That's All I Came Here For -- I've Already Got The Pajamas

[filkertom]

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.

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.

Comments

[jimhines.livejournal.com]

From my reading of the bill, the exemption wouldn't protect physical harassment or bullying, only "statements" (verbal) that originated from a "sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction."

Not that this makes it okay in any way, and I'm very much with you in the WTF. Just posted my own rant about this same thing, in fact.

When the father of the kid this bill is named after, not to mention the Michigan State Superintendent, both describe this bill as an insult and a disgrace, I think it's safe to say there's a problem.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Agreed with all points. Although I think we all know how damaging even standard schoolyard speech can be, certainly for those at an age to not really have any defenses against it. Heck, I can tell you most of the names I was called from 3rd grade on, including "Big Ears", "Goofy", and "Shitty Smitty" (one of the school bus drivers! He said it as a term of endearment, I guess, because he was always great to me otherwise, but naturally it caught on with the kids).

One girl, a very tall and pretty one in my seventh grade Spanish class, told me she loved me one day. Thing is, she was very popular, and I wasn't, and the way she did it was calculated to humiliate me for days.

The phrase "kill with a word" is not inaccurate, at the right age.

[jimhines.livejournal.com]

Yep. Probably 95% of the crap I took from other kids was verbal, but it was more than enough to make me wonder if death would be better than continuing to endure that every day...

[jimhines.livejournal.com]

And of course, another section of the bill would have shielded the bus driver, because adults and faculty are excluded to. ("Endearment" or not, how the hell is that an okay thing to call a kid???)

I HATE bullies.

[jannyblue.livejournal.com]

The phrase "kill with a word" is not inaccurate, at the right age.

Mine had a betting pool as to how/when I'd off myself... and they only thought I was a lesbian.

I'm not, but I guess that's what happens when you're 16 and not a raging slut and you hang out mainly with the handful of "out" gay kids - which I did because they needed someone on their side, and dammit they had the same taste in music as me!! (and nobody else liked broke-ass "weirdo" me anyway)

For the record, nobody bet on "never" in that pool. So I did, once I found out about it. (and I'm still winning!)

[alverant.livejournal.com]

I'm reading Terry Pratchett's book "Snuff" right now. In it we hear Vimes and Vetinari state the idea that "small crimes lead to big crimes". Even if this exemption doesn't protect those who physically attack others, it can very easily lead to it. Once you make it acceptable to verbally harass someone on a "sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction" it's easy to look the other way when it comes to book dumping, wedgies, an accidental shove, etc.