As students of history may remember, in Nazi Germany, it was first the Jews who were targeted for state sponsored discrimination and later far worse. But once the Nazi regime got away with what was being done to Jews, others were then targeted: Gypsies, gays, Slavs, etc. Here in America, American Christofascists are little different from the Nazi regime. There are those they hate in particular, i.e., gays, but many others are also despised: non-Christians, Muslims, non-whites, independent women, etc. The list is a long one. A piece in The Daily Beast makes the case that, if the Christofascists are successful in enacting anti-gay laws that exempt Christofascists from compliance with non-discrimination laws and public accommodation laws, then other groups will be targeted in the future. Here are excerpts:
If Republicans allow businesses to refuse people in the name of religious freedom, you can expect women, minorities, and others to get the cold shoulder.
If the Republican-controlled Arizona state legislature has its way, gays could be thrown out of bars, restaurants, and hotels across the state.
Last week it passed a bill that would permit businesses to deny services to any person if doing so would substantially burden the business owners “exercise of religion.” Why? Because the Bible condemns such homosexual unions. In essence, this measure would legally sanction discrimination against gay Americans by masquerading as a defense of religious freedom.
When I first read about this proposed law, my reaction was probably the same as many others: Are you f#@#ing kidding me?! But they’re not. And even scarier is that Arizona isn’t the only state where Republicans are trying to to turn the Bible into the basis for American law. The Republican-controlled Kansas House of Representatives passed a similar bill two weeks ago, while Idaho and Utah have considered similar measures.
Who else can be denied services? The proposed Arizona also law doesn’t warn the public about which religions don’t approve of which people. Nothing could spoil a family vacation to Arizona more than going to check into the hotel and discovering that the owner doesn’t religiously approve of you. So, in an effort to help people, here are a few groups in addition to gays who should be concerned:
A. Interracial couples. For many, the laws that deemed it a crime for blacks and whites to marry were grounded upon their religious beliefs. For example, the trial judge in the famous case of Loving v. Virginia made that very point: “Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents… The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.” And the Bible appears to support this very proposition.
B. Women who try to tell men what to do. The Bible states: “…do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.” So ladies, if you start telling your husband what to do while in an Arizona restaurant, you may find yourself sitting in the parking lot while he finishes his dinner in the establishment.
C. Jews, Muslims, atheists, Sikhs, and others. The New Testament also tells Christians: “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”
Arizona’s Republican governor Jan Brewer should veto this bill when it comes to her desk in the next few days. However, that’s not enough. The Republican National Chair Reince Priebus and other GOP Leaders need to make it clear that their party will no longer tolerate discrimination against any American for any reason.
It’s truly time the GOP makes a choice: Will they continue to be beholden to the extreme elements of their party? Or will they finally have the courage to stand up to the voices of intolerance and embrace the inclusivity that truly represents our nation today. What’s it going to be?
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