Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Separation Of Church And State? Not If Certain Iowans Have Their Way

Out in Iowa, the wingnuts are at it again.

House Study Bill 50, AKA the Religious Conscience Protection Act, would make it legal for an Iowa business owner to cite religious beliefs when refusing to provide jobs, housing, goods or services to people involved in a marriage that violates his or her religious convictions. And they could deny services without fear of facing a civil claim or lawsuit if they think doing so would validate or recognize same-sex relationships.

So, the religious wingnut landlord can look you straight in the face and deny you a home because you're in a same-sex marriage.
The grocery store could refuse to sell you eggs.
Your boss could fire you.
And you have no recourse.
Is it just me, or is it getting Dark Ages in Iowa?

But as is the way with wingnuts, bigots, haters, homophobes, and your average everyday run-of-the-mill fucktards, the bill is so broadly written that perhaps, it would also apply to a married couple, if say one was a Christian and the other a Jew, or if a woman married a much younger man, or if the couple could not, or chose not to, procreate.

Religious beliefs would trump law.

Asshat Congressman, and, of course, Republican, Richard--I prefer to call him Dick--Anderson sponsored the bill, and says it's intent is to protect religious liberty, and he cites a couple of amendments: "i think what we're trying to do is balance constitutional amendments. There is the 14th Amendment that we've heard a lot about. There's also the First Amendment."

Let's look at these: the 14th Amendment includes the equal protection clause, requiring states to provide equal protection to all citizens under the law. 

Equal protection to all citizens. Did you miss that part, Dick?

As for the First Amendment, well, it prohibits laws that infringe on free exercise of religion.

Let me get this queer; so Dick is saying that if gay people can marry and a religious zealot owns a Piggly Wiggly, letting the gay couple buy milk and eggs, infringes on Mr, Piggly Wiggly's free exercise of religion?

Quite a stretch, Dick.

Luckily, cooler, more rational, less reliant on wingnutism, heads, prevail, and this likelihood of this bill becoming anything more than a study are slim to none.

Which is good.

But, what's bad is that elected officials, like Dick Anderson, are wasting time on their own idiotic bigoted viewpoints when they should be working to fix what ails Iowa, like, oh, maybe the economy....global warming....any number of other things. But, like most good Republicans, they'd rather focus on hate.


source

3 comments:

  1. hmmmm, so I could refuse to rent to that Christian couple?? Sometimes I don't think these people think things thru.

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  2. Companies from outside the state could stop selling their products to Iowans.

    Those who live near the state borders have to show 'a passport' when they shop across from it and have to pay an extra tax of 25% on anything they bring back to Iowa. Also on food eaten on the premisses.

    It's not Gay parents who bring Gay kids into this world, it's not a lifestyle, it's life!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Iowa is really acting up

    ReplyDelete

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