(no subject)

[shadowkat]

1. Sigh...Kansas.

Although the good news is that the public screamed bloody murder at the State Legislature in Kansas for attempting to pass a bill that permitted businesses to refuse service to gays and lesbians based on religious justifications.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/14/1277718/-Kansas-State-Senators-face-Backlash-and-plot-retreat-A-Report-from-the-Capital

Mainly because it occurred to many businesses that the public outcry would result in massive boycotts. So while everyone in the US is busy pointing the finger at Putin and Russia, turn around, about face, and groan collectively at KANSAS. In short, USA, worry about your own backyard.

I love the first comment to this post - which states: Gandhi's Seven Sins: "Wealth without work; Pleasure without conscience; Knowledge without character; Commerce without morality; Science without humanity; Worship without sacrifice; Politics without principle"

I don't know about any one else, but I've grown bloody tired of people using their religious beliefs as a justification/rationalization for abusing others' rights or depriving others' of their rights.

2. Yet another blizzard raging outside. Is anyone else tired of the blizzards. The freezing temperatures. And the slush. And the navigating around the huge piles of snow that can't go anywhere? Whoever is praying for snow? Please stop. The universe heard you.

February is turning into a rather long month..ironic, considering it's the shortest.
Have a bad case of the Feb Doldrums.

Comments

[honorh.livejournal.com]

The thing that exhausts me about bills like that is that it's Christians who are trying to find a way out of serving people. Unless my reading of the Bible is very, very wrong, that's missing the point in an epic way. It absolutely rankles me that they'd be so concerned about their "rights" that they'd ignore literally everything Jesus said and did. Christianity: You're doing it wrong!

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

It goes against everything Jesus stood for. In fact it is taking God's name in vain. You can't get any more anti-Christian than to do this.

Why can't they see that?

[atpo-onm.livejournal.com]

Senate President Susan Wagle said Friday that the bill goes beyond protecting religious freedom.

Wagle said she, Gov. Sam Brownback and the House speaker were all for the bill until the ramifications became more clear.

"The bill seems to be written in a very broad manner and appeared to me to be detrimental to the business environment here in Kansas," Wagle said.

Note that they became concerned when the thought occurred that it might adversely affect business, that is, profit potential. Affect non-business-owning people? Ahh, who cares?


But it certainly isn't just Kansas. Right here in PA we recently had a member of the state legislature try to round up support to create a bill that would allow anyone who had "sincere religious convictions" to pretty much discriminate against pretty much anyone they wanted to. The legislator called it a "Freedom of Conscience" act. He was partly inspired by a PA business that is contesting the Affordable Care Act contraceptive coverage requirements on religious grounds. (The case, along with similar ones from a number of states will almost certainly eventually end up in the U.S. Supreme Court).

He was immediately widely ridiculed, and the bill will probably never happen, but it's revealing that he thought it would even have a chance.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Much like the Kansas Bill, it would most likely be killed by the courts for being unconstitutional.

But you're right - it's revealing and depressing. All this whinging about Russia and their issues, when we have plenty of our own issues at home.