I wanted to share two stories with you on this second day of 2012 that gave me pause. They are bookends – the first a story about how government is using its power to allow discrimination against candidates who are too intelligent – the second a story about how government is using its power to prevent discrimination against candidates who lack even the most basic education.
The first story is out of New London, Connecticut where the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that police departments may bar applicants with high IQs from serving as police officers. The New London Police Department determined that less intelligent applicants are less ambitious and tend to stay in the same job longer than smarter applicants who tend to be more ambitious. Need I explain why this is a mistake on so many levels?
The second story is out of Washington DC where the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has warned employers that requiring a high school diploma from a job applicant might violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. The EEOC suggests that applicants who were unable to graduate because of learning disabilities would be protected under the ADA and have actions against any employer who might reject their application for employment for lack of a diploma.
Our leaders are well intentioned, but I can’t help but feel their best of intentions are dooming us for failure as a nation. We need fewer laws, fewer regulations, fewer leaders – doing less, not more.