Okay, I know this might not seem like a huge deal. But somehow it really bothers me.
Today CNN columnist Keith Oppenheim tells me that Muslim immigrant cab drivers in Minnesota are refusing fares carrying alcohol. According to a fatwa from "local Muslim leaders," transporting alcohol is forbidden.
Okay, whatever. I can understand that. But then the story says cabbies who refuse a fare have to go to the end of an hour-long line, and may face harsher punishments. For declining riders.
Then there's the story's poll. "Should cab drivers be able to refuse passengers on religious grounds?" A distressing 86% say "No."
NO! No? What the fuck is that?? You think if the story was about Christian cabdrivers refusing to transport people committing a Christian sin, the numbers would be 86%-14%? And what, we think cabbies are our servants, just waiting to take us around no matter what their personal opinions are? They should do their job even if they believe it's wrong??
God, it's a sad day when I am one of the few people who understands religious freedom.
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1 comment:
I agree with you that they should be able to say no, and if they were self-employed, that would be the end of it. However, cab drivers (of any religion) work for a business. If they - for whatever reason - are incapable of doing or refuse to do what their job entails, they should not be in that line of work.
Now I don't want to sound harsh or anything. Let's face it, most cab drivers aren't doing it because they love the job; it's because it's very difficult for them to find other work. Your editorial on capitalism could probably come into play here, though.
However, to answer you hypothetical about a Christian sin:
Recently, a Wal-Mart pharmacy employee refused to sell the morning-after pill to a woman on the religious ground that it would end a life. I would hope that the same group who answered 'No' in that poll would feel the same in this case.
The bottom line is that if your job requires you to do something that you refuse to do, you should not have that job.
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