-----Original Message-----
From: Lassey, Jason
Sent: Friday, 24 September 2004 3:21 PM
To: Team leaders
Subject: Protest against the forced consumption of fruit

I wish to protest in the strongest terms against managements policy of influencing the greater masses of call centre staff, with the sole aim of creating a fruit consuming elite.

I quote from Telstra's EEO website: "The purpose of Diversity and EEO is to provide, as a fundamental requirement, a workplace free of all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment." I feel that I was discriminated against today, by the militant fruit eaters of Telstra. A committed non-consumer of fruit - and vegetables - I personally was offended by the SHOVING of fruit at me by the militant branch of the fruit consuming community. It should make no difference that I am a card carrying member of a religion which opposes the consumption of fruit on the grounds that all fruit is sacred and each living piece of fruit has a right to exist in its own place. After all, where does it end? Will Bill Michaelson carry his "fruit crusade" to peoples doorsteps, knocking and knocking up and down streets and roads in the metropolitan areas of Adelaide.

After all, who set humans up as the top of the food chain? Who is to say that a hundred or so years from now that the evolution of time and fruit will have turned a full circle and giant pieces of fruit will rule the earth with impunity, making slaves of those who took for granted that fruit was a gift from god for them to eat. A paranoid fantasy by a deluded mind, contaminated by a lack of fresh fruit, you ask? Think again. Animals and plants all display some sort of intelligence and its wrong to celebrate the massacre of fruits, vegetables and indeed, cheeses by feasting on the still beating fruity carcasses en masse.

Still there are other elements which need to be considered -

When the overwhelming majority of us struggle to afford the bare necessities in life, the fact remains that the price of, and thereby the consumption of, all manner of fruits - and indeed some vegetables - is a luxury we can ill afford. In these times of turmoil and strife, where the average worker is more concerned with international terrorism, wars in Iraq and the whereabouts of Humphrey - it is almost inconceivable for the average worker to spend any amount of time choosing out fresh greens from the local supermarket. With the rising costs of transport, the inflation of electricity and the impending nuclear holocaust - it is important to remember that the average worker has more on his mind than whether he is healthy.

Indeed the claim to be healthy, wealthy and wise is inappropriate for most blue collar workers (or white collar, yellow collar, black collar - what about priests who wear no collars?? - no discrimation here) as we arent wise enough to get money to be wealthy enough to eat healthy. Thus it is we are faced with Hobsons choice - to eat fruit and be broke, or to not eat fruit and die.

In any case, there is no difference between forcing Jesus upon us at christmas or giant rabbits on us at Easter, or fruit on unsuspecting and vulnerable staff. I find the proposed monthly observance of the "Fruit Offensive" abhorrent and an irritant in the eyes of God.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Jason M. Lassey
Tester, Residential, Key & Corporate Testing
Service Specialist, Commercial & Consumer Testing
Telstra Service Advantage Adelaide