President Obama, End the Discrimination with Public Funds

Is it in any way fair or right or equitable or even American to have social programs funded by the taxpayers discriminate in hiring on religious grounds? Most people would agree that it is wrong to discriminate. Most Americans see it as, well, just plain wrong. There have even been polls that show that most Americans feel this way.

This is not rocket science. If taxpayers of all faiths (or no faith) are paying for a program, then taxpayers of all faiths (or no faith) should be able to work there. The job description shouldn't include a confession of faith or creed.

Yet, when the Office Faith Based Initiatives was formed by President Bush, that sort of blatant discrimination was allowed by executive order. Imagine that --- in the United States of America, public funds that were to provide a public service could only be used to hire a person with the "right" theology.

Then came some hope for sanity when then candidate Obama pledged that he would stop that sort of hiring discrimination. Promises made. Promises broken. Last month, President Obama didn't end the mistreatment based on religious ideas.

The Washington Post, the New York Times and the LA Times have both urged President Obama to do the right thing & put fair standards in place that ensure groups getting Faith Based dollars comply with the civil rights laws like all other groups receiving federal money: no discrimination. If these groups require religious confession to work there, then they should should use only the money of their faithful to pay their bills. Should a group receive tax money paid by all Americans, then all Americans should be equally eligible to work there.

Here's your chance to urge President Obama to do the right thing --- the American thing --- & end hiring discrimination when public funds are used.