Discrimination and prejudice have been given a bad name. The political-correctness nazis have succeeded, or, better said, we've stood by and allowed them to succeed in painting us into a corner when it comes to our freedoms of association and exchange.
I have the right to be/deal with whomever I wish. If I own a business and I don't want to serve black people or Mexicans or whomever, for whatever reason, I don't have to serve them, period. Now, I didn't say it was legal not to serve certain people or that I wouldn't get into trouble. But remember, rights aren't granted by the government or even by the constitution. Rights are granted by God.
Now, you may say that it would be wrong for me to refuse to serve certain people. And I might be inclined to agree with you. But, is it right that I should be forced by the government to associate or exchange with people with whom, if I were free, I wouldn't choose to associate/exchange?
Who gets to decide what's appropriate or good, if not me? Who gets to draw that line? Most would say, for instance, that it's ok for me to discriminate against one customer who offers to pay less than another customer, all other factors being equal. So, is that the line in the sand? Do we just all agree on it and then abide by it. Is there no individuality? No individual inalienable right to free association.exchange?
Let me see if I can bring this closer to home, literally. Part of the recent debate on the subject also holds that, for instance, if you own a duplex, you can't "discriminate" against potential renters. Really? So, what's the rule? First come, first serve? You suspend reason and judgement and randomly draw a name out of a hat? Or is there a rational way to meet with each potential renter and select whom you think is the best one? Remember, whatever your selection, you are discriminating against each and every one of the other hopefuls. You prejudiced crumb! Oh, wait, I get it. It's ok to discriminate against all of those other potential renters, as long as the person you selected is a member of a protected minority, right? Or as long as you can somehow prove that you used no untoward criteria in your decision, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religious affiliation (certainly you couldn't turn away a cagey looking group of twenty something Muslim men. Please, can we please start profiling...but, I digress.) etc., etc. Well, let me see. Let's say someone shows up on your doorstep one night. You don't know him. You have a bad feeling about him. You see no reason to trust him. Too bad. You have to let him in. You can't discriminate against him by turning him away. Oh, I forgot to mention, he's a minority. Yep- mi casa su casa, come on in. How long will you be staying? Am I, as a white male, allowed to stay while you're here? No? Oh well. At least I can find solace in the fact that I'm not a _____ist.
This is illustrating absurdity by being absurd. Read that last sentence back to yourself. Yes, it's absurd to deny even white, rich males their rights of free association/exchange. And it's self-defeating. It looks pretty good when the rich white guy loses his rights, but what will you do when they come and take yours?
Now, am I stupid if I don't serve certain people, say, black people, in my business? Is it wrong? Well, I'd say yes. But I maintain that I have that right.
And Walter E. Williams, a black man, agrees with me, as illustrated in his column, "The Right to Discriminate."
Friday, July 15, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Casey Anthony and Big Guys vs. Little Guys
Let's get racial for a minute. There is some similarity between this recent acquittal and the acquittal of the police who were accused of brutalizing Rodney King. There is a group of people, I might argue- mostly white people, who are just as upset today as black people were in 1992.
Well, my question is, why didn't we see riots, looting and violence, in reaction to the Casey Anthony verdict, like we saw in L.A. back then?
I believe the answer may lie in this false enmity that, unfortunately, is still felt by the little guy for the big guy; the minority for the majority; this hatred for "the man."
When you've convinced yourself you're picked on, a victim, powerless, it's easy to rationalize bad behavior. Maybe this is why people of color commit, as a percentage of the entire population, such a disproportionate number of the crimes.
Well, life has progressively become more challenging for white males as we have been discriminated against in recent decades. And, again, we haven't seen an uptick in violence or crime from our population.
You can call a white man any number of names: cracker, honkey; but I'm afraid to even properly spell ni66er on my blog for fear of being shut down. You can make TV shows or movies where the white guy is routinely stereotyped as the dork or the bad guy. We all know white men can't jump or sing or dance and that they have no rhythm. Yet we don't care. Go ahead and call names, portray us however you want. As Rush says, you can't live for other people. You have to be you. No one will know whether he likes you if you're not you. Who cares what anybody thinks?
Why do none of these portrayals or name calling bother white guys? Maybe it's because we don't have racial advocates working day and night to make sure we retain our victim status and to make sure others are held back so we can advance because we can't do it for ourselves. And to make sure we always have an excuse, a scapegoat if we don't succeed.
Well, people of color, women, gay people, you can have your victim status. I want nothing to do with it. No thanks. I can do it on my own. But you know what? So can you. Wake up. There was a time when you were oppressed. In some ways you're still oppressed. But you're being done no favors by all of the advocates and politically correct crap that's out there. You're better than that.
And the degree to which you allow your way, your pain to be eased is the degree to which you weaken yourself. "No pain, no gain" isn't just for weightlifters. And, enough with the crime already. It hurts you more than anyone else and gains you nothing. You, too, are God's sons and daughters. We all need to live up to that.
Well, my question is, why didn't we see riots, looting and violence, in reaction to the Casey Anthony verdict, like we saw in L.A. back then?
I believe the answer may lie in this false enmity that, unfortunately, is still felt by the little guy for the big guy; the minority for the majority; this hatred for "the man."
When you've convinced yourself you're picked on, a victim, powerless, it's easy to rationalize bad behavior. Maybe this is why people of color commit, as a percentage of the entire population, such a disproportionate number of the crimes.
Well, life has progressively become more challenging for white males as we have been discriminated against in recent decades. And, again, we haven't seen an uptick in violence or crime from our population.
You can call a white man any number of names: cracker, honkey; but I'm afraid to even properly spell ni66er on my blog for fear of being shut down. You can make TV shows or movies where the white guy is routinely stereotyped as the dork or the bad guy. We all know white men can't jump or sing or dance and that they have no rhythm. Yet we don't care. Go ahead and call names, portray us however you want. As Rush says, you can't live for other people. You have to be you. No one will know whether he likes you if you're not you. Who cares what anybody thinks?
Why do none of these portrayals or name calling bother white guys? Maybe it's because we don't have racial advocates working day and night to make sure we retain our victim status and to make sure others are held back so we can advance because we can't do it for ourselves. And to make sure we always have an excuse, a scapegoat if we don't succeed.
Well, people of color, women, gay people, you can have your victim status. I want nothing to do with it. No thanks. I can do it on my own. But you know what? So can you. Wake up. There was a time when you were oppressed. In some ways you're still oppressed. But you're being done no favors by all of the advocates and politically correct crap that's out there. You're better than that.
And the degree to which you allow your way, your pain to be eased is the degree to which you weaken yourself. "No pain, no gain" isn't just for weightlifters. And, enough with the crime already. It hurts you more than anyone else and gains you nothing. You, too, are God's sons and daughters. We all need to live up to that.
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