April 20 is Equal Pay Awareness Day. An average woman has to work almost four months longer to earn her male co-worker’s annual salary.  Progressive times recognize that women outclass men in every labor that does not require brute strength; how can anyone make a case for unequal pay? Today, as girls outnumber boys in honor societies and higher education, perhaps we should admit that the pretense that females mature more quickly simply masks what was always obvious: women’s superior competence.

Capitalism today does not compete on a gridiron. I think it’s time business owners confess they’d rather employ women. Return on investment formulas about family-raising complexities or market labor rates may still dictate what minimum can be offered to the fairer sex, but we can no longer pretend that such differentials are not discriminatory. We may prefer to pay Hispanic workers a “Mexican” wage, but what’s that about?

Those who insist the invisible hand of Capitalism can be guided by its own conscience need look no further than Wall Street to learn the public good is protected by government regulation. Push your congressional representative to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, and push the old boy network back to their La-Z-Boys.