corndog36 Wrote:Sorry, no. The tree analogy doesn't apply. In terms of firewood, there is no significant difference between individuals of different species. We seem to agree that there are significant differences between individual people within the various groups. As a contractor, if I had disregarded female applicants on the basis of gender I would have missed out on some damn good employees.
There is massive difference between birch and spruce. I'd like to see you use a big hunk of birch as firestarter
And I am not kidding about alders ≠ good firewood. Not that you could find an alder of decent size anyway 
Of the same species, there is variance along lines of rot, dryness, bugginess, knots, etc. However: almost everything in each of these groups possesses all of its defining traits, and those that do not have all of them have most of them.
Significant groups of humans are like different trees: all of them belong to the tree family (humanity), but each major group possesses certain traits shared by the majority of its members. I could note the staggering ratio of decent female workers at the fish site to poor ones, but that would be an anecdote like the one you shared
Corndog36 Wrote:I'm not sure that the inherent equality of all human beings is something that can be explained. Your argument is basically the one that was used to justify the subjugation of people for thousands of years. Slavery is economically advantageous, but it is morally wrong. I'm not sure I understand your example of locking up teachers. If you are suggesting they get a 'get out of jail free' card you wouldn't have a shortage of teachers for long, you would every manner of criminal teaching your kids.
If it cannot be explained, then you are suggesting it is metaphysical... and therefore irrelevant if I do not have faith in it already. People are *not* remotely equal... some are the scum of the earth, others the paragons of our kind, some talented, some worthless, some kind, some assholes. Equality is a poor measure by which to gauge humans.
Slavery is not necessarily morally wrong. We make slaves of dogs, horses, cattle, pigs... what is so different about making slaves of humans? I say squat, and although i dislike slavery (at least where it applies to me being a slave or having slaves): i do not consider it morally wrong.
I suggest intelligent use of resources, especially when those resources are limited. If teachers are a resource that we are short on, then one needs to consider this before locking them up as if they were anyone else. I do not mean to suggest that they will not suffer consequences for whatever they did... but it should at least enter into the thought of the legal system when deciding how to punish said teacher.
And I think that it would be interesting to have a 'criminal' teaching children from an honest perspective regarding their 'crimes'. Has some potential to be much more useful than what bored me out of my mind in high school
Please give me a home where cloud buffalo roam
Where the dear and the strangers can play
Where sometimes is heard a discouraging word
But the skies are not stormy all day
