"On Monday, Missouri Rep. Rick Brattin (R-Harrisonville) was arguing against an amendment to Senate Bill 43, which would have banned discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the state, The Kansas City Star reports. At present, residents can be fired from their jobs or evicted from their apartments for being gay, or just being perceived as gay. But Brattin said he believed extending anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ Missourians would infringe on religious liberty.
“When you look at the tenets of religion, of the Bible, of the Quran, of other religions,” Brattin said from the Missouri House floor, “there is a distinction between homosexuality and just being a human being.”"
Excerpt of an article written by Curtis Wong. 5/11/17
My thoughts:
And the public dehumanizing by a government official continues. Rick Brattin's views have certainly been heard before, just not as loudly. And of course, those same views are shared by many of his Republican cronies. Why else would these type of arguments against gays and lesbians be touted over the last few years within state legislatures across the country?
What makes Monday's occurrence different is this time, we have an acting President who would eagerly jump on these ugly views and support them for the sole purpose of garnering "loyalty" for himself, for any future endeavor he desires. (If you are not in the 1%, I'm pretty sure his endeavers will not include you.)
If no one speaks out against these types of comments, how much easier will it be to pass laws that will blatantly discrimate against, gays, lesbians, Muslim, blacks, and the poor... and any other marginalized citizen.
To dehumanize a people group is the first step of the powers that be to suggest that America would be alleviated of its problems if she were to rid herself of these "non-humans."
In my life, I've heard many a Christian say if they lived in Europe during WW 2, they would have stood and fought for those who were dehumanized... i.e. the Jews, the Chistians, the gypsys, the gays, the lesbians, the disabled, and all the others who were declared non-human, and yet, those same people are supporting an administration and political party who are using the same type of verbiage to subjugate and suppress whole people groups.
Scoff at these words, I don't care... actually, I do care.
If you say you would have stood up for those dehumanized 75 to 85 years ago, then stand up for those of us being dehumanized today.
Now's your chance. If you won't be a voice or refuge today, don't kid yourself, you wouldn't have been one during the atrocities of WW 2.
Hate produces blatant hate. Indifference, in my opinion, is worse than hate.
If you would defend your political preference over a gay or lesbian, you are as much a part of the problem as Rick Brattin, and consequently, I am sad for the littleness of your soul.
If you say, "This is America. That could never happen," you have just minimized hatred, and burying your head in the sand will not lessen or stop the momentum of hatred.
Minimization is only one step away from indifference. Speak up now. Call your representatives and voice your disapproval of the dehumanizing of any citizen... no matter whether you agree with who they love or not.
Don't be fooled. We as Americans are only as strong as our most vulnerable people. If we will not stand up for the vulnerable, when the tables turn and we become the vulnerable, they'll be no one to stand up for us.
I'm not asking you to change your political or religious philosophies, I'm asking you to find the courage to stand up for a group of people. Or if it helps to personalize it, stand up for me. I am a person; I am human. And I'd appreciate your help in stopping the hatred.
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