Civil Disabilities In A Democracy

Civil Disabilities In A Democracy

By

R.E. Prindle

It’s amazing how blind people can be to what they are doing; what they are creating.  Take this conversation in a coffee shop that I overheard.  Four guys were talking.  I knew them all or knew of them.  They were somewhere between forty and forty-five.  White, high school dropouts, unemployed for four years or more.  I’ll call them Jim, Jack, Bob and Ray just in case one of them might read this and demand a cut of the proceeds. Of course, there are no proceed  but these guys are incapable of simple reasoning.  I have edited the conversation for intelligibility.

Jim, the protagonist, speaks first:  What do you guys think of this Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris?  These Moslems are getting out of hand.  (Yeah, uh-huh, sure)  Before it spreads over here we should put some civil disabilities on them to keep them in their place, I think.

Jack:  What do you mean, civil disabilities?

Jim:  You know restrictions, make them register, extra taxes, keep them from owning cars, computers, things like that.   Like they do when they’re in charge.

Bob:  Whoa there, wait a minute.  All the Moslems aren’t guilty because of what a few idiots do.

Jim:  Bull!  Have you seen all the Twitter hash tags congratulating these slugs, calling for more everywhere, including here.  They don’t have any doubts the thing was an act of war.

Ray:  Aw, so what?  Anyway you can’t restrict people by thing-um-bobs in a democracy.  People can do what they want.

Jim:  So-called democracy you mean.  We’re already restricted plenty.  Civil disabilities on us too so what’s wrong with putting them on some crazy murderous Moslems?  They can’t be allowed to go around murdering and destroying wholesale.

Bob:  Civil whatchamacalllums on us!  Don’t go overboard Jim, they’ll have to place you on meds.  We’ll see you stumbling down the street muttering to yourself.

Jack:  Name a disability, Jimmy boy.

Jim:  You don’t think I can?  Try this one on for size.  You guys never heard of hate laws?  Well, hate laws give named groups special preference.  Say anything about Blacks, Jews, Fags, or women and you’re racist, anti-Semitic or sexist.  You can go to court.  The only group that isn’t protected is us.  White men.  We’re outside the law and that’s a civil disability in this so-called democracy.  Don’t get too hoity toity about how perfect this country is.  It’s not, it’s fucked.

Look at the Blacks.  The whole merit system was discarded because of so-called disparate impact because the Blacks couldn’t cut it.  That means that people of merit are being discriminated against and the unqualified are given preference.  That’s favoritism or a new spoils system.  So where’s democracy in that?  Why isn’t that creating a civil disability?  It is.  And it’s getting worse.  Because of Ferguson Blacks don’t even have to follow the laws anymore but we can still be arrested for jay walking.

Ray:  Aw, Jim, you worry too much.  You sound like a real racist to me.  Better be careful or you’ll lose your job.

Jim:  Lose our jobs!  What jobs?  We lost those four years ago.

Jack:  That’s because there ain’t any jobs.

Bob:  Oh yeah?  The Mexicans don’t have any trouble finding jobs.

Jack:  Hell yes.  If you want to work for Mexican wages.  I’m White.  I gotta have White wages to get by.

Bob:  None of us have had any wages for four years.  Even unemployment has run out.

Jack:  So what?  That don’t mean I’ll going to take Mexican money.  I’d steal first.

Bob:  You already are.

Jack:  So are you.

Bob:  Maybe.  But I’m getting ready to take Mexican money.

Jack:  Phaw!  Go on.

Jim:  That’s what I mean.  We’re not going to get any jobs anyway.  After four years who’s going to hire us?  I don’t want to work like a Mexican anyway.  They work too hard and do too good a job.  I’m not going to do that for anybody.  Don’t even take their breaks.  Just do the work and move to the next job.  Where’s that?  Anyway, we’re off my point.  How about placing civil disabilities on the Moslems before they add to those already on us.

Bob, Jack and Ray together:  Civil disabilities my ass.  This is America.  We ain’t got no civil disabilities that we can see.

 

Not that they can see.  No hope is there?