Not since a joke was made about the 'Toon Army' devastation that visited a nation on Boxing Day a few years back have any football commentators attracted so much media attention! Richard Keys and Andy Gray's 'sexist' comments about assistant referee Sian Massey are bog news and I for one am grateful and a little saddened by them in equal measure.
Saddened because she did a good job of running the line and because the comments and the backlash will, more than likely, see an overcompensation and an overreaction to them. Grateful because it brings the issue to the fore and invites some attention and comment.
I fear that all this equality stuff, especially when accompanied by legislation, actually results in inequality and the supposedly marginalised group becoming more equal than others. Equality is supposed to ensure that all participate on a level playing field. Karen Brady, a football club director herself,appears to support my view:
"What really upsets me is the fact that only females in our industry (football) are judged by their gender and that is categorically wrong."
I don't care what colour your skin is, whether you are male of female, whether you're homosexual or not (with the caveat of celibate minister of course), what you do (or don't believe (within reason of course) - what I do care about is that you engage with those around you properly and that you discharge your role and duties well.
Many years ago, a colleague I regarded as a friend connected the feeder hose from a tanker to the wrong pipe and poured a tanker load of oil into a boiler room rather than the tanks it was destined for. This had never happened before. He'd been chatting and connected it to a vent pipe rather than the tank filler!
Now, the defence was that had the vent pipe not had a thread it would never of happened and therefore it was a disaster waiting to happen. Sadly, this was not the case. The Union supporting the man claimed that disciplinary action was only happening because of the colour of his skin! The ensuing conflict and claims of racism and the like saw those at the top issuing an instruction to give a verbal warning (don't do it again) and to drop the issue before it attracted media attention.
The result was that our friendship was damaged, the attitudes of those around the man was hardened as they saw one rule for the whites and another for those who were black! In all, a poor outcome and one which brought prejudice and division in what had been a solid community.
Whilst on interviewing panels, I was told that we needed to appoint the women candidates as women were 'under represented' in the grade and department. When we asked the personnel observer who brought that news whether that was legal we were told that we were employing 'positive discrimination' procedures to level the numbers. The same situation was employed when we were looking for green card holders (people with disabilities!) because quotas to be met and maintained!
When we interviewed we soon realised that the women we interviewed that day had neither qualification nor experience and we all had the feeling that we wouldn't relish having them on our teams. Ironically the two women were stunners and had they had the qualifications we could have gone with them because they'd get the experience with us anyway! Because we went for those we felt would be able to do the job and fit into the teams (Tech's work as a family and being part of the team is almost more important that the skills you might initially bring - you can develop these) and therefore rejected the women we were told we'd been sexist! Had we employed them because they were pretty or because we were women it seems we wouldn't have been!
Weird or what? Equality means no one is more equal than another regardless. That's actually a Christian principle! Seem to me if it has the words 'equality' or 'discrimination' in it, we need to use caution and a balanced approach for one individual's (look at me Mum, I'm PC!) equality is another's being discriminated against.
Pax
4 comments:
I can remember a few years ago, sitting on an interview panel, where both candidates were women, one white and one Asian.
The best candidate for the post was the Asian candidate who was duly selected. The other candidate already worked in the establishment in a lower grade - and had applied for promotion into the vacant post.
Shortly after the panel, I was confronted by this lady, who accused me of playing the "race card" - as she was imminently more suitable for the job due to her experience and knowledge of the work-place.
I am afraid that my reaction was one of shock and despair that someone would think that I would make a decision on the basis of race, rather then on the performance at interview and being the best fitted for the post (it was a three member panel and the decision was unanimous).
In the end I was required to threaten discipline procedures to stop her both commenting in the workplace in this way, which obviously effected peoples views of the successful candidate.
It surprised me, working in a culture where equality and diversity is stressed and is central to employment conditions - it showed me that prejudice is alive in totally unexpected ways and people.
Yep, been there.
Before I was collared I advertised for some IT support people. We had two sent by an agency. Both had MCSE and Network quals. One had done the job before and the other had managed a network in his bedroom and got his qualifications in a boot camp and so had no experience.
An easy choice I thought until I got a call from the top floor!
When I got there I found some serious faces waiting for me. It appeared that the agency had received a complaint of prejudice on the grounds of race and having contacted the HR department they quickly developed a limp spine and sloping shoulders and passed it up the chain.
Fortunately I was able to explain my reasons and they included nothing to do with ethnicity. Not a great experience though.
I have no doubt prejudice on many grounds, including being Christian, has been part of the experiences of many of us. I would hope this would encourage us to act rightly, not perpetuate the wrong behaviour.
Sadly it seems not as our experiences show!
In view of the climate we live in, I ask why oh why is it that blind people are not given driving licences? It's total, iniquitous discrimination. Yes, the blind drivers are very likely to do themselves much harm, and others also (but the same is true (if you face the facts, as opposed to the convenient mythology) regarding anal intercourse, as promoted by sex educators, the government/media etc., and that doesn't stop the "liberation" of the "equality" laws).
Posted a recollection that fits 'driving licences for the blind' on blog.
V
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