[nfb-talk] Text from Arkansas Times Blog

Mark Tardif markspark at roadrunner.com
Thu Apr 2 02:58:31 UTC 2015


I respectfully disagree with you, for a number of reasons.  But I will 
simply say that this bill could have wide-ranging implications regarding how 
blind people with service dogs are treated.  How we feel about whether 
businesses being given the right to not serve gay men or lesbian women who 
plan to marry or become partners is an issue I won't go into at present. 
But it does seem to be true that many blind people with dog guides have been 
discriminated against by Muslem cab drivers.  Someone here said this is 
cultural, not necessarily religious.  This is confusing because I do 
remember reading a nonfiction book in which a family tried to bring in a boy 
from war-torn Afghanistan into their home.  Every time the family turned 
around there seemed to be a clash of cultures, and one of them I remember 
quite clearly was the boy being upset over the idea of people having dogs 
for pets and saying that in the Muslem religion, dogs are considered to be 
little better than vermin.  I hope I haven't offended anyone, and please, 
anyone who knows differently, feel free to strongly correct me.  But it does 
seem that this would give such taxi drivers and shopkeepers extra latitude 
to get away with discrimination.  End of lecture.



Mark Tardif
Nuclear arms will not hold you.
-----Original Message----- 
From: josh lester via nfb-talk
Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2015 9:43 PM
To: Dick and Donna Walker ; NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Text from Arkansas Times Blog

I'm all in favor of the bill remaining as is.
I don't think it's on topic because it doesn't relate to blindness,
but this is up to the moderators to decide.
As a conservative, I believe b usiness owners shouldn't have to go
against their religious convictions when going to hire someone.
The government needs to stay out of religious issues, and let the
church handle them.
I'm in agreement with the Family Council on this one.


On 3/31/15, Dick and Donna Walker via nfb-talk <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Sorry, don'
>
>
> t know why the blog link didn't work: did here. The other link to the bill
> text should work fine.  Otherwise, just Google the bill number and you can
> get the full text.
>
>
> /  <http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/human-rights/> Human
> rights Governor exploring possibility of compromise on HB 1228
>
>
> Posted By David Ramsey
> <http://www.arktimes.com/arkansas/ArticleArchives?author=861944>  on Tue,
> Mar 31, 2015 at 1:20 PM
>
>
> click to enlarge
> <http://www.arktimes.com/imager/willing-to-compromise-hester-and-ballinge/b/
> original/3781708/9788/ballingerhester.jpg> WILLING TO COMPROMISE? Hester
> and
> Ballinger have been resistant thus far. - BRIAN CHILSON
>
> .         Brian Chilson
>
> .         WILLING TO COMPROMISE? Hester and Ballinger have been resistant
> thus far.
>
>
> Could a compromise be brewing on HB 1228, the so-called "religious
> conscience" bill that opponents argue would offer additional legal
> protection for discrimination against gay people? The following is what we
> can report based on multiple sources at the Capitol speaking on 
> background:
>
>
> Gov. Asa Hutchinson appears to be looking for a way out of the current
> controversy. Particularly with the increasing volume of media coverage and
> corporate backlash around the similar law in Indiana, the governor has 
> real
> concerns about the law's impact on economic development, sources say.
>
> In separate meetings this morning, the governor and his chief of staff,
> Michael Lamoureux, met with two backers of the bill - Sen. Bart Hester and
> Rep. Bob Ballinger - and two opponents of the bill - Rep. Warwick Sabin 
> and
> Sen. Joyce Elliott.
>
> The governor is potentially interested in the concept, also floated by 
> Gov.
> Mike Pence in Indiana, of adding a "clarification" amendment to the bill
> that would expressly state that the law does not authorize discrimination
> or
> make it lawful to discriminate. The amendment would expressly list various
> categories - race, religion, old age, etc. - and would include sexual
> orientation and gender identity.
>
> Given that Ballinger and the bill's proponents have said over and over 
> that
> the bill is not intended to protect discrimination - indeed, he claims 
> it's
> only about preventing discrimination - this would appear to be a change in
> line with their stated purpose, but sources say they are still resistant 
> to
> such an amendment (Ballinger rejected the idea yesterday in committee and
> thus far today has given every indication that he plans to proceed with 
> the
> bill as is). Hutchinson is reportedly making the pitch around the effort 
> to
> recruit business to the state, but it's unclear at this stage whether the
> governor's muscle can push a compromise through.
>
> Ballinger may be reluctant to back down and cave after so strongly
> rejecting
> the idea of an amendment. More cynically, it's possible that the groups
> like
> the Family Council pushing the bill would prefer that it offer additional
> protections to Christians discriminating against gay people, in which case
> the clarifying amendment would defeat one of their purposes. Again,
> Ballinger has insisted that's not the case; read between the lines as you
> like. Of course, with such an amendment, Ballinger would probably be
> particularly unhappy about a law that he sponsored including explicit
> protections for gay and transgender people found nowhere else in the
> Arkansas code.
>
>
> HB 1228 opponents who are now backing a compromise argue that this is the
> best way forward given the limited time left in the session. They also
> project that Pence in Indiana is likely to pursue a similar strategy based
> on his press conference this morning. One argument they made to Hutchinson
> for compromise is that HB 1228 was dissimilar to other "Religious Freedom
> Restoration Act" laws in other states because Arkansas has no protection 
> in
> the law for discrimination against LGBT people (unlike, for example, a
> state
> like Illinois) so this amendment was necessary for clarification.
>
>


-- 
Joshua Lester
Blessings to you in the name of Jesus Christ
"Then Peter said unto them repent and be baptized everyone of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost," (Acts, 2:38.)

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