Top conservative law schools Forum

[jungleshark]

1)I don't feel great about it.
2)I don't have a daughter, so I don't see how I could assume that I have one.
3)No.

You are a slippery bastard. I have to admit that you will make a good lawyer.

Haha, thanks.

[Mitsunobu]

1)I don't feel great about it.
2)I don't have a daughter, so I don't see how I could assume that I have one.
3)No.

You are a slippery bastard. I have to admit that you will make a good lawyer.

Haha, thanks.

Litigation for you. Definitely.

[Corsair]

..

[LawandOrder]

Not all states have laws banning discrimination against homosexuals in hiring and admission.

Regardless, let's say I wanted to hire a maid to clean my house. I have to decide between 2 candidates: a lesbian and a heterosexual. I decide to discriminate against the lesbian because I don't want her in my home around my children. What is the government going to do, force the lesbian into my home?

So how do you feel about the negroes?

I am a libertarian who believes in private property rights, so I believe that one has the right to exclude others from one's property, for whatever reason. Whether that is moral or not is a different debate, but to deny the right to exclude is to deny the right to private property.

So why don't you mind your own fucking business and let people live how they want to.

Do you not realize how easily this can be turned right around against you?

Why don't you mind your own fucking business and let people live how they want to? I.e. let him be a homophobe.

[LawandOrder]

So what if he is homophobic and opposes legal rights for gays? That is his right. Are you a homophobe-phobe?

Discriminating someone on the basis of their sexual orientation - treating them differently or harming them in any way - is wrong, whether you think that sexual orientation should be named as a protected category or not. Oppose explicit legal protection for homosexuality if you'd like, though as a prospective lawyer you should be prepared to argue that position. But it is never alright to be a homophobe - or to condone the actions of other homophobes.

I'm not sure what to make of this. There is, as I think you've pointed out, a marked difference between harbouring homophobic thoughts and feelings and the manifestation of those beliefs into actual discrimination against protected classes.

Because there is a difference, it is perfectly fine to be a homophobe, and/or to condone the actions of other homophobes, provided that they do not act in a discriminatory way against homosexuals.

The difference between holding beliefs and acting upon them is the crucial distinction.

"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."
Voltaire

I guess the question is how you define "homophobe". I believe that there are very few heterosexual men who do not have some level of homophobia. (Heck, there are a ton of homosexuals who have some level of homophobia; see Ted Haggard for extreme example thereof.) By the same token, a lot of white people get nervous when they see groups of young black men approaching them in an urban area. The point is, what do you do with these emotions? The great failing of Political Correctness was the idea that you could regulate language and speech as a means of controlling feelings and emotions. But, at the same time, it's true that language and speech do provide a vehicle for perpetuating discrimination and hostility. For example, if a lecturer in a classroom says "I'm a homophobe" - is that an action that you would condone?

I don't think I would condone a professor coming out and saying that, mostly because it is not necessary to be said in the course of academic discourse. Provided the professor will give everyone an equal opportunity to learn and excel, what does it matter his/her feelings on homosexuals?

Additionally, I wouldn't condone them saying something like that because it would be rather inflammatory and would lead to discussions like the ones we're having now. No doubt many would call for his/her resignation on the basis that the professor is discriminatory, whether or not those feelings are manifested in class.

[Corsair]

..