Posted on 09/22/2011 1:52:53 AM PDT by Recovering_Democrat
Bass Pro Shops have developed a devoted following by packing cavernous stores full of rods and reels, camping and hunting gear, camouflageclothingandanimal trophy-heads.
Behind the scenes, the retailer discriminates in hiring, the government said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
Among the allegations: Bass Pro managers repeatedly refused to hire non-white workers as clerks, cashiers or managers, and used discriminatory language to explain their reasoning, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which filed its suit in federal district court in Houston.
For instance, the government alleged a Bass Pro human-resources executive told federal investigators that the assistant ...
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
A very good, common sense analogy. Didn’t ‘fit the profile’.
I can’t get to the rest of the article without subscribing so I’ll wait to see this unfold. It may have been one idiot store supervisor...who knows. Even the use of the work ‘Profiling’ in our PC culture may have been enough for EEOC to get all up in arms.
Having said that, One of my co-workers (a 30-year friend) is a wonderful black man, sports enthusiast. (although maybe not bass fishing) I don’t go firearm shopping without talking to him first or having him come with me.
I'm a middle-aged white guy. I doubt that Victoria Secret's would hire me to work on their floor selling lingerie. If I applied to work at some mall-store selling trendy teen clothing, they'd probably laugh me out of there. Don't think I'd be successful getting on the Hooter's waitstaff either.
None of the above is discriminatory in my opinion. I just don't fit the profile. On the other hand, I'd probably feel right at home selling rods and reels at the Pro shop.
There aren’t many black people where I live, so Radio Shack isn’t the only place I don’t find any. (I should have mentioned that in the first post!)
The dead giveaway is when they come in asking to buy an electronic hook baiter.
None of which changes the fact that a business owner has the right to hire folks he or she thinks will be what his or her customers want.
They may be wrong in that assessment and they may let some unattractive qualities they harbor show through in that assessment. They, not the government, nor anyone else, has the right to make that assessment however.
And with Radio Shack, that’s not a real analogy to Bass Pro Shops. Radio Shack is much more of a universal store while Bass Pro Shops is much more of a niche store.
It’s real easy for someone who happens to sell good or products that have universal appeal to lecture someone who happens to sell a niche good or service. We all need niche products and we all have the right to own a niche business. But it’s a niche for a reason, be it a niche based on age, race, gender - or whatever.
Can you squeeze that into your tagline?
Ouch....that’s gonna leave a mark (due to the accuracy of your post).
Was this "assistant manager" fired? If not then was the "human-resources executive" fired?
I am not seeing company-wide racism even discussed here, but a single individual working at one of the stores.
I had a family member who ran a store- she experienced this first hand. A 'minority' indivual came in an applied for a job. She could barely speak understandable english, dressed like a 'working girl', and shoplifted something on the way out.
When my sister didn't hire her she called a lawyer and charged her with 'racism' and wanted a lawsuit SETTLEMENT (that's right, the first phone call was asking for a SETTLEMENT).
My sister told the lawhole she had video of her shoplifting.
He demanded to see the video and she told him to go F himself, he would see it in court. Never heard from him again.
Interesting story. I stumbled onto the Denver Bass Pro Shop last week...and gads, is it neat.
Oh, small side story...as I was wondering in awe right after entering, I was asked if I needed assistance - by a very nice African-Amerian woman. Go figure.
There are many. I have fished with some of them. They hunt also.
.
I respectfully defer to those who are business owners/managers, but it seems to me that if the person doesn’t have a keen professional interest and knowledge in your product line or service, you don’t hire them them to enthusiastically and sell your product or service.
People who are sullen and unknowledgeable make me shop elsewhere.
Owner is a Republican who sells a lot of guns.
Add "knowledgeable" to the mix and I concur. Train 'em if necessary.
Oh, I agree. But numerous and long-standing laws prohibit the full exercise of that right.
The old double standard. You can always spot a black owned business because all the employees are BLACK.
BIG time. Even in some “segments of the other parts of the economy. Look, I know a guy who works in a medium sized biz, one of the departments was run by a black guy for 10 years. He remembers ONE white employee hired at an entry level job. ONE Hispanic kid, and all the rest were black. Coincidence? Ha.
Who’s the REAL racist here? We know the answer to that question don’t we?
John L. Morris is the founder.
Yes, I didn’t bother getting to the rest of the article either because I wasn’t going to subscribe. I would like to revise my earlier statement regarding the Bass Pro Shop. I’m thinking there’s more to the story because so long as a black man is knowledgeable about all things fishing and hunting, I don’t see why he shouldn’t be eligible to work at the Pro Shop.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.