The fundies in Oregon are attempting to repeal anti-discrimination laws that protect gays as well as the state's domestic partners law. As some business owners are beginning to recognize, being anti-gay is NOT good for business (something Virginia has unfortunately yet to figure out). This fact is addressed in a great op/ed piece (http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006803250318) as well as a new Newsweek article (http://www.newsweek.com/id/124550) that looks at where the so-called creative class that fuel economic growth gravitates to live. Rest assured, it is NOT in the Bible belt or areas that embrace "family values."
Sadly, too many people, including those who alleged to be journalists fail to see this fact or recognize the anti-knowledge agenda of the Christianists. Truth be told, the Christianist care nothing about economic growth or progress. They resist science based education and in many ways - like Benedict XVI - want to take the nation back to the dark ages. Thinking citizens, however, need to wake up and not be fooled by their "family values" jargon. These folks hate everyone who doesn't share their perverted form of Christianity. Gays may be favored targets of the moment on their agenda, but we are followed by the right to contraception, divorce and many other matters of secular civil law. Moreover, if a city or region wants to truly prosper, an atmosphere where diversity (and gays) is tolerated is essential. First, here are highlights from the op/ed piece:
Oregon voters may well face two issues this fall that many people probably think were resolved some time ago: the state's new anti-discrimination and domestic-partner laws. Although some are trying to characterize those potential ballot measures as solely "moral issues," both undoubtedly have economic implications that voters would be well advised to consider.
Though there was an unsuccessful, last-ditch effort to block enactment of the domestic-partner law, its success is undeniable: Thousands of same-sex couples already have registered throughout the state, and many more are doing so each day. Likewise, tens of thousands of Oregonians who previously might have lost a job or been refused housing simply because of the status or perceived status of their sexual orientation now enjoy legal protection, thanks to the anti-discrimination statute.
Such policies are increasingly the law of the land. More than 90 percent of companies listed in the Fortune 500, for instance, ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, including such Oregon stalwarts at Nike and Intel. America's most highly regarded colleges and universities, including Oregon State University, the University of Oregon and Portland State, ban such discrimination and provide domestic-partner benefits similar (although not equal) to those provided to married couples.
It's one thing not to have such laws in place; many states still do not. But it's another thing entirely to repeal them once they've been enacted. To do so would send a signal to the nation that Oregonians want the ability to discriminate, to treat neighbors and co-workers unfairly without repercussions.
Such a message would poison the environment in such areas as business relocations. How many companies would choose to set up shop in a state that is repealing civil-rights laws? It also would have a chilling effect on existing companies' ability to attract and retain the best and brightest employees, most of whom expect progressive workplaces and living environments.
If either or both measure makes it to the ballot this fall, voters must understand that the future for gay Oregonians is not the only matter at stake; a repeal would have significant consequences for our economy that could take years to repair. For the sake of both fairness and economic good sense, the laws should stay as they are.
The Newsweek story reinforces this view. Here are some highlights that suggest that cities like Norfolk need to wake the Hell up, tell Pat Robertson to shut his mouth, and demand that the Virginia General Assembly move into the 21st century:
[M]oney, innovation, and distinct personality types increasingly clustering in the world's major metropolises. Using data collected from satellites and census surveys, Florida describes how a "creative class" of people is changing the economic landscape by congregating in a shrinking set of cities located farther and wider than ever before. What's more, different types of these creative innovators are sticking with their own kind, molding each city's distinct demographics, job markets, and mating markets (or dating scenes).
But what we found in our research is that 40 million Americas move each year, and 15 million make really significant moves 50 to 100 miles out of the county they live in. That's a lot. And young people with high levels of education are the most likely to move. I call this the "brain migration" or the "means migration." In the past, mostly every city had the same profile of people: some college graduates, some graduate school graduates, some high school graduates, some high school dropouts. But now more and more highly educated people are moving to a smaller number of cities.
We're becoming so divided that these propulsive centers of our economy are generating fear, anxiety, and resentment. People say, "The cities are where the yuppies, trendoids, and gays live. We have to move back to family values." And our public policy actually punishes cities, as we transfer wealth from them to our hinterlands. It's in the culture wars, the Red and Blue states—the spiky centers are all bright blue, while the places being left behind are deep red. Barack Obama appeals to people in the spiky centers, Hillary Clinton appeals to the people in Ohio being left behind, and John McCain appeals to people who are outside and resentful of this kind of change. Sooner or later in our world economy, we're going to need leaders willing address this, but until then it's just going to get worse and worse, more and more concentrated.
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