by D. Keith Shurtleff

Created on: November 23, 2007

Discrimination is NOT a Four Letter Word

Congress's recent attempts to make discrimination based on sexual orientation, illegal, demonstrates again the superficiality of their moral reasoning. True that on the surface, (where most liberals live and think), the word discrimination is always considered evil and calls forth visions of slavery or brutality. However, under deeper and more thoughtful scrutiny, it becomes clear that discrimination is not always evil, indeed it is sometimes even desirable.

Most of us are not shocked or incensed that the Army recruiter does not accept a wheelchair bound quadriplegic for military service, the ADA not withstanding.

It seems consistent with our world view that a blind applicant for driving a school bus would not be hired.

The refusal of a bank to hire a thrice-convicted larcenist, who is also suffering from Kleptomania, does not fill us with indignation

Parents with children in day care are grateful when convicted pedophiles may be refused employment as day care workers!

These examples demonstrate that discrimination is desirable when based on a rational, moral reason. It follows then that no action should be made unlawful, or legislated against, simply because it is discrimination. Rather, in cases of apparent discrimination, a deeper analysis is required. That ultimately is always a moral issue. For many Christians, the homosexual is every bit as immoral as the kleptomaniac or pedophile. To them, it is not sinful, nor wrongful to discriminate against such people based on their chosen sexual preference or lifestyle. For Congress to impose their own collective moral values on a whole host of born again and other Christians, is in itself discrimination, disregarding the moral and religious beliefs of a whole segment of the population for no other reason than that they disagree with it. To prohibit the Christian book store owner from refusing to hire the known and outspoken homosexual, is just as appalling in that Christian's mind, as it would be for a parent to accept the pedophile as a worker in their child's day care center.

That Congress is acting with political rather than moral reasoning, becomes clearer, in light of the recent attempts by Democrats to thwart the recess appointments of the Bush Administration by staying in session. One of the main appointments that Congress is trying to stop, is for the Surgeon General, and is based solely upon the nominee's conservative views on Homosexuality. In essence, congress is denying employment to a man, based solely on his beliefs about homosexuality, while trying to pass legislation to prevent others from doing the same. That is the ultimate hypocrisy.

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