EVERYONE IS NOT CREATED EQUAL

The United States Constitution says, “All men are created equal.”  Thomas Jefferson actually used that phrase as a rebuttal to the political theory of the Divine Right of Kings, a doctrine of royal legitimacy that asserts that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority.  He gets his divine right to rule from the will of God.  So the phrase, “created equal” really has nothing to do with what happens in the ordinary walks of life.   That is one of the reasons I am upset with the latest U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  Lately, they have shifted their focus to employers using the criminal records of potential candidates as a factor in whether or not to hire someone.

A few weeks ago, at a meeting about hiring practices, EEOC Chair Jacqueline A. Berrien said that employers “need to ensure that employment practices are fair and non-discriminatory,” when it comes to using arrest and conviction records as a measure for making employment decisions.  Employers need a “responsible business plan” and should overcome “fears, biases and hiring challenges” in order to facilitate hiring those with criminal backgrounds.

While there is no federal law that prohibits an employer from asking about criminal background, the EEOC web site says, “Several state laws limit the use of arrest and conviction records by prospective employers. These range from laws and rules prohibiting the employer from asking the applicant any questions about arrest records to those restricting the employer's use of conviction data in making an employment decision.”

The Reentry Council,  a Cabinet-level inter-agency group convened by Attorney General Eric Holder, exists to examine all aspects of reentry of individuals with criminal records with the goals of 1) making communities safe from recidivism and victimization; 2) assisting people returning from jail or prison to become productive citizens; and 3) reducing the direct and collateral costs of incarceration and saving tax dollars.

So how much money does this cost the taxpayers to give criminals a second chance?  In fiscal year 2010, $114 million was appropriated for prisoner reentry programs in the Department of Justice and in FY10 $108,493,000 was appropriated for prisoner reentry programs in the Department of Labor. 

I would guess that there are other programs besides these that spend hundreds of millions of dollars to give criminals a second chance.

What about spending the money instead giving high school students a FIRST chance at college?  Better yet, what about using the funds to lower our National Debt??

If I own a business, why shouldn’t I be able to discriminate against hiring a criminal?  It’s my company, not the government’s.

Liberal experts say that criminals who face hiring discrimination leads to higher recidivism and higher social service costs. Well, the criminal chose to take that path in life.  He is no longer “equal” in my view.

I have always thought that Jefferson had it wrong.  Men are not created equal.  In my own humble opinion, I think he should have written instead, “All men are created free.”