RE: "Get off your high horse...you obviously think racism itself is a crime, and I don't agree with that."
Wow, truly amazing.
Acting out a racist attitude will get a person fired.
A person may not be protected by that particular judicial system from racism in that particular rural [Ed:bias] area in that particular case in Oregon, but fortunately in high-tech [Ed:bias], we definitely take action on any unfortunately misguided person that might act out on a racist attitude.
One Ph.D. engineer in Florida recently said, "I'm absolutely safe at my high-tech job - there's not an ounce of any kind of racism - I work with very intelligent people."
Amy J
PS I added, "[while screaming racist comments]" because you conveniently left that significant part out from my post.
You didn't specify what you meant by "acting out", but that kind of proves my point: racism per se is not a crime, anymore than other forms of ignorance. Certain acts may be. Yelling racial epithets is just a form of namecalling. Calling someone a, b, c, or m on the street might technically be a form of disturbing the peace, but most victims would just move along.
The amount of self-cherishing in the world is almost limitless. It seems to be the most natural thing to think people (or even animals) like oneself are best. And those different are a little scary. Last night as I drove home and was noticing the reflection of my headlights off the bald spot on the head of the driver in front of me, I suddenly became conscious of the fact that deep inside, I believe people with all their hair (like me) are simply better. My mother & father both have all their hair and I can't help thinking that we're more attractive.
Now I'm entitled to choose a spouse based on this belief, but if I act on this attitude in the workplace, I'm asking for trouble. And I shouldn't have to go to jail for it, no matter how biased it may be.
Similarly, in the example you gave, a Ph.D. thinks "intelligent" people are good to work with. But if he makes invidious distinctions between coworkers who he thinks measure up and those who don't, he may be asking for trouble, too. Most workplaces have at least a few employees who aren't exactly what we might call smart.
P. S. You conveniently left out my example of the Nobel prize winner and theoretician of racial characteristics. In your world, he'd have stayed in jail for fifty years and Bob Noyce would've founded a farm equipment distributorship in Iowa. |
