I Discriminate

I plead guilty. I’m tired of the deception. I can’t hide it anymore. The stress is killing me. I am coming out of the closet. May God have mercy on me. I have a confession to make. I’m a discriminator.

Consider the following—

I prefer to drive a Chevy and discriminate against all other makes of cars. This doesn’t mean that I want to do anything to stop anyone from driving a Ford. This doesn’t mean that I hope all Hondas and Toyotas crash. It just means that I prefer to drive a Chevy.

I prefer to drink regular Coke and discriminate against all other types of soft drinks. This doesn’t mean that I hope all diet soft drinks make people sick. This doesn’t mean that I want to keep people from drinking Pepsi. It just means that I prefer to drink Coke.

Again, three things should be noticed about my discrimination: It is based on my own personal preferences, it is not an act of aggression against individuals or groups of people, and no one would say that I should be fined, imprisoned, or forced to stop discriminating against the barbers, dentists, mechanics, composers, or doctors I refuse to patronize.

Okay, okay, some will say. I get your point, but it is still mostly or usually or sometimes wrong to discriminate against people. It must be. It just has to be.

But is it? Why is it?

What opponents of discrimination; that is, supporters of laws against freedom of choice, will eventually say when pinned down is that it is not wrong to discriminate against individuals or groups as long as such discrimination is not based on stereotypes, prejudice, bigotry, sexism, racism, homophobia, or xenophobia.

But they don’t actually believe this. If someone’s discrimination against certain barbers, dentists, mechanics, composers, or doctors is in fact based on stereotypes, prejudice, bigotry, sexism, racism, homophobia, or xenophobia, then opponents of discrimination, although they might say that such discrimination is wrong or immoral, would not go so far as to say that such discrimination should result in fines, imprisonment, or being forced to patronize barbers, dentists, mechanics, composers, or doctors that someone doesn’t want to.

What opponents of discrimination; that is, supporters of laws against freedom of choice, have done is create two standards: one for buyers, customers, and consumers and one for sellers, businesses, and producers.

But if it is not illegal for buyers, customers, and consumers to discriminate (for any reason and on any basis) against sellers, businesses, and producers, then neither should it be illegal for sellers, businesses, and producers to discriminate (for any reason and on any basis) against buyers, customers, and consumers.

No one has the right to have his hair cut by a particular barber, to have his teeth cleaned by a particular dentist, to have his car repaired by a particular mechanic, to hire a particular composer, or to be treated by a particular doctor. Just like no one has the right to be employed in a particular job, to be served in a particular restaurant, to buy a particular house, to lease a particular apartment, to be admitted to any club or organization, to have a wedding cake made by a particular baker, or to have a wedding photographed by a particular photographer.

To criminalize discrimination is to criminalize freedom of thought.

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