2pat wrote:Fairview4Life wrote:2pat wrote:As a business owner I should have the right to hire anyone I want. I shouldn't be forced to hire someone based on something as racist as "equal opportunity". Sorry, I think that is one of the worst forms of institutionalized racism happening today and does nothing to motivate people to succeed on the basis of their abilities. It also breeds resentment and creates more racism.
You might think that, but it's not even close to being true.
Regardless, as a business owner you will be glad to learn that you can hire whoever you want. You just can't discriminate based on a few factors, like race. You are allowed to hire the best candidate for the job. Or even the worst. But if you hire a bunch of **** candidates from one gender or race, while ignoring better or even equally qualified candidates of another race, you are probably heading to court at some point. That isn't institutionalized racism. That is an institution combatting your racism.
The institution breeds nothing other than more resentment, even if the intentions were noble. If I get hired for a job because I am black, and 10 other candidates with better qualifications did not, all of whom happen to be non-black, but I get hired because of some ridiculous quota that needs to be met-- guess what happens? The owner, the dejected rejects, all begin to think resentfully, and some will likely start to develop racist thoughts. As an owner, why shouldn't I hire only people with red hair and freckles? I want to hire them not based on their qualifications, but because I sympathize with some notion of them always being hated on, and I want them to feel good about themselves. I know my business will suffer, but my willingness to help them out trumps that. So why shouldn't I have that right?
To be denied a right you must have a right to begin with... historically non-whites did not even have a right to own a business to begin with, forget about hiring people.
Maybe you can make an argument against equal opportunity today because at least there is a better distribution of business owners that aren't just white - which was not the case during and right after slavery where basically all business owners where white. To argue for or against equal opportunity you need to look at its roots I feel you're making your arguments and have made up your mind about it based on trivial information.
Without equal opportunity educational institutions (in the u.s.) would still be allowed to have all-white schools and deny entry to everyone else. I guess then you could go open up your own school with a loan from the bank so you can educate your community? Oh wait, banks don't need to treat you equally either so you can't rely on the bankers. Maybe you can work a well-paying job and save up, nope sorry, those are reserved for graduates of good schools, the ones that don't allow non-white students. You can't borrow money from your community because they are all in the same position as you are.
This was all true until equal opportunity was introduced and made law. Without it, we wouldn't be where we are today.
When you start speaking out quotas, you're talking about affirmative action.
As an owner, why shouldn't I hire only people with red hair and freckles? I want to hire them not based on their qualifications, but because I sympathize with some notion of them always being hated on, and I want them to feel good about themselves. I know my business will suffer, but my willingness to help them out trumps that. So why shouldn't I have that right?
What you just described is affirmative action. After attacking it, you have now come back to it and asked us why you can't hire people that are or have been discriminated against. That is affirmative action my friend. And to answer your question... you do have that right and you can thank equal opportunity for getting you that right.
