Women aren’t the only ones facing discrimination
Where are the critics on this one?
The week before last, 19 men were recruited from around the world for prestigious research positions at Canadian universities, and gender-equality advocates called foul.
But rumour has it that another disadvantaged group was unrepresented by these latest CERC appointments: left-handers.
Unbelievable, eh? If you feel your blood pressure rising, take a moment—maybe a walk—then read on.
An anonymous source has tipped me off to this latest injustice. Although I can’t verify that discrimination was the reason for the omission, I’m going to go ahead and say that it was anyway (makes for a better headline). The move is a huge setback for Canadian left-handers, who say hiring practices need to take a step in the “left direction.”
A panel was appointed to investigate the hires, and found that the lack of women appointed by CERC was due to the fact that universities didn’t actually submit female candidates for selection. (Still awaiting word on the left-handed imbalance.)
In any case, The Man the men at CERC need to get their priorities straight. When will they learn that qualifications and expertise should come second to outward appearance and dominant hand tendencies?
Left-handers have had to deal with bigotry and smeared writing for far too long. I say, bring on preferential hiring, exclusive scholarship opportunities, and group favouritism. Hiring “the best one for the job” is a dated idea, and frankly, a symptom of narrow-minded fanaticism.