"So-called" Freedom Bill (crime, to live, restaurants)

[AZDesertBrat]

Originally Posted by Bideshi

It is not a sin to be of any race.

Really? It seems to be with some of the bigots I know personally. Not only a "sin" but an affront to their white selves. Some people see "sin" everywhere they look. How depressing...

[Potential_Landlord]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

Ok, I'll play along...the reason they "come out" against the bill is right in the article you posted for us, here I'll quote it for you.

"Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett and former GoDaddy general counsel Christine Jones — who are all courting business backers in the Republican gubernatorial primary — have come out against a religious liberties bill "

But that does not explain why the Arizona GOP now puts religiously motivated discrimination before Arizona's business interest. Before they said they put business interests first and therefore oppose unions, welfare spending and many other measures. All in the name of promoting business in Arizona. Why do you think they now promote this religiously sanctioned discrimination law against Arizona business interest. Why does this take precedent over our business interests? Where does this sudden shift come from and why exactly for this subject?

[PNWGuy]

wtf?!?! When I moved down here I knew AZ was a red state, and I do get a chuckle out of the old sheriff guy, but this bill is so ridiculous I don't even know where to start. Who the hell supports this and why?

[Desertspiritsteve]

[threads merged] Our state government has to keep coming up with bills like this to show what knuckle-draggers we are. Later, the courts will knock it down of course. My interest would be to see if Gov. Brewer will sign it. She had a gay son who died from something and has an incarcerated son who is a violent sex offender (But straight). The third son is an attorney for the House of Representatives.

[gearedtowardssalad]

I have to say that I have never met a native Arizonan with neo-conservative political leanings. Natives to AZ have been some of the most friendly, laid back, and accepting people I have encountered. In my experience, these bills seem to be supported/perpetuated by the rich NIMBY transplants who come here with a "wild wild west" mindset to live their selfish and unsustainable lives of leisure away from their comparatively liberal and "over-regulated" (as they will say) home states.

[MDrenter223]

A business should be able to do business with who they want, and refuse to serve who they do not want to do business with.

It is in any businesses best business interest to seperate their personal beliefs and business practices, as the public can certainly not do business with those they see as bigots, so it would be foolish to turn away customers, but it should still be their right.

I've been discrimated against as restaurants for the color of my skin, and that's cool as those businesses can do what they want. Now if they are getting govt contracts that's a whole other story, but if it's a private business, it's a private business.

[HX_Guy]

I think Brewer will veto it, she has called it a "controversial piece of legislation".

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by caphillsea77

You are making ridiculous analogies. I don't expect you to know what it's like to be in the shoes of a homosexual, but to compare them to polygamists or dirty diaper fetishes is stupid and ludicrous. .

You didn't choose to be heterosexual, you just are one. Homosexuality is no different in that respect. It's really that simple.

Don't mistake my position on this issue...I am in no way anti homosexual as I have no problem with what you, my family, my neighbor chooses to do. I will be happy to call you my friend and you're welcome in my home just as any of my other friends. You're a person just like me that happens to have different beliefs and likes just as I have different from you.

I do have a problem with this legislation making it easier to discriminate and I do have a problem with others pushing their lifestyle on the rest of us whether it is homosexuality, religious beliefs, political beliefs, etc. I will tell you what I believe, however, I won't expect you to believe the same way I do. This is where I take issue with this whole thing as it seems the LGBT community isn't going to be happy until we all believe the same way they do.

The problem I have with the "it's not a choice" argument is that I don't find it unreasonable to imagine that I could choose to become many different things to include a criminal, homosexual, satan worshiper, extreme right wing religious nut, far left liberal, Muslim extremist, anti homosexual bigot, lover of the arts, etc. (none of which I currently am) if I allowed things around me to influence me in a different way or if my circumstances were different. I didn't like broccoli at one point but things changed and I opened myself up to it and now I like it. I think it is like that with most things in life as to what we find enjoyable or acceptable and what allows us to cope with our specific circumstances.

My daughter was watching some show called "Girl Code" or something like that the other day and I walked in the room. They were interviewing girls that chose to be lesbians for one reason or another and none of of the reasons had anything to do with "that's the way I was made". Matter of fact a couple said they were going to switch back to being straight because they missed guys buying stuff and picking up the tab which doesn't happen on lesbian dates I guess? I was sitting there thinking to myself how much truth those girls were letting out that goes against most of what is said by the LGBT community.

[Reedus]

Hmmmm, kinda torn on this one. On one hand I would think it is totally asinine if a business owner was to reject service to a person based solely on their sexual preference. If I knew of a business that did that, I would not patronize them. On the other hand, I firmly believe that the business owner can reject service to anyone for any reason. It is their business and they should be free to run it as they please. I cant see the business logic in rejecting service to someone based on their sexual lifestyle, race, religion, or a big mole on their cheek as it seems to me would lead quickly to the demise of a business. But regardless, it is still their right to do so.

[Desertspiritsteve]

Don't you love these wedge issues? As long as we're fighting with each other over what types of sexual attractions other people should have, we won't notice that our politicians are probably stealing from us. Did Koch brother's money stir this up?