Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Let's discriminate, I mean choose.

It's against the law for landlords to discriminate based on the color of a person's skin. But can they reject you because of what's on your skin?


That's a question posed by this TV station related to an apartment building that won't rent to people with tattoos.

My answer, hell yes. Why not?

Because Gordon it's not right to discriminate for something like tattoos.

Look I have a tattoo. It's not visible but I could understand why someone wouldn't want to rent to someone with a body full of them.

And this is what I've never understood about discrimination. If you had a bunch of tattoos, why would you want to rent from somebody who feels that way about them. I wouldn't want my money going to a "bigot".

The other thing I never understood about discrimination is that we all do it, especially in housing.

Well I've never discriminated Gordon.

Then you are a liar. I remember getting out of college and looking for my first apartment. The complex I went to looked nice and I was all set to sign the lease when my ultra liberal girlfriend said "did you notice all the junkie cars in the parking lot".

To which I responded "did you happen to notice my car? it's pretty junkie". So I signed the lease and wouldn't you know there was a reason all those cars were heaps of crap. Because no one had jobs and because they didn't have jobs they partied all damn night not affording Gordon a justified good night sleep.

But Gordon, you're talking about cars not tattoos.

So what, same premise applies. We all "choose" based on lots of criteria. But when we choose it's OK but when someone else chooses, especially when they don't choose us, it's discrimination.

Last weekend, I drove through the neighborhood I lived in while I was attending college. I was half scared for my life. Why, because all you had to do was look at all the auto glass on the streets, windows boarded up, bars on the windows. The neighborhood is now a first class ghetto.

Yet, when I was in school the same neighborhood looked old and urban but it was a fairly safe neighborhood and it probably had the same ethnic makeup as it does today.

There's no way in hell I would rent there today.

So for you libs that are all about not choosing I challenge you to buy the first house you see. We'll see how quick you are to discriminate in your choice.

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