Just Go to Work and Turn Off the Lights As You Leave

By Rich Kozlovich

On April 2, 2019 Dan Lyman posted the article, Illinois House Passes Bill Requiring Women, African-Americans on Corporate Boards, saying:

The Illinois House of Representatives has passed a bill mandating that all publicly-traded companies headquartered in the state will need to have a woman and an African-American sitting on its corporate board by 2021.  Failure to comply could result in fines of up to $300,000.

Is this really the job of government? 

If so, I would also have to assume in order to do this it means two qualified board members from all these companies will have to be fired.  Does that seem right to anyone? 

Does it mean the blacks and women who replace them are unqualified?  Not necessarily, but if I own a company, shouldn't I alone be responsible put on the board who I want to be there based on whatever qualification I deem important?

Now, if a company thinks this is a good idea and want more blacks, women, Hispanics, atheists, or any other group on their board of directors, I have no problem with that.  It's their company and no one should have a say in it. 

But,  if everyone thinks this is a responsibility for government, it makes me angry.  Why?  Because not one of these corporations are required to hire a Serbian for their board of directors. 

It's estimated there are between a hundred and ninety thousand to about three hundred and fifty thousand Americans of Serbian ancestry in this country.  It seems to me that's a legitimate minority.  Isn't it?

If we're a minority, and it certainly seems we are, the government needs to do things for us.  Things that should be paid for by everyone else.  Also, we need to be better represented in business and government in order to advance the privileges and our people. 

We want preferences in jobs.  If we own a business we want preferences in contracts.  We want preferences in housing.  We want special housing built for us.  We want reduced or even free rent in the housing that's provided for us.  We want free health care.  We want the government to send us a check each and every month without any work requirements attached, and we want that for our children and our grandchildren.  We want special loan privileges.  We want.......more!  And if we don't get it, I think it's racism!

Oh, one more thing. We want Rod Blagojevich released from prison.  Sure, he's a criminal, but he's Serbian, so we want him released just because he's Serbian. 

Okay Serbs! How many are on board?  I want a show of hands!  How about a protest march?  Just one little protest march!  Are there any Serbians out there listening?   

No takers?  No protest marches?  No special privileges?  Hmmmm, it appears the Serbians out there don't think of themselves as a minority separate from the rest of America.  They think of themselves as Americans who happen to be of Serbian ancestry, not Serbians who just happen to live in America.  Imagine that?  Oh well, if that's the case, and it appears it is, then let's just forget about the whole thing and go to work, and turn off the lights as we leave. 

You know, the lights for which we can thank Nicola Tesla, because he went to work.