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That's All I Came Here For -- I've Already Got The Pajamas
I love my home state of Michigan. By and large, it's a lovely place. But our political system -- city, county, and state -- has gone down the effing tubes.
Brand-spankin'-new law. Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn't word it that way. Basically, it's a law with the ostensible purpose of providing more tangible protections against bullies and bullying. Y'know, like kids being beaten up by other kids.
Thing is, it's got loopholes.
Here's the thing: THERE ARE NO EXCUSES, EVER, FOR BULLYING.
You're worried about infringing on the rights of someone who is trying to harass, intimidate, threaten, and possibly physically harm someone? Fuck you. The old "your right to throw a punch ends at the tip of my nose" bit.
You say that there should be an exemption for those expressing their religious beliefs? Fuck you. We can play that game. Someone's First Amendment right to bully Someone Else because their faith "demands" it is cancelled out by Someone Else's First Amendment right protecting them from the government supporting any specific religion. Not to mention, y'know, the laws against assault. Oh, and, let's look at the tax status of any religion that says Thou Shalt Beat People Up Because They Make Us Feel All Squicky.
This is not merely a bad law, it's an asinine law. It literally provides a blueprint for how to get out of an accusation of bullying -- I Was Expressing My First Amendment Rights.
It's yet another of many, many examples of just how screwed up the people in charge really are.
I'm nowhere near ready to leave Michigan yet. But this pushes me one step closer.
Fuckers.
Brand-spankin'-new law. Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn't word it that way. Basically, it's a law with the ostensible purpose of providing more tangible protections against bullies and bullying. Y'know, like kids being beaten up by other kids.
Thing is, it's got loopholes.
The law includes a section noting it doesn't abridge First Amendment free speech rights or prohibit expression of religious or moral viewpoints — a provision Democrats fear could be used to justify harassment of gay, lesbian or transgender students.It's worth it to follow some of the other links, including Joe My God and the straightforward Detroit News story.
Here's the thing: THERE ARE NO EXCUSES, EVER, FOR BULLYING.
You're worried about infringing on the rights of someone who is trying to harass, intimidate, threaten, and possibly physically harm someone? Fuck you. The old "your right to throw a punch ends at the tip of my nose" bit.
You say that there should be an exemption for those expressing their religious beliefs? Fuck you. We can play that game. Someone's First Amendment right to bully Someone Else because their faith "demands" it is cancelled out by Someone Else's First Amendment right protecting them from the government supporting any specific religion. Not to mention, y'know, the laws against assault. Oh, and, let's look at the tax status of any religion that says Thou Shalt Beat People Up Because They Make Us Feel All Squicky.
This is not merely a bad law, it's an asinine law. It literally provides a blueprint for how to get out of an accusation of bullying -- I Was Expressing My First Amendment Rights.
It's yet another of many, many examples of just how screwed up the people in charge really are.
I'm nowhere near ready to leave Michigan yet. But this pushes me one step closer.
Fuckers.
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Partially because it encourages the use of "God said it, not me!" as a get-out-of-jail-free card for all kinds of unpleasantness, but also because it puts the government in the business of deciding what is and is not a religion and I'm really not okay with that.
I'm not implying a slippery-slope here, I'm more bothered by a lack of one.
"Well, the Church of Pelor gets a pass on the orc-bashing cuz their holy book says they should do it, and I guess the Vecna guys are allowed to deny the Cataclysm happened cuz they've been doing it for generations and it's part of their culture, but the Raven Queen clergy aren't allowed to preach that the Vecna guys are dummyheads, cuz they've only been around for like, five years, and I think Susan made it up anyway so she could take that feat she wanted."
(See how I'm using fictional religions instead of real ones? It's cuz I'm being diplomatic and stuff!)
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