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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
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Organization: Cybermation, Inc., Cambridge, MA
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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!  :-)