Discrimination Must Be A Two Way Street

Let’s rethink anti-discrimination laws. Truth is, we all discriminate every day—on the buy side, at least. As consumers, we’re deliberate about where we spend our money, weighing factors like price above all else. If a price doesn’t sit right and won’t budge, we vote with our wallets and walk away. That’s discrimination in action, and it’s perfectly rational.

Given this, I’m generally opposed to government meddling in free markets. It might sound harsh to say discrimination shouldn’t be legislated, but it’s reality. Creating protected classes is like mandating, “Be nice to everyone, always.” It’s a noble idea, but humans aren’t wired to feel a certain way about every group, all the time. And protected classes falter when identity gets murky—how do you enforce something so subjective?

Here’s the kicker: the free market would naturally resolve any “problems” that arise without government oversight. Take a printer who hangs a sign saying, “We won’t print for Jews or gays.” Should they have that right? Absolutely. No one—not even Uncle Sam—should dictate how they run their business. While you and I do not discriminate against those groups, we should have the same freedom to choose our customers as they do to choose us.

What happens next? The market works its magic. If enough people balk at the printer’s policy, his business suffers until he either changes his stance or goes under—restoring balance (equilibrium, in Economics). Or, if his business thrives, it shows the market doesn’t care about those “protected” classes as much as lawmakers think. This proves government overreach. Either way, balance prevails.

Critics (and those who can’t grasp simple economic concepts) will undoubtedly ask, “But where would Jews or gays go for print work?” Fair question, but unnecessary. The market would fix that, too. Entrepreneurs would spot the gap and open shops catering to those groups—or to everyone, siphoning business from the narrow-minded printer, who might lose enough business to rethink his policy, and equilibrium would return. That’s the beauty of free choice on both sides without government interference!