Speak Up, Act Up

Indiana just passed a law that cannot be left unchallenged, they call it a Religious Freedom law but in reality it is a Religous License to Discrimination law. There is already backlash from the bill and hopefully it will continue to gain momentum.

$50 Million Convention Threatens To Leave Indiana If Governor Signs 'Religious Freedom' Bill
The longest-running gaming convention in the world, which brings in $50 million annually to Indiana is threatening to move in response to an anti-gay bill awaiting the Governor's signature.
The New Civil Rights Movement
By David Badash
March 25, 2015

Since 1968, Gen Con has been bringing gaming lovers together. The convention, now worth an estimated $50 million in revenue, boasts attracting over 56,000 attendees last year to its current home in Indianapolis, Indiana, where it has resided since 2003. But CEO and owner Adrian Swartout is willing to move Gen Con if Indiana Republican Governor Mike Pence signs SB 101, a controversial anti-gay "religious freedom" bill that is sitting on his desk.

"Gen Con proudly welcomes a diverse attendee base, made up of different ethnicities, cultures, beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, abilities, and socio-economic backgrounds," Swartout wrote in a letter to the Governor. "We are happy to provide an environment that welcomes all, and the wide-ranging diversity of our attendees has become a key element to the success and growth of our convention."

"Legislation that could allow for refusal of service or discrimination against our attendees will have a direct negative impact on the state's economy, and will factor into our decision-making on hosting the convention in the state of Indiana in future years," she warned.

They are not alone in think twice about holding their conference there,

Ballard: 'Religious freedom' bill may hurt state's image, city's convention businessThe Indy Star
By Chris Sikich and Jeff Swiatek
March 25, 2015

In Indianapolis, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) sent a letter to Pence on Wednesday threatening to cancel its 2017 convention in Indy if he signs the measure into law.
"Our perspective is that hate and bigotry wrapped in religious freedom is still hate and bigotry," Todd Adams, the associate general minister and vice president of the Indianapolis-based denomination, told The Indianapolis Star.

Adams said the Disciples of Christ would instead seek a host city that is "hospitable and welcome to all of our attendees."

The Disciples of Christ has held its annual convention in Indianapolis three times since 1989. Adams expected about 8,000 to attend in 2017. VisitIndy estimated the economic impact at $5.9 million.

And there is a company that is having second thoughts about coming to Indiana,

Salesforce CEO Says Company Is ‘Canceling All Programs’ In Indiana Over LGBT Discrimination Fears
CBS San Francisco
By Marc Benioff
March 26, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says he doesn’t want his employees subjected to discrimination as part of their work for the San Francisco-based company, and he is cancelling all required travel to the state of Indiana following the signing of a religious freedom law that some say allows business to exclude gay customers.
[…]
Benioff says that goal puts Indiana law at odds with Salesforce philosophy.

These so called “Religious Freedom” laws are really an attempt to hide discrimination behind the cloak of the Frist Amendment. Be it is a perversion of the First Amendment these “Religious Freedom” laws grant special rights based on religion, they allow someone to be above the law just by claiming that it is against their religious beliefs.

As what do these laws teach the children?

These laws teach children that it is all right to discriminate against people that are different. We are seeing a resurgence of racial discrimination and violence that is directed toward minorities. Society is becoming more racially divided in the last six year than it was before the election of President Obama. Race has taken a "Them Against Us" mentality that is splitting the nation.

I think that this editorial says it all…



When we see hate, speak up.
Become active in politics!
Vote!
Write letters to the editors, let your voice be heard!
We cannot let these laws go unchallenged.

I leave you with "You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught"  the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific.

You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.
You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.
You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!