Discrimination

[ioan]

Who would have thought that one day it will go this far:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062901608_pf.html

[Hondo]

I'm not surprised by it. All things like this act like a pendulum. It swings in one direction only so far, then heads back the other way. I once worked a job in a petro-chem plant. When we left on Friday we had a white foreman. When we returned on Monday we had a new black foreman who immediately laid off every white craftsman on the crew. I thought it was kind of amusing and took a job (better job) with a different contractor at the same gate. It was mainly a '70s and '80s thing. I remember being told by HR people more than once that the job was mine but it would still be another week or two until "x" amount of trendy minorities had applied and tested for the job. By the time they called back, I was already working elsewhere. Back then, with a skilled craft or trade, it almost impossible to not have a job unless you just didn't want one.

[christophulus]

Good news, in some cases. So-called "positive discrimination" has always bothered me, someone from a non-white background should not get priority purely on the basis of not being white. It's racism, simple as.

That's in principle anyway. In practice I'm not sure how much of a problem this really is - most employers would give everyone a level playing field

You either get a job on merit or you don't, race/gender etc shouldn't make a difference.

[ioan]

Just saw yesterday on the telly that in Norway they have a law that forces every business to have at least 40% women in their senior management structure.

This means that when they start applying the law they either have to enlarge their management by 80% or they have to fire 40% of the men to hire women instead, no matter if those men are the best in the field.

I had some trouble explaining to my GF that this isn't right but in the end she agreed.

[yodasarmpit]

You either get a job on merit or you don't, race/gender etc shouldn't make a difference.
^ What he said.

[gloomyDAY]

"The process was open and fair," he said. "The problem, of course, is that after the tests were completed, the raw racial results became the predominant rationale for the city's refusal to certify the results." How stupid is that?! "Sorry, you're qualified, but white. Get out."


I had some trouble explaining to my GF that this isn't right but in the end she agreed.I'm astounded that there is a woman out there in the world that's willing to put up with your crap. How did you do to convince her? Water-boarding? :p

[ioan]

I'm astounded that there is a woman out there in the world that's willing to put up with your crap. How did you do to convince her? Water-boarding? :p

Finesse gets you a lot more with a woman than torture! ;)

[markabilly]

.

I had some trouble explaining to my GF that this isn't right but in the end she agreed.
I always have my girls agree to "in the end", but some jump at first

[Roamy]

Finesse gets you a lot more with a woman than torture! ;)

Of course you may have to take 3 or 4 steps backward, give her a drop kick in the crotch just to get her attention :p

[Mark in Oshawa]

There was an interesting lesson here. It was the first time in a long time that it was pointed out in a Supreme Court case that you cannot reverse discriminate. The idea that many minority and soft liberal types have is that only whites can discriminate and no policy going against the whites in favour of minorities is justified is now proven to be illegal by the US Supreme Court. Only took a few decades to be so bluntly shot down.

This has been going on for ages. A city or business opens a competition up for promotions or a job and when a minority fails to take the job, the cry of racism/sexism is given and now some policy has to dictate some minority gets the job regardless of the qualification.

IT is sad that no black and only two hispanics qualified for the job, but the sad reality is that the City of New Haven had no way of knowing who would pass for fail when it gave the test. The test didn't test skin colour, and if they ran the same test a year from now, 5 blacks and 5 hispanics could pass it just as easily.

I grew up in an era when reverse discrimination was a policy of the government around here. Filling quota's for government jobs meant ads in the paper all but sad "white men need not apply, we wont hire you". Discrimination, no matter how "noble" the goal is is still wrong.

The fact Obama's pick for the Supreme Court couldn't figure that out means she is perfect for the job in his eyes. He is yet another one of those long line of soft squishy libreal politicians who figure how you feel about things matters more than the law. Not what I would want in a judge, but alas, the reality of modern political thought I guess....

[Easy Drifter]

I think it may have ceased now (haven't seen such an ad for a couple of years) but Govt. ads in Ontario used to say 'preference will be given to those of aboriginal descent, visible minorities and those with disabilities.' Just think, a blind or confined to a wheelchair firefighter!
The only criteria should be can you do the job better than the next person, no matter what sex.
I don't care if you are purple with pink polka dots and 14 legs (or none) as long as you can do the job!

[markabilly]

Who would have thought that one day it will go this far:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062901608_pf.html
since when did white folks get equal rights?

[Mark in Oshawa]

since when did white folks get equal rights?
\

Apparently it took your Supreme Court to confirm it just last week...

[donKey jote]

Apparently it's also hard to get into the mafia without the right connections... :dozey:

[Firstgear]

I think it may have ceased now (haven't seen such an ad for a couple of years) but Govt. ads in Ontario used to say 'preference will be given to those of aboriginal descent, visible minorities and those with disabilities.' !

Still exists in my home town, cut 'n paste from a current online add:

THE CITY OF WINNIPEG IS AN EMPLOYMENT EQUITY EMPLOYER
ABORIGINAL PERSONS, WOMEN, VISIBLE MINORITIES AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO SELF-DECLARE IN THEIR COVERING LETTER