I plead guilty. I’m tired of the deception. I can’t hide it anymore. The stress is killing me. I am coming out of the closet. May God have mercy on me. I have a confession to make. I’m a discriminator.

Consider the following—

I prefer to drive a Chevy and discriminate against all other makes of cars. This doesn’t mean that I want to do anything to stop anyone from driving a Ford. This doesn’t mean that I hope all Hondas and Toyotas crash. It just means that I prefer to drive a Chevy.

I prefer to drink regular Coke and discriminate against all other types of soft drinks. This doesn’t mean that I hope all diet soft drinks make people sick. This doesn’t mean that I want to keep people from drinking Pepsi. It just means that I prefer to drink Coke. King James, His Bible,... Laurence M. Vance Buy New $19.95 (as of 11:36 UTC - Details)

I prefer to put French dressing on my salad and discriminate against all other varieties of salad dressing. This doesn’t mean that I want the government to ban Thousand Island dressing. This doesn’t mean that I want restaurants to poison their supplies of Italian dressing. It just means that I prefer to eat French dressing.

I prefer to watch drag racing and discriminate against all other forms of racing. This doesn’t mean that I hope all NASCAR races get rained out. This doesn’t mean that I want to prevent people from attending Formula One races. It just means that I prefer to watch drag racing.

I prefer to eat apples and discriminate against all other types of fruit. This doesn’t mean that I want the government to ban banana imports. This doesn’t mean that I hope all peach trees get infected with blight. It just means that I prefer to eat apples.

I prefer to stay at a Hampton Inn and discriminate against all other hotels. This doesn’t mean that I want to bomb all Holiday Inns. This doesn’t mean that I hope all Quality Inns close down. It just means that I prefer to stay at Hampton Inn.

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I prefer to order Domino’s pizza and discriminate against all other pizza places. This doesn’t mean that I hope all other pizza places go out of business. This doesn’t mean that I will never eat pizza from Pizza Hut. It just means that I prefer Domino’s.

I prefer to wear a blue suit and discriminate against all other suit colors. This doesn’t mean that I think everyone else should wear a blue suit. This doesn’t mean that I want the government to punish wearers of black suits. It just means that I prefer to wear a blue suit.

I prefer to eat beef and discriminate against all other types of meat. This doesn’t mean that I hope that all chickens die of disease. This doesn’t mean that I want farmers to slaughter all of their pigs. It just means that I prefer to eat beef.

I prefer to eat green beans and discriminate against all other green vegetables. This doesn’t mean that I wish all heads of lettuce would get infected with E. coli. This doesn’t mean that I want the government to mandate that everyone must purchase green beans. It just means that I prefer to eat green beans.

I prefer to read non-fiction books and discriminate against all other forms of literature. This doesn’t mean that I want to burn magazines and comic books. This doesn’t mean that I want to prevent anyone from reading novels. It just means that I prefer to read non-fiction.

I prefer to put ketchup on my French fries and discriminate against all other condiments. This doesn’t mean that I think mayonnaise and barbecue sauce are disgusting. This doesn’t mean that I want mustard producers to go out of business. It just means that I prefer to eat ketchup.

Three things should be noticed about my discrimination, other than the fact that it is real and not hypothetical. War, Christianity, and... Laurence M. Vance Best Price: $8.95 Buy New $9.95 (as of 09:10 UTC - Details)

First, in each of the above cases, my discrimination is not the result of any technical, scientific, controlled, or empirical study. My discrimination is simply the result of my own personal preferences, judgments, beliefs, and opinions.

Second, my discrimination against certain foods, beverages, colors, hotels, literature, and cars is not an act of aggression against any of these things. No book has the right to be read. Just because someone opens a hotel doesn’t mean anyone has to stay there. No fruit, animal, or vegetable has the right to be eaten. Just because a store offers many varieties of an item doesn’t mean that its customers have to purchase each one. No condiment or dressing has the right to be used.

