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Originally posted by VirFighter
I believe a privately owned and run business should be able to hire whoever it wants to hire with no intervention from the government. A good businessman will hire the most qualified person, not everyone is like this but oh well, nothing you can do about it.
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Here I may seem to be a contradictory in my beliefs.
roothorick came up with the following great statement about me....
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No offense, but 4thTimeLucky amazes me. I never thought that with my views, I would ever run into someone I can honestly consider to be "too liberal". I certainly stand corrected.
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... but I do think that the government should intervene to prevent discrimination.
Maybe this is philosophically inconsistent. I hope its not, but its a tricky issue.
My belief is that the government should try and protect the freedoms of everyone, so that everyone is able to lead a happy and worthwhile life.
In the veiled driving licence case I felt that no one would be harmed by the government giving her a little slack, so they should.
In the "businessman refuses to employ black people/gays/disabled people" case I think that that the businessman is contributing to an atmosphere of racist prejudice. As such an atmosphere does hinder people living "happy and worthwhile lives" - in fact in can end in lynchings and race riots - so I think that the government has the right to intervene.
The government should create a level playingfield for everyone.
@ That means that the Muslim lady should be as equally able to drive (provided she is not a hazard to other motorists and pedestrians) as anyone else.
@ That means that the black/gay/disabled person should be as equally able to find employment (provided they are able to do the functions of the job) as anyone else.
@ That means that two homosexual people should be equally able to marry (provided they are willing to commit to the marriage vows) as anyone else.