Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site cybvax0.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!mcnc!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh From: mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) Newsgroups: net.motss,net.religion Subject: Re: Gay Rights Message-ID: <136@cybvax0.UUCP> Date: Sun, 23-Sep-84 17:49:14 EDT Article-I.D.: cybvax0.136 Posted: Sun Sep 23 17:49:14 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 26-Sep-84 07:34:33 EDT References: <174@usfbobo.UUCP>, <1136@pyuxn.UUCP>, <180@usfbobo.UUCP>, <2796@allegra.UUCP> <183@usfbobo.UUCP> Organization: Cybermation, Inc., Cambridge, MA Lines: 27 Brunson, you're incredible. Under no circumstances could our government penalize anyone for wishing to discriminate. However, it can, does, and should penalize those who DO actually commit discriminatory acts. The crucial point is abuse of power. The same way you should not fire someone for being black, Jewish, or a Democrat, if that doesn't concern the job. Don't forget, people can be Jewish or Democrats by choice. If you belong to the Nth Church of Rightwing Reactionary Theology, you still shouldn't fire them, the same way politicians shouldn't be allowed to fire Civil Service employees of the other party, and the same way Hitler shouldn't have placed Jews, homosexuals and other minorities into concentration camps. Perhaps you simply enjoy feeling tyrannical. Or perhaps you feel Christians belong in the persecution business. In any event, sooner or later you run into the problem of where to draw the line at your intolerance. Should you stop at denying them jobs? Liberty? Life? At what point do you stop "aiding and abbetting the enemy" if not by exterminating them? That is the point of civil rights legislation. Not to be mean to bigots (poor little dears!), but to keep bigotry from growing out of control. Perhaps you'd have a little more respect for those ideas if you spent some time in Iran and were subject to some righteous bigotry yourself. (I've been so very tempted to tell him "America: love it or leave it! :-)