Who decided which of the ‘isms’ is the worst and which the ‘least worst’? Legally, there are big differences associated with acts of discrimination, but it seems that it is wrong (naturally) to discriminate against someone on the grounds of their skin colour (racism) but almost totally acceptable to discriminate, for example as an employer, on the grounds of age (ageism). So what is the order of ‘isms’? If you feel they are all equally wrong, the law does not agree with you.
My wife’s boss was sued by a now ex-employee who was laid off because he only showed up half the time. So “lazyism”, as just as I think that is, can be a basis for a wrongful termination suit. Talentism is another good one.
Some bad -isms that seem to be applied are really talent-isms. E.g.:
[ul][li]I wouldn’t hire a 80-year-old man to do heavy lifting, not because he’s old, but that he couldn’t really keep up and/or he could seriously injure himself.[/li]If a woman firefighter couldn’t heft the same minimum required weight as a man (which has been a issue), I wouldn’t hire her. I’d hate for someone in a burning building to die because their rescuer (male or female) could only heft a 150 lb. person.[/ul]
The least bad “isms” IMHO, from least odious to most odious:
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Gestation-ism (if there’s such a word): By golly, I’m not going to hire a visibly pregnant woman, knowing she’s going to quit in x months. Why invest the time and paperwork in training her?
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Ageism: Why should I invest the time and money in training somebody, say, a 63-year-old, knowing that they’re going to retire in two years, at which time I’d have to train somebody else?
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Sexism: In most cases sexism is completely intolerable, but we have to agree that in some situations it’s warranted. For example, only a raving idiot would hire a male for a job that requires unsupervised interaction with little girls. Can you say, “lawsuit”?
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Creed-ism: Again, in most cases a person’s religion shouldn’t matter. But it would be utterly pointless for the owner of a Christian bookstore to hire a Muslim clerk. Would the Muslim clerk be able to reccomend a good study Bible? How about the latest book from James Dobson or Max Lucado?
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Racism: I can think of only one situation where an employer should rightfully consider a person’s skin color: casting for a play, movie, or TV Show.
Well, a Moslem scholar might be able to handle a job in a Xtian bookstore.
John W. Kennedy
“Compact is becoming contract; man only earns and pays.”
– Charles Williams
Um… Does this mean that all teachers of little girls have to be female? No male babysitters? No male doctors or nurses to take care of naked little girls?
I think I disagree with the sweeping notion of this statement.
Yer pal,
Satan
Well Satan, I was thinking more along the lines of, say, a camp counselor or something similar.
And yes, in most hospitals it is a policy of sorts that a male doctor (or nurse) have someone of the opposite sex present with them when examining/treating a female patient, regardless of her age.
Yep, theism is pretty bad.
As far as male supervision of little girls, I would think few males would want to risk a job involving that these days, considering the current potential of being accused of something improper in that context these days.
Ray (Nothing wrong with magnetism, is there?)
Rasta,
I don’t know where you are, but your information about hospital policy is not universal. I’m a male RN in California working in pediatrics and emergency and have performed many procedures on women and girls unsupervised including rectal suppositories, bed baths and bladder catherization. I’ve chaperoned male MD’s performing pelvic exams on adult women (this only requires another licensed staff be present). Sometimes men and women will make gender requests for these precedures and we make every effort to comply, but that’s not guaranteed,
Larry