If your reaction to this story isn’t to nearly give yourself whiplash with your double take, then nothing can faze you. A man named Glen Busch started the Chicago chapter of Coats for Kids back in 2005 and since that time he’s delivered winter coats to more than 2,000 needy children. Shockingly, Mr. Busch has been fired from the charity organization for posting on his personal Facebook page a plea to folks not to jump to partisan conclusions about the motives of the Arizona shooter and wishing for one and all to remember the victims first.

Really, you ask? Why was he fired again? Because the charity decided that Mr. Busch broke his non-partisan status as a charity worker by somehow joining the political fray because Busch was telling people not to make it all political!

Yes, my neck is hurting from the double take, too.

According to Fox News, here are two of the posts that Mr. Busch made:

” This was not a political thing, it was a psychotic thing. This kid was nuts! Now lets drop the ink wars and pray for the families. Maybe apologize in public just like your accusations as well? I’m just saying.”

When the shooter, Jared Loughner, was identified Busch posted “Now that we know that this kid was an extreme socialist and democrat, does that change some of the opinions? Guys look, this is not political, he’s just crazy. I do not hold liberals responsible for this now that the facts are known.”

We know now, of course, that Loughner was a registered independent (not a Democrat) and that he hasn’t voted in years, but Busch can be excused for not knowing that because many folks thought he was a Democrat in the early stages of the news. But Busch is right that this really isn’t “political” but is instead “a psychotic thing.”

I know. I am still a bit hazy on this, too. So why the heck did the charity fire Mr. Busch over this rather innocuous Facebook posting? Paul Darby, the president of the national chapter of Coats for Kids, released a statement on why they fired Busch to help us understand.

“As a public non-profit foundation, it is essential that we not become involved in public controversy, either in support or in opposition of an issue or cause. You have every right to make whatever comments that you wish as a citizen. We support that right as Americans. Unfortunately, you name is clearly associated with the Coats for Kids Foundation and the activities by the Foundation in Chicago.”

Yes, they fired the guy for being political when he wasn’t really being political.

It makes no sense at all. As Ed Morrissey said, “apparently a couple of Facebook postings asking people to stop leaping to conclusions over the Tucson shootings outweigh the years of good work.” It is a sad over reaction that I hope Coats for Kids revisits.

After all, this was Mr. Busch’s own Facebook page and no one was assuming he was speaking for the charity. But even if he was, is what he wrote so outrageous?

And does this mean that anyone can be fired for anything they have on their personal Internet pages? Seems a bit draconian.

Update

Charity gives him his job back.