Progressive racism
For all this talk about hiring quotas, ‘equal’ opportunity, and the like, it might do well to consider:
Is it just me, or is Starbucks tendency to scratch themselves on the back for hiring minorities just a flaming example of liberal racism? Yes, I said the word �Racism.� A person�s color or genitalia should be totally irrelevant when it comes time to dole out job offers and promotions. The fact that Starbucks sets yearly goals on how many Latinos they�re going to promote this year is just as racist as refusing to hire someone based on skin color.
Speaking as both a woman and a minority, (Ha! Threw you a little curveball there, eh?) I would be utterly horrified if my job security had anything to do at all with my genitalia or my minority status. I want to be promoted because I�m the right person for the job. I�d like to be recognized for my contributions to the company, my drive to succeed, my reliability, and my superior problem solving skills. My skin color should be irrelevant.
Referencing the skin color of your employees in some self congratulatory pamphlet as proof that you�re oh so diverse is racist. If Starbucks was truly a tolerant company, those factors would be completely inconsequential instead of applauded.
When one thinks of racism, one tends to think of the bad old days when people believed that people were better — or worse — than each other based on trivial things like gender or skin colour. In our moder, enlightened time, things work a little differently, but the basic principle is still the same.
I started blogging back in 2004 -- in May, if the Wayback Machine is to be believed. Not that I remember the exact day. To be honest, I didn't take it that seriously then; it was a fun distraction, but nothing more.
That all changed, I think, once the Danish cartoons were published, and the assault on the right to freedom of expression became very visible. With the recent issues in Canada concerning the "human rights" commissions, the gravity of the matter has only increased, and my interest in blogging has increased right along with it.
I used to blog at a domain called Time Immortal, but it seemed to be the right time for a change -- there's been a lot of that in my life of late. Hence this blog: a fresh start, and proof positive that I won't shut up even if I get shut down once in a while.
