. Ultimately, I believe that God is in control here... if he wanted to wipe out rabies and distemper and whatever else amongst the raccoons, he is more than capable of doing it without our involvement.
Ultimately, I hated being pressured into signing for something I don't agree with, but "the customer is always right," hey?
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agreed! let nature run it's course.
ReplyDeleteI've found that a lot of people don't think fully about the laws they are trying to change. Most laws have good reasoning behind them, then someone gets a pet project and without looking at the whole picture, tries to change things. I would have signed if I was in your spot too. I like your "Collection of Thoughts."
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