“Religious Liberty” Excuse For Legalized Bigotry Is a Joke

I’ll let others speak here, first there is this, and also then there is that. Both statements are both reading.

I would like to add something, though, that I think has been under-emphasized in these last two weeks. There is a legal distinction about discrimination when it comes to public accommodations. If you put up a sign, or hang out your shingle in a way, and open your store or sell your services to the public, you cannot discriminate. Obviously, over the years the list of what categories of customers you must serve, versus who you can throw out, has been shifting. At one time, women were barred from many “public” establishments. For decades after that ended for the most part, racial minorities had to come to the back door of restaurants, or were barred completely, or had to enter movie theaters through a separate entrance and head to the balcony. What happened in Arizona (and is still happening in other states) is a last-ditch attempt to legalize treating anyone you don’t like for “religious” reasons (but let’s face it, it really means “people that I think are gay”) the same way. But we’re talking about public accommodation, and the issue is settled. You can’t do it.

Now, how long ago was it that the issue was settled? I will put it this way, when you watch this scene, who do you think is in the right here and who is wrong? What would the sponsors of the Arizona bill say? We know what Rand Paul would think.