THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD
(apologies to Keith Olbermann)
Sara Hellwege
A nurse in Florida does not want to prescribe people birth control, but wanted to work at a family health center where prescribing people birth control is a job requirement. After not getting the job on the grounds of refusing to do the job, the woman is now suing for alleged discrimination. Meanwhile, a writer in New York is about to pass out from exasperation over the absurdity of this claim. (That writer is me.)…. Hellwege’s complaint against the medical center alleges that she was “told she could not apply for the positions of certified nurse-midwife by Tampa Family Health Centers […] explicitly based on her religious beliefs and moral convictions in opposition to prescribing certain drugs that she believes can cause the death of a human embryo.”
Once upon a time, I promised myself I’d retire the “World Person in the World” schtick…though I evidently retained the right to resurrect it when and/or if circumstances warranted. Well, circumstances warrant; in this case, Ms. Hellwege is richly deserving of the title. I’m half-tempted to rename it in her (dis)honor. Her sense of entitlement and self-absorbed, overheated religiosity certainly make her a worthy recipient.
I’ve been applying and interviewing for jobs for some time now, so I think I have a pretty good handle on how the process is supposed to work. First, you convince the potential employer that you’re qualified for the position they’re looking to fill. Second, you persuade them to believe you’re willing and able to handle all aspects of the job. Third, you hope that the first two things are enough to get you the job. Of course, those considerations convey no responsibility upon the potential employer to hire you…or any other candidate. People don’t get hired for all sorts of reasons- lack of qualifications, lack of required education, personality mismatches, food stuck between their teeth, being a Packers fan- and there’s not a thing in the world that can be done about it. Employers hire whom they choose, and as long they’re not openly and obviously discriminating against a person from a protected class, they’re free to offer employment to the candidate they feel is the best fit.
Except that, this being America, an applicant can sue a potential employer for any slight they feel they’ve been dealt, whether real or perceived. Ms. Hellwege applied for a position whose job description contained a requirement she refused to meet because of her beliefs. Fair enough, but she has no basis to claim to be surprised that she wasn’t hired for the job, which requires the prescription of birth control. If she refuses to prescribe birth control, the employer is well within their rights to hire someone who will fulfill that aspect of the job.
That’s not “religious discrimination.” That’s a zealot believing she’s OWED the position, and that the only possible reason she didn’t get it was that the potential employer discriminated against her based on her religious orientation. Ms. Hellwege could stand to learn that being a self-important, self-righteous Christian doesn’t mean being owed anything. You don’t get to claim discrimination on religious grounds when you refuse to perform the duties clearly listed on the job description…and then aren’t hired based on that refusal.
Ms. Hellwege is certainly free to her beliefs. What’s she’s not entitled to is the expectation of special treatment because of those beliefs. She’s not owed a job because she’s a Christian; she deserves the same consideration any other applicant would get…which is what appears to have happened in this case. It’s time she grew up and owned the reason she didn’t get the job. Hopefully it’s a lesson that will be of some benefit the next time she tries to manipulate a situation to her advantage.
Welcome to the brave new world spawned by Hobby Lobby….
