Religion is a very touchy subject. Many arguments and even wars have happened because of it. That’s why it’s generally best for people to mind their words when speaking about religion. However, a Christian cashier at the Dollar Tree in Cayce, South Carolina, recently decided it would be a good idea to try to share her beliefs with some children who visited the store. The problem was that the children were raised Muslim by their mother, who was nearby and quickly became upset at what she witnessed.
The mother confronted the Dollar Tree cashier, asking why she thought it was acceptable to try to influence her children’s religion. The cashier replied that she was just sharing her religion, similar to how Jehovah’s Witnesses often visit her home. The mother responded that this was no excuse. The cashier then argued that she had her freedom of speech. The mother explained that as a cashier, her responsibility was to focus on her job, not to proselytize children in the store.
The situation escalated until the Dollar Tree manager in Cayce arrived to deescalate the conflict. However, the mother was frustrated when the manager did not seem eager to reprimand the cashier for her actions. She demanded to know the full names of the employees and their HR numbers, intending to call corporate and ensure the situation was addressed properly.
Internet users largely agreed with the mother, finding the Dollar Tree cashier’s behavior inappropriate. “Yeah, that’s not freedom of speech though. I hope she does call corporate. Because that was really inappropriate,” one user said. Another added, “Freedom of speech is freedom from government backlash from the things you say, not from each other. Does nobody know this?”
Fortunately for the mother, and to the approval of many online, the Dollar Tree cashier in Cayce was eventually fired. HR confirmed that Dollar Tree employees are not allowed to share religious views with customers, especially with children.
“As well she should have been. I don’t believe in God at all, but I wouldn’t be at my job saying, ‘Welcome to Dollar Tree. Did you know that all religions are a sham?’ If this cashier had apologized or said, ‘I understand. I would be upset if someone were talking to my kids about Mohammed and Islam,’ that would have been different. Instead, she doubled and quadrupled down on her hypocrisy, with a smug look on her face. Disrespectful,” one user commented.
