The following letter to the Wall Street Journal is a classic response to the EEOC’s idiocy. It speaks for itself, thanks to the author, Thomas Walters, Fairfax, Virginia. After reading this response, read the equivalent policy in practice which produced a $3,000,000 government fine of FedEx for committing over 21,000 alleged instances of job discrimination. This fine was levied and paid without the first shred of evidence that FedEx had committed the first instance of job discrimination. It is all based upon statistical mumbo-jumbo, racial balance, affirmative action, diversity, and government extortion from the private sector.
First Give the EEOC’s Criminal-Check Policy a Trial
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission deems criminal background checks by employers to be inherently racist because more black job applicants are likely to have criminal records than are whites (“Banning Background Checks” WSJ- Review & Outlook, June 15, 2013). The absurd nature of the EEOC’s discrimination algorithm is evidenced by the fact that a company with a predominantly black workforce conceivably could be accused of discrimination against blacks if the company screened out some black job seekers who had served prison time for murder, rape, child or spousal abuse, drug distribution, weapons violations, etc.
Private-sector employers facing EEOC lawsuits will have to defend their hiring practices or drop criminal background checks, hire felons, and hope that all are fully rehabilitated. The first time a murderer who has paid his debt to society is unable to keep violent impulses in check and assaults a coworker or a customer, the employer who caves into EEOC intimidation will be hauled into court.
Rather than subject the entire private sector to EEOC social engineering, why not run a beta test with, say, the U.S. Secret Service? Let’s ban criminal background checks on people hired to protect the first family. If it makes sense for Dollar General and BMW employees to work alongside rehabilitated murderers and rapists, why not adopt the same standards of tolerance and forgiveness for White House staff? If the Secret Service beta test is successful, the EEOC should be next followed by all other federal agencies, legislative offices and courts. After we get all the second-chance kinks worked out in the public sector, Washington’s reformers will have the moral authority to dictate hiring practices to the private sector
Thomas Walters
Fairfax. Va.