Three, although some may consider my discrimination to be arbitrary, capricious, subjective, and based on ignorance or prejudice, and others may consider my discrimination to be irrational, nonsensical, groundless, and based on neither reason nor logic, no one would say that I should be fined, imprisoned, or forced to drive a car I don’t want to drive, stay at a hotel I don’t want to stay at, watch a race that I don’t want to watch, or eat or drink something that I don’t want to eat or drink.

But, some will say, these objects of discrimination are things; they are not people. It is one thing to discriminate against a car, a food, a beverage, a color, a hotel, or a book, but it is another thing to discriminate against individuals or groups of people. It is always wrong to discriminate against people.

Is it really? Is it always wrong to discriminate against people? Since when?

Consider the following—

I prefer to have my hair cut by a particular barber and discriminate against all other barbers. This doesn’t mean that I want to kill all other barbers. This doesn’t mean that I want all other barbers to go out of business. It just means that I prefer a certain barber.

I prefer to have my teeth cleaned by a particular dentist and discriminate against all other dentists. This doesn’t mean that think everyone should see my dentist for dental care. This doesn’t mean that I want the government to punish those who see other dentists. It just means that I prefer a certain dentist.

I prefer to have my car repaired by a particular mechanic and discriminate against all other mechanics. This doesn’t mean that I think all other mechanics are bad. This doesn’t mean that I hope all the cars repaired by other mechanics crash. It just means that I prefer a certain mechanic.

I prefer to listen to the music of a particular composer and discriminate against all other composers. This doesn’t mean that I hate all other composers. This doesn’t mean that I want to do anything to stop anyone from listening to some other composer. It just means that I prefer a certain composer.

I prefer to have my medical care performed by a particular doctor and discriminate against all other doctors. This doesn’t mean that I hope the patients of all other doctors get sicker and die. This doesn’t mean that I want other doctors to be sued for malpractice. It just means that I prefer a certain doctor. War, Empire, and the M... Laurence M. Vance Best Price: $5.24 Buy New $9.79 (as of 09:10 UTC - Details)

Again, three things should be noticed about my discrimination: It is based on my own personal preferences, it is not an act of aggression against individuals or groups of people, and no one would say that I should be fined, imprisoned, or forced to stop discriminating against the barbers, dentists, mechanics, composers, or doctors I refuse to patronize.

Okay, okay, some will say. I get your point, but it is still mostly or usually or sometimes wrong to discriminate against people. It must be. It just has to be.

But is it? Why is it?

What opponents of discrimination; that is, supporters of laws against freedom of choice, will eventually say when pinned down is that it is not wrong to discriminate against individuals or groups as long as such discrimination is not based on stereotypes, prejudice, bigotry, sexism, racism, homophobia, or xenophobia.

But they don’t actually believe this. If someone’s discrimination against certain barbers, dentists, mechanics, composers, or doctors is in fact based on stereotypes, prejudice, bigotry, sexism, racism, homophobia, or xenophobia, then opponents of discrimination, although they might say that such discrimination is wrong or immoral, would not go so far as to say that such discrimination should result in fines, imprisonment, or being forced to patronize barbers, dentists, mechanics, composers, or doctors that someone doesn’t want to.

What opponents of discrimination; that is, supporters of laws against freedom of choice, have done is create two standards: one for buyers, customers, and consumers and one for sellers, businesses, and producers.

But if it is not illegal for buyers, customers, and consumers to discriminate (for any reason and on any basis) against sellers, businesses, and producers, then neither should it be illegal for sellers, businesses, and producers to discriminate (for any reason and on any basis) against buyers, customers, and consumers.

No one has the right to have his hair cut by a particular barber, to have his teeth cleaned by a particular dentist, to have his car repaired by a particular mechanic, to hire a particular composer, or to be treated by a particular doctor. Just like no one has the right to be employed in a particular job, to be served in a particular restaurant, to buy a particular house, to lease a particular apartment, to be admitted to any club or organization, to have a wedding cake made by a particular baker, or to have a wedding photographed by a particular photographer.

To criminalize discrimination is to criminalize freedom of thought.

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