2009 Archive

Monday, May 18, 2009

Bigot

The Wahey Boys are big on education. One only needs to read some of the commentary contained on this web site to see that the underlying message is that education supersedes policy-making. Our belief is that, in most instances, bad behavior has been learned and can only be corrected by teaching proper behavior. Call us bigots if you want.

We’re pretty sure there are educated individuals out there that could make an argument defending bigotry as an instinctual behavior. Most will agree however that we learn to be intolerant, usually from those closest to us and those we hold in high regard. History, environment and policy define our opinions. Our ancestors have ALL been involved in the taking of life, human sacrifice and blood-letting, usually as a religious ritual such as “this is the blood of Christ”, yet we’d all agree that these things aren’t acceptable today; nobody wants to see real blood or real weapons used in everyday life. On this day in 1896, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Plessy v. Ferguson, upholding the legality of racial segregation in public transportation under the "Separate but equal" doctrine.

Even though this seemed appropriate at the time, later on we would learn that this too was unacceptable behavior; although there are those, even in this day and age, that will tell you segregation is right. Their opinion has been formed from generations of bad education and it will take another generation of proper education before it is changed. Separate but equal supporters now are more inclined to be fighting the same sex marriage battle.

Everyone likes to think of themselves as open-minded but, the truth is, we all discriminate. Living in the United States stands for freedom and unbiased opinion yet every day those opinions are tested and it is how we react to the test that defines us. Some of us walk to the other side of the street or turn our eyes away rather than face a homeless panhandler. When you read the unedited comments left by readers of certain on-line news articles you get a quick glimpse of intolerance at its best, by seemingly educated people. Laws and policies are put in place so that we supposedly can’t discriminate, yet actually contribute to it. When a college sets a policy to give a certain percentage of its applicant’s preference over another, then they are forcing others to form bigoted opinions. When the law requires companies to hire a percentage of a certain type of people, then they “teach” that discrimination against another group is okay.

This is no more obvious than applying for a job at a company with a sign in the window that says, “Equal Opportunity Employer”. The company perceives this sign as good thing. The company is saying, "we are are NOT BIGOTS and other companies ARE." In actuality, they are required by law to hire certain people therefore making the sign redundant and not necessary nor required. Ironically, by advertising this visual message, they are practicing discrimination. The reality is, when the white male applicant sees the sign, he forms the opinion that he “need not apply because his chances of getting hired are minimal”. When the minority male applicant sees the sign, his perception is defined by “how many minorities he sees when he walks through the door” whether he will be hired or not; and female applicants form their opinion of getting hired based on whether or not a male interviews them.

In the end, most companies (that place an importance on hiring practices) will hire based on the following factors, in order of importance:

1. 1) Race- whether they currently meet minority goals, meaning the company will probably hire a particular minority applicant if they are aware that they do not meet current mandated quotas, regardless of qualifications.
2. 2) Type of job- at the interviewer’s discretion, i.e., a cashier job will be filled by a woman and laborer’s position will be filled by a minority. The job type is the most important factor. An employer will fill most positions based on appearance.
3. 3) Nepotism- despite policies made to guard against hiring of friends and relatives to certain positions; this is still an overriding factor in hiring.
4. 4) Qualifications- any upper level or skilled labor opportunities will be filled based on an applicant’s resume.
5. 5) Age- no matter what type of job the applicant seeks, if an individual is perceived by the interviewer to be too old for the job, they will not be hired.
6. 6) Need- nobody gets hired based on the fact that they may need the job to survive.

A certain amount of law and policy (and enforcement) is sometimes necessary in order to change our views as a society. As individuals however, we must teach ourselves that discrimination is everywhere and always will be. We need to watch for it and constantly remind ourselves to guard against it by evaluating each other based on what is humane and weigh that against what history and policy has taught us.

Click here to comment on this article.

Return to top