Walking
down the street in Washington DC with my two oldest kids. Men and women
with matching t-shirts confront us and ask if we care about civil
rights for gays. We stop, I turn to 11 and 14 and I say, "Sure, we care
deeply about civil rights for gays and non-gays, right kids?" They nod
and agree. Then I turn to the men and women in fun matching t-shirts:
ME: "Goodness, are some gays being deprived of civil rights? Are the civil rights of some gays being violated?"
THEM: "Um, well, um..."
ME: "I believe there is not a law in our land that prevents gays from voting, or running for or holding public office, or having the benefit of a trial by jury when accused of a crime. I believe there are no laws that authorize police to search or confiscate the homes and papers and belongings of gays without a warrant. Come to think of it, can you name one civil right for gays that is being violated in America?"
THEM: "Well, there are states where someone can be fired from their job if they are gay."
ME: "Wait, a job is a 'civil right?'"
THEM: "Of course!"
ME: "So, if someone should not be fired because they are gay, can we require or force an employer to hire someone because he or she is gay?"
THEM: "Well, no, I don't think we want that..."
ME: "If you believe you and your friends in government have the rightful authority to tell a business owner whom he may or may not fire and for what reasons, why do you also not have the same rightful authority to tell a business owner whom he must hire and for what reasons?"
THEM: "Well, we don't want things to go that far...."
ME: "But that is the principle at the core of the position you've staked out. You think you have the authority to tell business owners how to run their businesses, even though you did nothing and risked nothing to start or sustain those businesses.
"Let me offer you another way, one that my kids seem to appreciate because it respects the freedom of each and every person regardless of what they think or feel about sex: Protect by law genuine civil rights (which are legal rights to participate in the civil polity) and the property rights of everyone, equally. A business is just another name for someone's property. Let him or her hire, fire, and treat employees however they want, however they offer.
"Further, a person's time, thoughts, physical labor, are a person's property. Protect by law the freedom of each person to sell his time, thoughts, labor, and property to whomever and however he or she wants, as well as the freedom to quit any job anytime a person pleases. Let's have employers and employees working together who want to work together, and let's not use government, laws, police, and guns to force some people to work with others with whom they don't want to work. Everyone will be free, and not one civil right will be violated."
THEM: "I don't think I agree with you, but I am not sure why...."
MY KIDS, as we walk away: "Dad, they seemed confused. I think they even confuse themselves."
ME: "Being confused doesn't stop people from pushing agendas. Sometimes, the less people understand and the more confused they are, the harder they push."
ME: "Goodness, are some gays being deprived of civil rights? Are the civil rights of some gays being violated?"
THEM: "Um, well, um..."
ME: "I believe there is not a law in our land that prevents gays from voting, or running for or holding public office, or having the benefit of a trial by jury when accused of a crime. I believe there are no laws that authorize police to search or confiscate the homes and papers and belongings of gays without a warrant. Come to think of it, can you name one civil right for gays that is being violated in America?"
THEM: "Well, there are states where someone can be fired from their job if they are gay."
ME: "Wait, a job is a 'civil right?'"
THEM: "Of course!"
ME: "So, if someone should not be fired because they are gay, can we require or force an employer to hire someone because he or she is gay?"
THEM: "Well, no, I don't think we want that..."
ME: "If you believe you and your friends in government have the rightful authority to tell a business owner whom he may or may not fire and for what reasons, why do you also not have the same rightful authority to tell a business owner whom he must hire and for what reasons?"
THEM: "Well, we don't want things to go that far...."
ME: "But that is the principle at the core of the position you've staked out. You think you have the authority to tell business owners how to run their businesses, even though you did nothing and risked nothing to start or sustain those businesses.
"Let me offer you another way, one that my kids seem to appreciate because it respects the freedom of each and every person regardless of what they think or feel about sex: Protect by law genuine civil rights (which are legal rights to participate in the civil polity) and the property rights of everyone, equally. A business is just another name for someone's property. Let him or her hire, fire, and treat employees however they want, however they offer.
"Further, a person's time, thoughts, physical labor, are a person's property. Protect by law the freedom of each person to sell his time, thoughts, labor, and property to whomever and however he or she wants, as well as the freedom to quit any job anytime a person pleases. Let's have employers and employees working together who want to work together, and let's not use government, laws, police, and guns to force some people to work with others with whom they don't want to work. Everyone will be free, and not one civil right will be violated."
THEM: "I don't think I agree with you, but I am not sure why...."
MY KIDS, as we walk away: "Dad, they seemed confused. I think they even confuse themselves."
ME: "Being confused doesn't stop people from pushing agendas. Sometimes, the less people understand and the more confused they are, the harder they push."
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