It seems discrimination is alive and thriving in good ol' multicultural Canada. The latest confirmation comes courtesy of the Public Service Alliance of Canada; a recent posting for the job of Administrative Assistant states, "only candidates who self identify as racially visible on their application will be considered."
Patty Ducharme, PSAC national executive vice-president, responded to critics with a missive in the National Post stating that discrimination in their ad "is not about racism against white people. It's about justice."
Ducharme, saying it's about "justice," presupposes that some sort of crime has taken place. I can only assume that crime is that some Caucasians, like any other race, colour or creed of people are ambitious, competent and productive.
So, for some undefined, elusive crime Ducharme believes arbitrarily punishing qualified and competent Caucasians applicants constitutes "justice."
Looking at Ducharme's theory a little more closely, is it really a stretch to believe that not accepting applications from anyone other than a "racially visible" candidate is nothing more than racial profiling in the labour market?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't racial profiling a monstrous crime these days? And what is affirmative action if not a form of racial profiling.
In its never-ending quest for statistical utopia, racial discrimination (or in double speak Orwellian parlance -- affirmative action) is a guaranteed, surefire way to produce unparalleled mediocrity.
When competence and ability take a back seat to completely irrelevant characteristics like skin colour or gender or ethnicity mediocrity, and worse, is inevitable.
Leave it to government and unions to resuscitate policies like racial identification that harkens back to apartheid-era South Africa and pre-civil rights southern U.S.A.
By sanctioning racial discrimination, the government essentially legitimizes it. Convoluted reasoning and noble intentions are irrelevant. Whether you rob a bank to fund a European vacation or to feed your starving kids, it's still robbery. The point is, if the government can rationalize and implement it, then so can anyone else.
In 2005, Public Works Canada announced that it would cease to hire able-bodied, white males for a time. Maybe, for a time, white males should have stopped paying taxes as in essence they are financially contributing to the very institutions that punish them through affirmative action.
To see the true face of politically and statistically motivated social engineering one need look no further than Caledonia. It appears that mandated hiring quotas has resulted in the unavoidable feminization and emasculation of law enforcement agencies. Does anyone in their right mind really believe a 100-pound female police officer can subdue a 300-pound thug with a club? On May 22, 2006, in Caledonia, when a line of provincial police stood between natives and non-natives, they frankly lacked the muscle and mettle to prevail. That's why OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino endlessly spouts about "maintaining the peace." It's simply an evasive euphemism for "what else can we do?"
Fortunately, I have a solution. Instead of people self-identifying their race on employment applications, they should instead self-identify whether or not they agree with affirmative action. All those who register agreement can then display to the world their noble sentiments by stepping aside so designated "disadvantaged" people can assume their jobs. Everybody wins. Affirmative action advocates can avoid the label of hypocrite by having the strength of their convictions and all of society's disadvantaged and employment victims get a free ride. Just like the army, as long as you have enough volunteers, you don't need conscription (affirmative action).
So come on, Ms. Ducharme, how about you put your money where your mouth is? Step aside and give your job to someone historically or statistically maligned.
Brantford resident Chris Brennan's column appears every other Friday.