Gun Discrimination is Hiding All Around Us

20131120-102655.jpgI often receive emails from gun people who feel alone in their experiences and want advice or reassurance. Having put myself out there as a consummate beginner for the last two-plus years, I usually hear about classes gone wrong or issues females have had, but every now and then I hear something different. A few months ago I wrote about my experience with Google Ads and how they refused to place ads on my site because ArmedCandy advocated the ownership of firearms.

I don’t need to remind those reading this that the internet offers a level of anonymity that inspires many to speak their opinions more freely than they might otherwise. However, this doesn’t only happen in public forums where commentators can cause mass hysteria. Business emails are just as likely to include the personal beliefs of the writer, even if those opinions mean damage to one’s business.

A fellow gun owner sent me an interaction she had after posting an ad for some work to be done on her website. The ad asked for a web person who could link Paypal to a web store as well as some other small back-end tweeks. The responding designer was interested in doing business at first, but then found out that my friend’s website sold gun holsters for women. This was the web designers response:
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that I was brought up to be against carrying firearms. I’m sure that another designer would be pleased to assist you.”

I’m sorry, but I just don’t see how this reasoning has anything to do with the work. While I respect the designer’s right to run her business as she wants, I just don’t respect such arbitrary discrimination. Has anyone else run into such silliness?

9 Comments

  1. Gabby, I enjoy your posts, but we need to get past the mindset that discrimination is bad. Some discrimination is good. If you’re a parent, you better be discriminate about whom your child (especially young daughter) dates. If you care about your health, you better discriminate against certain unhealthy food choices (yes, that makes me a hypocrite). If you are a business owner, you have many reasons to discriminate against certain elements (no shirt, no shoes, no service, is perfectly acceptable discrimination).

    Your friend is actually fortunate. It is possible that the web designer could have been malicious, and accepted the job, only to sabotage the site by writing code that could have been detrimental and destructive. That does happen. Hopefully, there is a superbly qualified web designer, that happens to be a shooter. That would be a huge plus. Such a person might be motivated to do an outstanding job. Sometimes, it’s best to be upfront and more descriptive when advertising for a job to be performed. It allows YOU to be the one being discriminate in choosing wisely.

    1. I’d think about it like this: would you do work for a site that was actively working to abridge your 2nd amendment rights? Others are entitled to their views, even those rooted in ignorance.

  2. I will do web design for any 2nd amendment supporter. By the way, the link to your google adsense story above has a 404 error.

  3. I hate that “I was brought up not to…” excuse. If you don’t want to do the work, just say “No thank you.” No need to foist the responsibility of your decision making off on your parents (or whomever raised you). Whatever the meaning, that phrase comes off as something akin to condescension – “I’m too good a person to do that” or whatever…

  4. ok, so let me get this right:
    web designer has beliefs, lives beliefs… and bases how the conduct their life based on what they believe to be ‘right and moral’ (ok we all think their beliefs are wrong but thats not the point).

    Where exactly is the problem here? Frankly I WISH more people would grow that sort of balls maybe at some point we could actually have some morals again! We might even actually be able to have a real honest debate and oh I don’t know solve a problem or two… something we are sorely lacking today!

  5. “Square D” refused me as a client or “whatever” because I own a gunshop and wanted to use their gizmo for credit card swipes. “Against the policy”. A few others have had clauses for not allowing typing in of the credit card numbers on a gun sale. Swipe ok. Typing not allowed -at all. If I were selling rope to hang people or knives to stab people or let’s see… well, you get my point. ~sharon

Comments are closed.