Michigan House Passes Religious 'License To Discriminate' Bill

[Berati]

in short, there is no reason or logic with these fucktard conservative evangelicals.

oh, I think you were responding to the wrong post then.

[Munch]

Its because of states like Michigan that retarded movies like kirk camerons christmas get any funding.

[Atheon]

Lawsuits, lawsuits, lawsuits.

[Berati]

The reason both parties pander to religions is for the voting block and yes, liberals are guilty of it especially with the black churches which is tied to the civil rights movement. It's time for progressives, not liberals to cut the strings with the churches and say, fine. Join us if you want and you're more than welcome, but our interest is in every citizen and not just your minority group. Most liberals think that progressives are cut of the same cloth and to an extent many are, but progressives cannot rely on a voting block that doesn't vote.

I don't think it has anything to do with voting.
Both liberal and conservative theists believe religion is a special kind of thinking (i.e. faith based) and is therefore above criticism. They have been demanding special exemptions against having their ideology criticised since forever. Even before there were any elections.

On the other hand liberal atheists mistake is in believing that criticising the ideas of brown people for instance, is racist. That's where this fuck up is coming from and it doesn't happen only from those looking for votes.
Ideas are not race and even if an ethnic minority believes that women are inferior, he doesn't get any special exemption from being called an idiot just because he is an ethnic minority nor should he get any special exemption from government to treat women like inferiors just because he is an ethnic minority. This is what the UK is doing by allowing the expansion of Sharia courts for the sole reason that they see Muslims as a racial minority. This is the same thing that has occurred with the RFRA.


p.s. Progressives can be conservative as well. In Canada one of the two main parties is the PC's. The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. They are currently in power up here.

[gussy]

The religious right has gained quite a bit of strength in Michigan over the past few years.  Our next legislature is going to be even  farther to the right.  Google the name Gary Glenn to find  out more. One Republican rep. lost his primary for suggesting that gays are actually people worthy of equal protection. Our governor had indicated in the past that he wouldn't let them dictate policy but he has never stood up to them.  My guess is that this will become law.  Governor Snyder has grander ambition (A few trips to Iowa this year) and he might as well start pandering now.

[PickelledEggs]

Who knew the secession would start in the north????

[Savior2006]

Yeah, I'm a Michigander and we actually are actually not that great compared to blue states on the coast. Still better than the Twilight zone you'll find in the South.

[Johan]

As an East coast transplant now annexed in Michigan, here's an observation followed by a question for the group.

Observation. One of the things I've noticed since we've lived here is how prevalent it is for people here to not only be hard core republican and christian and proudly racist, but also to assume that since you're white and in Michigan, you are also hard core republican and christian and proudly racist. To say that they're not shy about it is the understatement of the century.


So now the question. Knowing what I know about human nature, namely that for the most part people are all the same, I have to wonder if liberals in NJ are just as quick to assume that since you're in NJ, you're also like minded which is to say liberal, not all that racist (and certainly not proud of it) and not outwardly religious and that I just never noticed because I was a member of the club.

The constant assumption that they can joke and speak openly with me because we're obviously like-minded, even though we're not, seems very new and weird to me. And I honestly don't think that sort of thing happened back East, but I can't be sure. What say you?

[gussy]

As an East coast transplant now annexed in Michigan, here's an observation followed by a question for the group.

Observation. One of the things I've noticed since we've lived here is how prevalent it is for people here to not only be hard core republican and christian and proudly racist, but also to assume that since you're white and in Michigan, you are also hard core republican and christian and proudly racist. To say that they're not shy about it is the understatement of the century.


So now the question. Knowing what I know about human nature, namely that for the most part people are all the same, I have to wonder if liberals in NJ are just as quick to assume that since you're in NJ, you're also like minded which is to say liberal, not all that racist (and certainly not proud of it) and not outwardly religious and that I just never noticed because I was a member of the club.

The constant assumption that they can joke and speak openly with me because we're obviously like-minded, even though we're not, seems very new and weird to me. And I honestly don't think that sort of thing happened back East, but I can't be sure. What say you?

I was at a friend's BBQ a number of years ago and I was talking about the school I taught at.  One of my friend's neighbors heard this and told me that "we were thinking of sending our kids there but too many niggers went there".  I was stunned but no one else appeared to bothered by it.  My friend later told me that he had become immune to those sort of comments. 

I know this is an extreme example but this guy obviously thought I was in his club.  You would think that by me teaching at a mixed race school would be an indication that I don't hate black people.

[Berati]

As an East coast transplant now annexed in Michigan, here's an observation followed by a question for the group.

Observation. One of the things I've noticed since we've lived here is how prevalent it is for people here to not only be hard core republican and christian and proudly racist, but also to assume that since you're white and in Michigan, you are also hard core republican and christian and proudly racist. To say that they're not shy about it is the understatement of the century.

Funny you should bring this up. I was golfing in Michigan this past summer and staying onsite at the resort. There was a fire pit set up at night and we were sitting around enjoying the fire.
A group of guys from just outside Detroit joined us and started talking about the problems with "niggers" in Detroit, about how they were stock piling weapons "for when the shit happens" about how Obama was a commie socialist. One of the employees of the resort who was there after work then went off on the "fucking lazy Indians"

I've met a lot of Americans over the years but I've never run into this kind of openly brazen face to face racism. I think it's like you said. They saw just other white people and figured we'd be on board with them. It was late, we were all drinking and quite frankly, I was there with my wife and another couple and there were 5 of them plus the employee.
I told them I thought they were nuts and that Obama was barely left wing let alone communist. I didn't address the heavy racist comments and it got kinda quiet, then the subject was quickly changed to sports and we didn't stick around much longer.
I was pretty pissed about it afterwards but I think starting a fight with a bunch of half drunk racist gun nuts would not have been a good idea.

So, what's up with Michigan?

[Mermaid]

Michigan is supposed to be a blue state. I guess it's not quite as blue as NJ, where we came from.