Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
Dale's Glasses
Oilman:
Well, there's the case for "racism" as a default position, right there. Shopkeepers depend on people walking in the door. They know which of their staff make sales, and which don't. People aren't rational and they DO vote with their feet and wallets; are you saying the shopkeeper could, or should ignore that so you can feel smug?
Plus, May is plain obnoxious and anyone experienced in hiring staff would spot that as soon as she opened her mouth, or even before.
hedgie:
Why not re-introduce segregation or even slavery whilst we're at it? Hell, I wouldn't want bigoted customers in any business I owned anyhow, and even as just a peon, I've booted a few and told them that if they came back, they'd be charged with trespass. Either take a stand for decency, or be a moral coward.
Edit: May's personality/behaviour might be *valid* reasons to refuse employment. Hell, in her case, I'd have probably have bought and worn better clothing before even asking, just so as to look "more professional" (contingent on type of employment). But that's excluding people for *who* they are, and not *what* is unjustifiable by any system of ethics I've ever heard of.
Oilman:
I can only assume you've never depended for your livelihood, on the sort of low-margin, small owner-run business that May appears to have been applying to. I grew up in a family like that, worked behind the counter and I'll tell you that all money is the same colour. My father did things at times with no real logic because they seemed to affect trade, one way or another.
You have a limited relationship with customers, that boils down to getting them to buy something from you rather than somewhere else. On that basis, you feed your family and pay your taxes. Feeling morally superior to paying customers is a LONG way down that list.
This is an issue that could be developed at length in the comic, but probably won't be.
Oilman:
Actually, the whole issue of May working in a convenience store is quite interesting.
We've been told at various times that Pintsize' chassis is worth at least $3k, and that Momo is walking around in a $30k chassus. That all implies that May's bargain-basement chassis must be worth at least $10k. You might not think that it was viable to spend $10k on a counter assistant; but if May worked the hours, and replaced two part-to-full time Humsn staff for two or three years, that could be a good investment.
Meanwhile those two displaced human staff are looking for employment. They can't stand in the corner powered-down when unoccupied. THEY take the view that it is wrong, morally wrong that a thing of metal and plastic has taken their income. They complain to their political representative, congressman, MP, whoever it may be. An intern (who clearly doesn't need the money, or they couldn't afford to have an unpaid job) dismisses them as "robot racists" and they make no useful progress.
SOMEONE is right and wrong in all that; May continues as before; one of the former employees gets another job, the other doesn't. May actually has more job security than a human, because of the need to recover the investment.
Neko_Ali:
Let us be clear here: Racism is NEVER acceptable. Not ever. No, not even then. Not wanting to hire May because she has a criminal background, kind of iffy but depending on the job and why she was in jail, possibly understandable. Not wanting to hire her because she has an abrasive personality definitely acceptable for a customer service position if she is unwilling or unable to tone it down. But not wanting to hire her because she's a robot? (or alternately insert black, hispanic, white, asian, middle eastern or any other kind of ethnic decent) That is the very definition of discrimination and it is not acceptable. Ever.
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