Is it wrong to discriminate against someone because they have a southern accent?

[Citizen James]

Perhaps one of the less discussed biases is how people with certain accents - especially those with southern accents - get burdened with a number of negative stereotypes outside their home region.

But as one recent subject is whether or not it is acceptable to discriminate in employment based on criteria which is irrelevent to the job (and I don't buy into the whole stereotype of southerners being slow and narrow minded hicks as a whole - but if you do, feel free to express your opinion) this is a real question, and the sort of thing many employers actually do discriminate on.

as they say, it's your choose.

[Ebowed]

Yes, and I oppose anti-discrimination laws.

[CheeseWhiz]

Yes, and I oppose anti-discrimination laws.

[MasterJedi]

Yes, and I oppose anti-discrimination laws.

[David S]

It is as wrong to discriminate on the basis of a southern accent as it is to do so on the basis of skin color.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I like the way people from Chicago speak.

[opebo]

One should first ascertain if the Southerner is a Republican before commencing to discriminate.

[© tweed]

One should first ascertain if the Southerner is a Republican before commencing to discriminate.

Even the Democrats in the south are true religious, Opebo.

[A18]

No, and I oppose anti-discrimination laws.

[Jake]

No/oppose. There's a very legitimate reason not to hire a person with a thick drawl if you're running a business in Manhattan.

[Cubby]

One should first ascertain if the Southerner is a Republican before commencing to discriminate.

LOL    

Unlike some prudes round here, I support anti-discrimination laws.

[opebo]

One should first ascertain if the Southerner is a Republican before commencing to discriminate.

Even the Democrats in the south are true religious, Opebo.

Yes, those should be fed to lions, not merely excluded from employment.

[Speed of Sound]

#3. Discrimination over anything, especially something so petty, is pathetic, however, laws to prevent this often go overboard.

[minionofmidas]

There was a Cleveland city ordinance in the early 90s that banned discrimination on the basis of "(long list, I don't have it with me right now, but all the usual suspects like race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability) and Appalachian origin". It was booted out by the voters.

[nlm]

Does/is the person with the southern accent wear shoes, have all their teeth, able to read and write, sleep with relatives? That might make a difference.

Just kidding, the PC police can step back now.

There are a ton of different kinds of discrimination, but do we really need folks filing lawsuits because they think they didn't get a job due to their accent? Are their any stats on this? Would people from Boston be able to file the same sort of complaint when seeking work in Alabama? Heck, people with strong accents could just bounce around the country not getting jobs and filing lawsuits to support them at the rest of the countries expense. Wouldn't that be special?

Sure I frown upon discrimination, but I’m not so perfect that I never do. How the heck would such a thing be enforced?

[7,052,770]

there should be affirmitive action to benefit those with Southern accents.  And Mississippians should get ultramega special treatment because their state sucks so much.

[The Duke]

Of course its wrong.

[opebo]

There was a Cleveland city ordinance in the early 90s that banned discrimination on the basis of "(long list, I don't have it with me right now, but all the usual suspects like race, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability) and Appalachian origin". It was booted out by the voters.

Ohio, already not the most prosperous state, is overrun by those hill-people.

I once had the idea to do a study of what percentage of white prostitutes are from Appalachia - I bet it is pretty high!

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

No. I see no problem with forcming southrons(and blacks) into the mainstream culture. IF they don't want to assimilate too damn bad. Multiculturalism leads to the downfall of nations.

[AkSaber]

Yes, and I oppose anti-discrimination laws.

[CARLHAYDEN]

I deal every week with people across the south, and am well aware of signficant differences in the accent, word choice, grammar, etc across the south.

Generally I find the variations delightful, but there are two which really annoy me:  Georgia mushmouth and Texas mumble.

I don't know if any of you have ever seen the cartoon, King of the Hill, but there is a character in that program who mumbles badly.  There are really people like that!

[Bdub]

Its stupid and wrong.

[TomC]

One should first ascertain if the Southerner is a Republican before commencing to discriminate.

Even the Democrats in the south are true religious, Opebo.

Some are, some aren't. The problem with stereotyping is that one invariably mischaracterizes some. Still

Yes, and I oppose anti-discrimination laws.

.

[dazzleman]

Does/is the person with the southern accent wear shoes, have all their teeth, able to read and write, sleep with relatives? That might make a difference.

Just kidding, the PC police can step back now.

There are a ton of different kinds of discrimination, but do we really need folks filing lawsuits because they think they didn't get a job due to their accent? Are their any stats on this? Would people from Boston be able to file the same sort of complaint when seeking work in Alabama? Heck, people with strong accents could just bounce around the country not getting jobs and filing lawsuits to support them at the rest of the countries expense. Wouldn't that be special?

Sure I frown upon discrimination, but I’m not so perfect that I never do. How the heck would such a thing be enforced?

Excellent analysis.

Hiring brings a person face-to-face with his prejudices.  And we all have them.  Some of it simply comes down to personality.  People are inclined the person they feel most comfortable with, the person they'd most likely want to go have a drink with.

There is often no accounting for the reason one person is hired over another.  Sometimes, it's unconscious on the part of the person doing the hiring, who doesn't even know himself why he liked one person or another.

This continuous expansion of anti-discrimination laws is getting out of hand.  People can still discriminate, and just come up with a different reason for their actions.  It's done every day, in employment, housing, you name it.  Creating protected classes often makes the situation worse, because the person in the protected class then becomes a greater hiring risk because they're harder to get rid of they don't work out, and they have special grounds for lawsuits, which employers fear.  These laws make it a lot safer to hire the hetero white male, ironically.

[nclib]

Yes it's wrong. I support anti-discimination laws in general, but am undecided on whether or not they should include accents.