21 March

age-discrimination-law
Originally uploaded by Haridim

Hello again.

Looking at the title, you're probably wondering what's it have to do with the date.

Today is 21 March. Today my sister got even older, her 2nd decade was achieved. And, although I say it in a manner that wouldn't suggest it, I am very pleased that my sister has a birthday, so much that I couldn't skip at least a couple of lines on a post, dedicated to something completely different. I'll try and sum up my love for my sister with this sole sentence: the fact that she is born today means for me that this day will be forever good, no matter what happens in the future.

Apart from her birthday though, this day is also the day pronounced to be dedicated for the war (yes, it is a war) against discrimination and more specially, against racism.

I couldn't find any suitable racism-concerning photos, so I picked this one. But it's a day mainly for the war against racism. Ageism and all the other -isms aren't that famous yet.

First of all, let me say that I am absolutely 100% against discrimination of any kind. I could even agree if my very own grandmother goes bungee jumping (sorry if I made a typo in bungee).

Now comes the 'but' part, though. I dislike where the 'discrimination' propaganda has reached.

It has become a publicity means. VIP persons use the phrase "I am against discrimination!" to get famous most of the times. Politicians use it for those means as well. In general, a lot of people aren't really against any sorts of -isms, but they just want to sound like they do. Attention whores. Like the people quoting Einstein, about which I spoke on my first proper post in English.

Also, some parts of the 'war' against discrimination has caused such on their own. I'm referring to the picture. Things have reached such a state, that sometimes certain people are ignored, because there MUST be a woman/black person/young/old person/etc. The latter aren't fit for the job, not because of their age/sex/colour of the skin, but simply because they don't have the qualifications. Because of law suits though, the company is obliged to have at least one of the aforementioned to not go to court.

Example. If the company is newly formed and there is just one last spot, let's say assistant. There are few of these 'discriminated' people working in the company, if any. And if such candidates arrive to the interview, they're the ones to get picked, no matter how suitable they are for the job.

What I'm aiming to get at is, by all means, be against discrimination. But be against it in its full meaning. Because as far as I know, at the moment its definition should be "Let one black man, one woman, an Asian, a cripple and a too young person in your company, so that they can't sue you; feel free to discriminate for all the rest of the job spots, though".

Racism before - "Hey, nigger (sorry for the word), come and peel off the potatoes". Racism now "Hey, these are black guys. Pick one, but not more and take them into whatever they're needed for. Pick just one, no matter if he's suitable or not, by random. If we're lucky, he might be suitable. If not - ah well, at least nobody can say I'm racist".

Today is "Against discrimination day". My advice: Think about those words in its full meaning. Don't just walk on the surface of the problem. Treat everyone equally. Don't give anyone any advantages based on their gender, colour etc. Be fair. To everyone around you. By all means, hire women, old ladies or gentlemen whose teeth are long gone, hire young boys or girls who have just reached adolescence, hire Asians, black people. But do it because of who they are, not how they look. Leave the prejudices behind. Do that and you'll see that suddenly, your group has all types of discriminated societies. Because the world is full of such capable people.

P.S. USA PRESIDENT IS BLACK, ZOMG!