If I owned a lunch counter, I could refuse service to a person of color by claiming that black people eating in the same place as white people violates my "religious convictions".

I'm sure it would just be an added bonus for the racists.

Last edited Fri Mar 27, 2015, 08:38 PM - Edit history (1)

My wife and I were already kind of embarrassed by our politicians, now we are downright ashamed.

I live in Tennessee and I know exactly how you feel.

I guess that's a plus to a state full of Ayn Rand libertarian type conservatives rather than full on nutso religious conservatives (although we have a fair amount of those as well).

Met him in the service and I was tempted to move there, it's a beautiful state.

And yeah, there's a special kind of lunacy reserved for southern/mid-western states and their politicians.

You guys don't EVEN know.

I'm originally from one of the most progressive states and after being here only a few years I can't even imagine how difficult it must be to grow up liberal in the bible belt.

My hat's off to anyone who's been able to stand up to the troglodytes their entire life.

but been here since the 70s. As for standing up to the trogs, I avoid local news, use groups like this and Georgia Democrats and have a few liberal friends. Still, it can be difficult. It won't be this way forever, tho. Georgia won't be blue the next presidential election, but I'm betting by the next one it will.

Georgia has a better chance than any other state.

Howdy, neighbor!



Grew up here, but I'd forgotten how batshit-crazy the South can be.

e.g., the other day, I stopped at a gas station to buy a soda:

CLERK: "How are you today?"
ME: "Fine, how are you?"
CLERK: "BLESSED!!!"

He takes my money, gives me my change and as I'm walking out: "Have a BLESSED day!"

Not the only time I've had that happen. One of these days, when some chucklehead starts the "BLESSED!" crap, I may respond with a cheery "Allah akhbar!"

Nah, not really. I have to keep reminding myself that the locals don't have a very good sense of humor about religion...

We could end up with another legal discrimination against blacks, because.....Ham was cursed.

Or legal discrimination against women, because.....women.

And all you have to do is look at the Muslims in places like Iraq, with the constant battle between Sunni and Shia to see where this could go.

No doubt bigots of all stripes are salivating at the thought of finally having the "freedom" to withhold service to anyone they consider unworthy.

Hoping here that Indiana suffers a HUGE economic boycott because of this hateful idiocy.

Like the op said: "when rational people oppose such blatant discrimination and division eventually stand up against these voters, legislators, and businesses – what tends to happen? That's right – more “persecution” of the poor Christians! (It’s almost as if that was the strategic objective all along.)"

But a good point.

Religion offers a great excuse for holding narrow, bigoted, irrational viewpoints, does it not?

Which brings up this point:

Why was it illegal to discriminate in the 1st place?


Because WE'VE BEEN THRU ALL OF THIS BEFORE!!!!!!

And we eliminated it. (well, on the books anyway)

All of this is already unconstitutional.

But lawyers are gonna make a FORTUNE!

many of the people who are so eager to deny lgbt people their constitutional rights are also die hard racists.

These people are still smarting from the shellacking they took in the 60's. Hell, some of them in the south are still pissed they were beaten by the Yanks (I am not making this up, many of mr bmus' coworkers actually call us northerners by that name - like that's a bad thing).

That's what those voter i.d. laws are all about, they want to find a way to repeal the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Just ask Rand Paul.

You're right about the lawyers, it's just too bad that we have to keep fighting so hard for the most basic of rights.

That is a misconception. What is unconstitutional is for governments to discriminate, as per Brown v Little Rock Board of Education.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Board_of_Education

The rest of it is not a constitutional issue. Discrimination outside of government institutions is prohibited by the civil rights act of 1965, by the fair housing act of 1968, by the voting rights act recently gutted by the supreme court, and by various federal rules and regulations (e.g. title IX). These laws apply to specific types of discrimination in specific areas of society. They all can be undone by new laws or by states pushing shit like Indiana's RFRA and forcing our dubious SCOTUS to make a decision over the conflict between federal law and state constitutions.

The egalitarian society that was the legacy of the last burst of reform for the New Deal era under LBJ is not cast in concrete nor in constitutional law. It is under attack by the very well financed and coordinated forces on the right, and they intend to win.

chill the fuck out everyone!!

Not to mention unfettered access to birth control.

Because of good christians who care so much about women.

The same christians who want us to be terrified of muslims because they'll take over our country and impose Sharia law if they're not stopped.

From the great American freethinker Robert G. Ingersoll, in his "Some Mistakes of Moses:"

Who, if he were alive today, would no doubt be slandered by apologists who'd brand him a Gnu Athiest!!1! and slander his good name.

One of my favourites (and coincidentally addressed to the Indianapolis clergy):