Weekend File - December 19, 2020 - Happy Holidays Edition

/
Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby's 1944 Christmas Message

There is no doubt that 2020 has been a rough year. And now we face the prospect of spending the holidays away from friends and family in order to protect our loved ones and slow the spread of a deadly virus. 

But like all things, this very bad year will pass and things will hopefully get back to a more normal place sometime next year. In the meantime, let's not forget the hardships of holidays past. We must remain mindful and thankful for the perseverance shown by Americans in the past who had to deal with during far more challenging times. Take World War II for example: 

On the December 21, 1944, episode of his popular weekly radio program Kraft Music Hall, Bing Crosby had a few things to say after crooning a typically tender version of “Silent Night.” I think that his remarks are worth repeating and perhaps can remind us to be thankful for what we have now in 2020.  Bing said:  

“On our fighting front, there are no silent nights, but there are plenty of holy nights. I’m sure that all of us are offering up prayers for the gallant gang of American kids to whom anything that has to do with peace still seems very far away.  

"My own thoughts are a lot humbler than they were last year. I’ve talked and lived and chowed with these boys, boys whose courage and faith is something that beggars description. Seeing those GIs kneel in a muddy pasture in France brought back to my mind the lines of an old, familiar prayer that I’d heard somewhere along the line back home.  

"'God, grant unto us an early peace and victory founded on justice, and instill into the hearts and the minds of men everywhere a firm purpose to live forever in peace and goodwill toward all.'”

I’d like to join “der Bingle” in wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. 

Legal Reads

  • UPDATED: Can Your Employer Fire You for Refusing to Take the COVID Vaccine??

    • UPDATED WITH EEOC GUIDANCE.
      There can be little doubt that at some point in 2021, there will be enough vaccine to go around and all Americans will have access to these important drugs. But what if you don’t want to take it? Can your employer fire you for refusing to take a COVID vaccine?

  • Webcast: The Dialogue

    • This month on their monthly video webcast, "The Dialogue", employment attorneys Daniel Schwartz & Nina Pirrotti discuss whether employers can mandate coronavirus vaccines, how employers and employees are dealing with pandemic-related issues, and predictions for 2021.

  • ‘No One Should Get Fired on a Whim’: Fast Food Workers Win More Job Security

    • The New York City Council passed a bill that would shield workers from being fired without a valid reason. Is this the beginning of the end for at-will employment?

Weekend Reads