"Next...swimwear!"

Some French government officials lately have become a bit like this Soviet-themed Wendy's ad from the '80s that you may recall:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CaMUfxVJVQ

Officials in a Paris neighborhood have barred Muslim women from swimming at a public pool while wearing a type of swimsuit that covers more of the body. This ban is motivated not by safety but by religious intolerance.

This follows a nationwide ban on Muslim headscarves in public schools, and right-wing President Nicolas Sarkozy's public disgust for Muslims.

In case you're asking why I should worry about discrimination even against a very small minority, there's a simple reason why everybody should be concerned: If authorities discriminate against a small group, where does it stop? Will larger groups be next?

Discrimination is wrong primarily because of the effect on the group being targeted - but it also affects a much larger segment of the public. If the government persecutes one group, and you don't care because you aren't part of this group, eventually there's nobody left to come to your aid when authorities come for you.

Official persecution of this sort has always flourished hand-in-hand with suppression of economic rights for all. And why wouldn't it? Many of the bigoted canards that we've all heard against various minorities were originally rooted in greed. Discrimination that was once legally practiced in the United States was a direct descendant of greed that was harbored earlier.

When you see an article about discrimination, don't dismiss it outright. Remember that you could be next.

(Source: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Burqini-Row-At-Paris-Pool-Muslim-Woman-Barred-From-Wearing-Swimsuit-Amid-France-Burqa-Debate/Article/200908215359501?f=rss)