I know that I wrote about this yesterday but I have
continued to watch the public reactions, the petitions, the tweets and comments
from celebrities. I am wondering how many people actually read the Indiana
Religious Freedom Restoration Act or how many just followed a headline like a
lemming off a cliff? How many people let the spin just spin their head right
round and out of control?
I do know that there are about 85,000 people who have put
their names to a petition to recall the governor without bothering to find out
that you can’t recall the governor in Indiana. Without finding out, as well,
that even if you could you would probably have to have physical petitions with
physical signatures to do so. I guess it doesn’t matter how ignorant you may
look when you are letting the world know how upset you are
Ashton Kutcher, Reggie Miller, Miley Cyrus, Montel Williams
et al did you actually read the darn thing or did you just jump on a band wagon
because there was one? Hillary Clinton definitely should know better. But then
twitter is not known for being a platform for the most astute and intelligent members
of our society.
This is absolutely nothing in that law that gives the
slightest indication that religious freedoms can be used as an excuse to
discriminate. There is also nothing in that law to indicate that religious
freedom was to be given a place of such absolute primacy that it trumped the
rights of others.
But there were the headlines that said the bill was “anti-gay”.
Rather than being outraged at such biased and manipulative duplicity, many will
not even bother to learn the truth. Some will even remain deliberately
ignorant.
"I just can't account for the hostility that's been directed at our state." said Governor Pence. "I've been taken a back by the mischaracterizations from outside the state of Indiana about what is in this bill"
So who’s hatin’ who here.
Who has gathered the virtual lynch mob? Who has whipped up
the emotions of others with misinformation and why would they want to?
"Despite the irresponsible headlines that have appeared in the national media, this law is not about discrimination," said Governor Pence, "If it was, I would have vetoed it."
People of religion have many more concerns than whether or
not we don’t want to sell cookies to somebody. That is an extremely simplistic evaluation of
why we might want religious freedom to be protected. And quite frankly, it is
the least of our worries. Regardless of rhetoric and reports nobody was wishin' and hopin' and waitin' for the day they passed a law that would give them a blank check for discrimination. It is a ridiculous notion unworthy of intelligent consideration.
As I read many of the articles, commentaries and comments I
came across this phrase describing the RFRA “it will keep the government from
compelling people to provide services they find objectionable on religious grounds.” There it was, the word compel. To force, induce, require, coerce, twist
someone’s arm, to bring about by the use of force or pressure. It will keep the
government from forcing people. This is not about discrimination. It is not
about wedding cakes and photographers. It is about force. It is being afraid
that when religious freedoms are protected they have somehow lost an ability to
take by force.
They are afraid that they may have lost the ability to force
the removal of religious symbols from memorials. They are afraid that they have
lost the ability to force the removal of any kind of public prayer. They are
afraid they have lost the ability to force compliance to abortion. They are
afraid they have lost the ability to force the silencing of conscience. They
are afraid they may have lost the ability to force the removal of religious
influence of any kind. They are afraid they have lost the ability to act out
their own religious prejudices by force.
So they created a boogie man of discrimination to hide
behind. And people who never bother to seek the truth blindly fell in line.
I ask again. Who is hatin’ on who here?
Some food for thought. For what it’s worth
