today's rant...Discrimination

There's something that bugs me. No, I don't mean that I still have to wear pants on "casual Friday". Nor am I talking about that time that Scott Lightfoot tried to go to a Frisbee Tournament wearing spandex pants (thank you, James).

I'm talking about the Man bringing me down. Now, you might be thinking "but Rob, in this Rob-topia that you've created, aren't you the man?" Well, I...you see....if you think of it like...oh shut up! Stop thinking and listen to my story!

I want to know why I'm not allowed to discriminate against people. Last week, I had to interview some people for a job. Beforehand, my boss warned me against bringing up such topics as sexual preference, religion, interests, etc.

Well why can't I? Isn't it our business? Can't we hire who we want? What if I don't want to hire a Jewish person? What if I hate gays? What if I can't stand people who watch Soap Operas? Hiring one of these people would affect our interactions at work and could hinder my performance. So shouldn't this be an important question?

If I'm a member of the KKK (I'm not....I love black people...uh....show me the money?) then I certainly wouldn't want to work with a black person. I'd always be sayin mean things to him and burning crosses on his desk. He'd be uncomfortable at work and I'd be spending a lot of money on fire insurance....it's just a lose/lose situation. So just let me discriminate and then we'll all be happy.

How about the opposite? What if I find that someone has the same religious views as myself? If that person is just as qualified as all of the other applicants then can't I choose them based on that? I'd feel comfortable working with someone who believes the same things as me. (this is also a fake scenario because I don't believe in anything....well, except that there is no spoon)

The point I'm trying to make is that in public organizations, schools, and government agencies, it's important to accept different people. BUT, I'm talking about my own private business. I own it. I run it. Can't I hire whomever I want? Can't I hire a guy over a girl just because I know he won't ever come to work in tears; or because I know I won't cheat on my wife with him?

Someone please tell me why our world is like this?