Shouldn't we all be willing to allow people of every race, religion, sexual orientation, age, and gender to come live with us?  Isn't it just plain wrong to shut your door on a face just because you perceive that face to be of a dark shade?  It's so hurtful to be refused entry to someone's home just because you're Airbnb'ing while black, or while gay, or while a man.  Something must be done.

That's the argument being made by some black Americans who claim they have suffered discrimination by Airbnb hosts.  There have been some participants in Airbnb who say they were repeatedly rejected by hosts who are white.  They make the assumption that the only reason this could possibly be happening is because of their color.  They can't conceive, apparently, that there could be any other reason.

I can.

Perhaps the hosts are unfamiliar with the workings of Airbnb and mistakenly posted a date they later realized was inconvenient for them.  Or the guest requested only one night, and they preferred to rent to another guest who needed several nights.  Or they had a bad experience with a former guest and were being extra cautionary.  Or, in the case of gender, let's say the host is a single woman who is uncomfortable allowing strange men in her home.  Then again, it could be that they are rejecting someone because of the perception that he is black.

You may consider, for example, Host Archie (fictitious name) to be a bigot.  You may demand that he be chastised for his behavior.  You may think that he needs to take a class in sensitivity training.  It sounds reasonable.  We all want a better society and more tolerance, and Airbnb, with its massive influence, should be at the forefront of this effort.

Airbnb, for its part, has decided to accept these charges as fact and has responded with the following changes: minimizing the use of photos in the booking process, requiring "anti-bias" training for employees, pushing hosts to use a feature that instantly books rooms, and creating a "diversity promoting team."  Can they be more politically correct?

The problem is, this entire response is based on buying into a series of falsehoods and one-sided vision.  The knee-jerk reaction that anyone claiming discrimination is always a victim and that anyone discriminating for whatever reason is always at fault is just going with the flow of lazy thinking.

This chain of claims and reactions is built on a series of false premises: not only that there is discrimination in the Airbnb "community," but that it's widespread, it needs to be fixed, and we should focus solely on the hosts.

Let's begin with the assertion of serious discrimination.  The widely cited Harvard University research paper on which those clamoring for change base their assumptions states that customers with "black" names were 16 percent less likely to be accepted for rentals.  Not having access to this research and how it was conducted, I'll just accept it at face value.  Sixteen percent, or one in six or seven, doesn't sound like widespread discrimination.  Based on this figure, a person looking for a rental will encounter a rejection in one of six times he or she looks for accommodations.  It is a given that the sole reason for this rejection is his race.

I wonder how many times a non-black is rejected.

Another shortcoming of the report is that it was limited to those with "black-sounding names."  I can only assume that these guests, although encouraged to post a photo, had not done so.  So the study is further limited to those with black-sounding names and without photos.  Perhaps these guests were rejected – not because of their perceived race, but because of their lack of photos and reviews.

Nevertheless, out of a desire to appease a vocal but probably small segment of their audience, Airbnb is accepting these accusations as gospel and went to great expense and trouble to "remedy" this alleged problem, probably for public relations purposes.

What's missing in this whole brouhaha is any consideration whatsoever for hosts.  Guests have an arsenal of information they can use to select a place to stay.  Hosts, not so much.  Guests can access photos of the premises, photos of the hosts, detailed descriptions of the property, and reviews from previous guests.  And they are free to discriminate as to which properties to book for whatever reason, and nobody is the wiser.  Hosts have less information: just a name, one photo, and reviews from previous hosts.  Based on this scanty amount of information, they choose which of the total strangers who apply can gain access to their home, where valuables (both monetary and emotional) are kept.  Each time they open their door, they face a potential risk.

Should we really be pressuring homeowners to allow anyone who asks into their homes?  Don't homeowners have any rights?  The 4th Amendment to the Constitution states that citizens have a right to protection from illegal search and seizure.  It reflects the belief that a person's home is his private domain.

Homeowners should have the right to refuse access to their homes to whoever they please and for whatever reason.  They shouldn't apologize for considering their own safety in choosing whom to admit into their home.

Airbnb has been enormously successful so far.  Millions of transactions have been brokered between hosts and guests to the mutual satisfaction of both parties.  Airbnb should be held accountable for the concerns of all their participants, not just those who shout "discrimination."  By making these changes, Airbnb is going down the wrong path and putting people in the uncomfortable position of having to choose between conforming to a faceless company's idea of moral correctness and preserving their own sense of well-being.