Apparently, discrimination is American, even in the twenty-first century.
Last week, the Kansas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that would legalize discrimination against the gay and lesbian community. The bill aimed to make gay and lesbian Americans separate but not equal. Under the guise of “religious liberty,” Kansas House voted 72-49; approving a bill that gives legal protection to businesses and individuals who refuse service to same-sex couples and individuals.
If someone were to tell me that today, in certain parts of the United States, the government could and would legalize discrimination-I would laugh at them.
I would argue that the United States has made too much progress to do something so cruel, irresponsible, embarrassing and down right wrong.
I would argue that regardless of an individual’s feelings towards a particular group of people, most people, especially a politician whose career depends on whether or not people like him or her, would never agree to a law that discriminates.
I would argue that in America, at the very least, we respect the fundamental rights that a person is inherently entitled to simply because he or she is a human being. Finally, I would argue that this kind of a law would never pass because Americans respect an individual’s right to eat, speak, pray, worship, love and marry among other things.
In other words, we respect human rights because we understand that human rights should be the same for everyone. Sadly, I would be wrong.
If this bill were to be passed by the senate, the new law would allow any individual, group or private business to refuse to serve gay and lesbian couples if “it would be contrary to their sincerely held religious beliefs.”
Private employers would be allowed to fire gay and lesbian employees on account of their sexuality.
Stores could deny gay and lesbian couples goods and services. Hotels could deny entry to gay and lesbian couples and even eject them if they initially made the “mistake” of allowing them to enter in the first place.
Businesses that provide public accommodations such as movie theaters and restaurants could turn people away at the door. Finally, if the gay or lesbian individual decides to sue for discrimination, and they lose, they’ll be forced to pay their opponent’s attorney’s fees.
Legal expert Alexander Mercouris says that this bill is way more than just something that protects religious beliefs.
“It is entirely discrimination – that is exactly what it is. This intended law legalizes discrimination by religious people against people who are involved in civil, or gay, marriages or partnerships, so it is in fact precisely about discrimination. It legalizes it. And it does so quite deliberately and openly.”
When asked whether or not there is a human rights issue with this bill Mercouris states, “This is a law that actually legislates for discrimination, so it is completely contrary to human rights, as they are properly understood.”
It is embarrassing that in 2014, some states are still trying to institutionalize discrimination. States are making decisions and passing laws which reflect prejudice or racism. In other words, it is the creation of a law which allows one group of people to legally mistreat another group of people simple because of them as the people that they are.
This bill brings to mind events of racism that happened some 60 years ago; sadly, some people refuse to learn from the past. There are far more important things to worry about than the personal love lives of our fellow Americans: what about education, unemployment, immigration reform and health care. We are never going to get anything accomplished if we spend our time not only hating each other, but trying to make that hatred legal. The fact that this bill was passed by the House of Representatives in Kansas is ridiculous and almost unbelievable, but it happened, and we need to make sure it never happens again.
Luckily, the Republican led Kansas Senate did not pass the bill, so it will never become law. Senate President Susan Wagle said that while she supports “traditional marriage,” she does not condone discrimination.
