[nfb-talk] Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Michael Hingson mike at michaelhingson.com
Tue Mar 31 20:53:45 UTC 2015


Chris should be correct, but I think the law opens a door that should not be
opened. 


Best,


Michael Hingson

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Freeman [mailto:k7uij at panix.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 1:44 PM
To: info at michaelhingson.com; 'NFB Talk Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [nfb-talk] Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Federal law trumps state law and the ADA still applies in the situation of
people using guide dogs being refused cab rides.

In other words, I think Chris is correct.

Mike Freeman


-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michael
Hingson via nfb-talk
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 1:24 PM
To: 'Chris Nusbaum'; 'NFB Talk Mailing List'; 'John Heim'
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Chris,

I respectively disagree. What about the many Islamic oriented taxi drivers
who deny the rights of blind persons with guide dogs to ride in their cabs?
I believe that under this law blind guide dog users can be prevented from
equal and total access.

The "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" does effect blind people directly.
The law isn't just about gays and lesbians. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chris
Nusbaum via nfb-talk
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 12:35 PM
To: 'John Heim'; 'NFB Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act

John,

Regardless of our individual feelings on this legislation, I don't think it
would be appropriate for the NFB to add our collective voice to the already
strong chorus of opposition to this bill.  Throughout our history we have
had a policy which states that we do not officially get involved in
political controversies which do not directly effect the blind. If we were
to justify our opposition to this legislation by asserting that blind people
could be effected because there are blind people who are also gay, we could
use the same logic to justify our collective support of or opposition to
virtually every issue with which a federal or state legislature concerns
itself. In adopting this line of reasoning, we would begin to lose our focus
and eventually the very purpose for which our organization is founded. We
are an organization which deals specifically with issues which directly
effect the blind on account of our blindness. Other matters, however
important they might be to an individual blind person, would not fall under
our jurisdiction and would be contrary to the organizational purposes
established in our Constitution.

Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of John Heim
via nfb-talk
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 3:12 PM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: [nfb-talk] Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act


The NFB should issue a statement condemning Indiana's religious freedom act.

I've been discriminated against in my life. I once was  turned down for a
job because the person who did the interview literally would not believe
that a blind person could use a computer. I'd been working as a programmer
and systems administrator for 15 years at that point. Another time, I
actually diagnosed a network problem during the job interview. I plugged my
laptop into the network, ran some diagnostics, and explained what the
problem was right there during the interview. But I didn't get that job
either because they said part of the job was drawing images for their web
site. Admittedly, It's debatable whether that second example is
discrimination. In fact, I personally would not call it discrimination but
people I've mentioned it to have felt otherwise. The point is that I know
what it's like being turned down for a job because of something you can't
control.  I know what it's like when that happens to you when you're worried
about having health insurance for your family and making the house payment.

I remember coming home from the job interview where I diagnosed the network
problem, dancing around and telling my wife I'd nailed it. I remember the
feeling I got a few days later when she read me the rejection letter that
said they really needed someone who could see. I said it was their loss and
tried to believe it. But we really needed our health insurance.

Now you have a bunch of lawmakers in Indiana telling us it's okay for
someone to turn a person down for a job because they're in a gay marriage.
Most of those lawmakers in Indiana have probably never been discriminated
against in their lives. They don't know what it's like.

What they are doing is just wrong. And even if you don't agree, we in the
NFB need to stand  up against discrimination in all of it's forms. 
This law is intended for use against gays but there's no reason it can't be
used against racial minorities or even disabled people.

We have to add our voices to those who have come out against this law. 
It's the right thing to do.


--
John Heim
john at johnheim.com


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