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cleanhippie

(19,705 posts)
Fri Jan 6, 2012, 11:31 AM Jan 2012

Tennessee Bill Would Give Anti-Bullying Laws A ‘Religious And Political Beliefs’ Loophole

A proposed bill in Tennessee would create a loophole in the state’s anti-bullying laws to protect those expressing religious, philosophical or political beliefs, which one proponent says would ensure that people can still express their “views on homosexuality.”

The proposed bill would amend the state’s current anti-bullying laws to specify that the anti-bully policy should “not be construed or interpreted to infringe upon the First Amendment rights of students and shall not prohibit their expression of religious, philosophical, or political views” as long as there’s no physical threat or threat to another student’s property.

David Fowler, a former Republican state Senator and current Christian activist, is pushing for the legislature to take up the bill in the new year after it stalled before the end of the last session. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Fowler sent out a newsletter for his group the Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT) in December that said he wants “to make sure [the law] protects the religious liberty and free speech rights of students who want to express their views on homosexuality.”


http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/01/tn_bill_would_give_anti-bullying_laws_a_religious.php

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Tennessee Bill Would Give Anti-Bullying Laws A ‘Religious And Political Beliefs’ Loophole (Original Post) cleanhippie Jan 2012 OP
This is unreal. Lint Head Jan 2012 #1
No, no, no. This is respecting peoples deeply held religious beliefs. cleanhippie Jan 2012 #2
I see. Double speak. 1984. Lint Head Jan 2012 #3
Being intolerant of the intolerant is bigotry Goblinmonger Jan 2012 #4
Digusting. Sal316 Jan 2012 #5
Spam deleted by cyberswede (MIR Team) merritt1986 Mar 2012 #6
Why don't they just call it the "hey, faggot!" bill? Silent3 Mar 2012 #7
So if my religious or political beliefs mean that I hate right-wingers... LeftishBrit Mar 2012 #8

cleanhippie

(19,705 posts)
2. No, no, no. This is respecting peoples deeply held religious beliefs.
Fri Jan 6, 2012, 11:47 AM
Jan 2012

To say otherwise makes YOU the bigot.



























<---- for those that need it.

 

Goblinmonger

(22,340 posts)
4. Being intolerant of the intolerant is bigotry
Fri Jan 6, 2012, 12:19 PM
Jan 2012

I guess...or something like that. I haven't quite figured that out yet.

Sal316

(3,373 posts)
5. Digusting.
Fri Jan 6, 2012, 01:49 PM
Jan 2012

I went round and round with Gary Glenn of the Michigan chapter of the AFA] about this exact subject about a little over a year ago.

What these moral crusaders forget is how easy it is to go from their position of "love the sinner, hate the sin" to harassing/bullying someone because of who they are and what they represent in the minds of the bully.

Harassing kids about being gay, badgering a kid with scripture because (s)he's gay, or anything of the like is not, I repeat, NOT "religious liberty".

It's bullying.

Plain and simple.

Response to cleanhippie (Original post)

Silent3

(15,265 posts)
7. Why don't they just call it the "hey, faggot!" bill?
Sat Mar 10, 2012, 09:25 AM
Mar 2012

This, and similar harassment, is exactly what these good Christians want to protect after all.

LeftishBrit

(41,210 posts)
8. So if my religious or political beliefs mean that I hate right-wingers...
Sat Mar 10, 2012, 12:37 PM
Mar 2012

can the anti-bullying laws have a loophole to allow me to bully right-wingers?

It makes just as much sense: 'If I don't like someone's views or actions, I should have the religious liberty to bully them!'

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