Sensitivity

Let's say you're at work. Let's say you listen to a couple of co-workers speaking about, perhaps, some kind of racial issue or illegal immigration. Let's say the nature of the conversation is such that you think someone passing by might be in the slightest fashion uncomfortable or offended. It is now your responsibility to report this potentially-offensive incident to your supervisor or manager, or you could find yourself subject to punitive actions in the workplace.

"No, BZ, this cannot be true," you say.

Yes. In Fornicalia it is true.

Employees of the State of Fornicalia must go through sensitivity/sexual harrassment/racial discrimination training every two years.

As a supervisor for a county in Fornicalia, I must have this training regularly. One of the examples used in the class, as I am taught (by an attorney) is this:

A manager comes up to a female employee and says something similar to "Good job Jennifer, I really liked the job you did on the report, you made the division chief look good." Then he pats her on the shoulder in passing and leaves.

Jennifer, not liking to be touched, may file a complaint with the company or agency EEOC representative. The manager may then be confronted at a later date (if the complaint cannot be resolved at the lowest level and/or the employee insists on a formal resolution) and interviewed -- but the subject of the complaint does not have the right to view the complaint, know the precise nature of the complaint or know the identity of the complainant.

If you doubt the above scenario, directly from my department's general order:

IV. Reporting Responsibility

A. Each employee who witnesses discrimination or sexual harassment has a responsibility to address it or report it to a supervisor, even if he or she is not the direct recipient of such conduct.

B. Each manager and supervisor has a duty to address discrimination and sexual harassment. Failure to take appropriate action when aware of such conduct is grounds for disciplinary action.

This issue emerged recently when my brother called, agog, that something like this could occur in the business world.

My reply was: calm down. This is the nature of private business and the government world these days. It doesn't make it proper; it just makes it true. And it gets down to one word:

Money.

Sexual harrassment and racial discrimination (not to mention OSHA, HIPAA and ADA -- another good idea gone around-the-bend with insanity) are Big Business and a Big Industry unto themselves.

There are attorneys, judges, private arbitrators, counselors, psychologists, trainers, consultants, brigands, charlatans and the mentally unstable whose job it is to profit financially from the Victimhood of those who believe they are deserving of a deep fiscal remuneration from any slight, real or perceived, of the most minor of natures.

It is all about the money. Period.

And those who sit on various civil cases revolving around the entire encompassing system of victimology have one final thought coursing through their paltry little brains when they make a massive award: IF IT WERE ME SITTING AT THE PLAINTIFF'S TABLE, I WOULD WANT TO BE AWARDED THE MONEY.

Which is why I say that, ultimately, politics gets down to:

• Whoever controls education controls the future;
• Whoever controls the US Supreme Court controls the future;

Looks to me like the Demorats are, indeed, well on their way to complete control -- and the Republicans pretty much don't have the first damned clue.

BZ

P.S.

Places to go for reference:

http://www.eeoc.gov/ (federal)

http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/ (State of Fornicalia)