At a Crossroad (wanting to go offroad)

[GONorman]

I was recently fired from my job of seven years as a machinist. I really liked my job, took great pride in my work, and even liked my boss and the owner of the company. Liked them to the point that I would have even considered them friends. I went to work everyday, worked hard so his business would be a success, therefore I would succeed.
I was fired for failing a random drug test. I never used drugs before or during work. I was never impaired, under the influence, or carried drugs on me while at work. There was no accident, no reason to think I was on drugs. I was no more on drugs that day than any other day that I was at work. No less either. Their test show recent drug use, not impairment. I don't think it is any of my employers business what I do in the privacy of my home, that has no impact on his business or my job performance. So needless to say I have plenty to say and hopefully get some people to think about things in a different way.
Does anyone see a way I could do this while making some money doing it? Steve wrote somewhere that if you enjoy doing something, and it helps other people, do it and money may follow. I read that, then remembered an old website that I had started years ago. I went to it, figured out my password, and was on a mission. The problems that I see are: I don't think I can make money from a free website, the subject and the audience it could attract. I remember years ago, there was a site called The Hive, it had alot of traffic, 1000's of members, even featured on Dateline. It shut down shortly after that. It was geared towards people discussing the theories of making drugs.
I want to enlighten people on the drug laws and hopefully get some changes in the policies and laws that are hurting good people more than stopping crime, but don't see that drawing traffic like manufacturing drugs.
Thanks in advance for any help or insight. If you want to see my website and give me some advice, I would appreciate it. Remember, I just started it today, and have lots more info. I will be adding in the next few days.
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[GregD]

Hi. First of all let's be honest that whatever happens to you is your own fault. You may not like the system as it is right now, but you make the choice to be part of it and play the game and you got caught, so that's your own fault - don't blame others.

Next, don't make assumptions like you can't make money from that website. First of all you can make money from any website. You can put Adsense ads and keep writing interesting articles and you will make money directly proportional to the work you invest in it.

Secondly you can contact universities other other stakeholders and offer them to give lectures.

Third, you can form an association and gather people who think like you and fight the issue - this one is non-profit.

Next, you can write a book, or more than one book and sell the book(s).

I am sure there are more things than the above also if you think hard enough. However, I also wanted to add that if you really liked your job it would be silly to take the negativity path or the path in which you are guaranteed to have a lot of stress. Perhaps you can just forgive and forget and go get a job in another lab or alternatively open your own lab.

[GONorman]

Thanks for the reply. I take full responsibility for my actions that got me in this situation. I was aware that I was working in a "drug free workplace" and that it was company policy to give random drug test. I did however follow the drug free workplace policy by not using or bringing drugs to my workplace. I do not enforce such a policy in my home, at which I am at 16 hours a day as opposed to 8 hours. I do not understand how the company policy of one employer can be enforced at another job or in your home.

Getting another job doing the same thing, or setting up my own shop isn't likely. There are alot of regulations and restrictions in this industry because of the cancer causing chemicals involved in the chrome plating process of the business. The machines necessary to produce the parts are very expensive. The added expenses of recent changes in regulations to protect the environment and workers, plus slow economic growth has forced most shops in this industry out of business.

[GregD]

Not sure if you are being honest.

Say for example an imaginery company ABC has a rule that gay people are not accepted. Now if a gay person chooses to join this company and work there and never does any gay things during work or anywhere except his/her own house and then the boss finds out somehow and fires this person then it is 100% this person's fault.

You can make an ideological argument that such a rule or policy is stupid, but TODAY that is reality and you chose in this reality to go and work for the company, so 100% the company is right and you are wrong.

I think it is very important to acknowledge that in the name of fairness and honesty.

Next important thing I wish that you understand is that anyone I heard of who takes up some cause to fight against society, regardless if many years later he wins or not, his life is full of stress and struggle. Now if it is a worthwhile cause, something important enough to give your life for then fine, but please understand that if you go down the road of fighting policy then your personal life is going to become very difficult and your health WILL suffer. So if you make that choice know the consequences.

I also wish you do not make assumptions about your current profession which you said you loved.

I am certain there are many other companies which have labs which need machinists. And if not in your area then there are 200-300+ other countries which also have labs where you can go and do the job you love. And in some countries maybe they will even pay you in drugs :-)

Also don't make assumptions about your own lab. Sure the machines cost a lot and there are regulations, but that's what banks and venture capitalists and angel investors are for. If you make a great business plan and convince them then they will happily give you money so they can profit themselves.

Just be honest and have all the doors open, even the difficult or strange doors. No need to close doors.