Indiana Governor Mike Pence (R) signed into state law a bill that they are calling the "Religious Freedom Act." The move has angered many liberals who argue that the bill may have been structured in such a way as to specifically allow companies to legally discriminate again LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgendered, Queer) persons.
While the bill makes no mention of sexual orientation or gender identity, many construe the language of the bill to mean that, starting July 1st, 2015, Indiana companies with religious objections to LGBTQ lifestyles can legally refuse to serve people who identify with said lifestyles. The Governor has made it a point to stress that the bill was not at all aimed at legalizing discrimination, but would indeed formalize into Indiana law freedom of citizens and business owners to be exempt from state regulation that would lead to, "burdening a person's exercise of religion." This may extend from anywhere to a liquor store run by Christians not being compelled to open and sell on Sunday, to a Jehovah's Witness not being compelled to receive certain types of medical treatments [author's note].
Opponents claim that the wording of the bill was intentionally written so that establishments could refuse previously protected people service based on religious objection. Meaning that a racist establishment owner could claim religious exemption to serving Jews, or a doctor could claim religious exemption to prescribing contraceptive birth control. It is unclear at this time whether many persons and establishments are construing the bill in this way. In fact, there have been a few prominent supporters who have echoed the Governor's assertion that the bill is not a license to discriminate.
There will be more to this story as the Governor travels the state to make the case that this bill, "is simply about giving the courts guidance and establishing the same standards that have existed at the federal level for more than 20 years," citing the federal Religious Freedom Act signed into law by President Bill Clinton (D) in 1993. Expect an upcoming editorial from me in the near future.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Welcome to the Union News and Politics Report!
Welcome to the Union News and Politics Report!
Crisis in Yemen! Germanwings plane crash! Levi Pettit apologizes! Ted Cruz gets Obamacare! What does all this mean to you? Well, here at UNP Report, I intend to help you find out. Television news and other blogs tend to editorialize news so that, in our current times, the news you get isn't necessarily the news you need. Conservatives can go to Fox news to learn that Obama is making a deal with Iran that will almost certainly end with one of our biggest enemies in the region having nuclear bombs pointed at both the US and Israel. Liberals can go to MSNBC to learn that Ted Cruz may be Canadian, or at least only technically American and thus ineligible to even become President. Meanwhile moderates are left with whatever high profile puff piece falls in between (Levi Pettit apologized for leading his fraternity in a racist song, but refused to disclose where or how he learned it).
What if news returned to a time when the happenings of the day were simply reported and any editorializing was clearly labeled as such? This blog will be my attempt at returning news to a state in which the Fairness Doctrine reined supreme over the outrage and yelling. For the uninitiated, the Fairness Doctrine was a policy in the US from 1949 through 1987 that stated that all sides of a controversial topic must receive equal airtime. This was the era of some of the best news reporting and thusly, an era of a largely moderate (for the time) and thoughtful (for the time) populace. Everyone has an opinion, we don't need the news to give it to us.
Herein, we'll examine news topics from all sides and allow the reader to form their own opinions, and since I do love to editorialize, I will offer my own opinion in clearly marked posts. You may agree or disagree with me personally, but here is all the news that's fit to click!
Crisis in Yemen! Germanwings plane crash! Levi Pettit apologizes! Ted Cruz gets Obamacare! What does all this mean to you? Well, here at UNP Report, I intend to help you find out. Television news and other blogs tend to editorialize news so that, in our current times, the news you get isn't necessarily the news you need. Conservatives can go to Fox news to learn that Obama is making a deal with Iran that will almost certainly end with one of our biggest enemies in the region having nuclear bombs pointed at both the US and Israel. Liberals can go to MSNBC to learn that Ted Cruz may be Canadian, or at least only technically American and thus ineligible to even become President. Meanwhile moderates are left with whatever high profile puff piece falls in between (Levi Pettit apologized for leading his fraternity in a racist song, but refused to disclose where or how he learned it).
What if news returned to a time when the happenings of the day were simply reported and any editorializing was clearly labeled as such? This blog will be my attempt at returning news to a state in which the Fairness Doctrine reined supreme over the outrage and yelling. For the uninitiated, the Fairness Doctrine was a policy in the US from 1949 through 1987 that stated that all sides of a controversial topic must receive equal airtime. This was the era of some of the best news reporting and thusly, an era of a largely moderate (for the time) and thoughtful (for the time) populace. Everyone has an opinion, we don't need the news to give it to us.
Herein, we'll examine news topics from all sides and allow the reader to form their own opinions, and since I do love to editorialize, I will offer my own opinion in clearly marked posts. You may agree or disagree with me personally, but here is all the news that's fit to click!
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