I will post a link to this story without much commentary except to say that I have always believed one thing: there isn't just one side to any story, or even two. There are instead as many stories as there are individuals involved, as every story has perspectives that will differ dependent on the participant.
I was pleased to see this story as I believe every side of the story deserves to be told, and one of the main principals in this one has now told his. It seems he did what many of us have done - negotiated an employment contract - and he secured a generous offer by any standards. Now, some may say it was entirely too generous, and perhaps that is true but I would very much like to meet the person who rejected a job offer as too generous and asked for less salary, fewer benefits or less options for continuing education (for the record I haven't met anyone who has done this, ever). I recognize the controversy the revelation of his employment contract caused, but I think it is of value to hear his side as I think the only way to get a glimpse of the whole picture of any situation is to hear as many sides as possible.
One thing that deeply troubled me in this story was the comment regarding the work of Sacred Mark as creating gifts that one would give as a joke at bachelor parties. Fair trade organizations such as this are far from jokes and work very hard to assist those in the developing world to improve their lives. I support many fair trade initiatives and often purchase items to give as gifts to family and friends, and none of them have been "joke gifts" but rather gifts given to both please the recipient and to help others, an attempt to magnify the positive effects of a gift. I would encourage my readers to check out Sacred Mark for themselves.
Finally, I would suggest reading this story with an open mind. It isn't the first story to come out during this episode of life in our community, and it won't be the last. I think it is vital to read every story - to hear every perspective - with that open mind because a closed mind doesn't do anything but blind us to the other sides of the story - and every story has far, far more than one side.
Well said!
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