Lack of tolerance persists despite veto

Michelle Chance

SB 1062. A bill that was intended to provide protection for religious beliefs, or a legal pass to exercise the practice of discrimination?

That is the argument that has been fiercely debated and protested between supporters and opponents of the controversial piece of legislation throughout the state for the past few weeks.

Essentially, SB 1062 and its equivalent HB 2153, would have protected business owners from being sued by the LGBTQ community for refusing service to them based on their religious beliefs.

The fact that the people who run this state attempted to pass something like this, and other states who have entertained similar bills (like Kansas, Georgia and Missouri to name a few) is extremely concerning.

We have been through something similar before. Why does it seem like the people with all of the power are trying to move our nation backwards to a time when legal discrimination was an accepted way of life?

What we are seeing is the rebirth of the Civil Rights Movement that began decades ago. The age of segregation, sit-ins, separate drinking fountains, back of the bus seating and the notion that even though some were separate, they were still somehow considered “equal.”

Analyzing and breaking down the bill only provides more frustration to the residents of Arizona who have repeatedly suffered a statewide embarrassment due to previous controversial bills that our Governor and other state leaders have passed; ultimately contributing to our state’s already tarnished reputation.

The business community along with representatives belonging to both parties voiced their opposition to the bill, claiming that it would  have destroyed the state’s economy if Governor Brewer had not vetoed it.  Although their opposition is appreciated by the bill’s adversaries, they are still missing the bigger picture.

Yes, undoubtedly SB 1062 would have crushed the state economy, tourism, and scared the Super Bowl away from Arizona. However, more importantly it is the principal of the bill that is most concerning. Legal discrimination should never be accepted no matter the reasoning behind it.

Although SB 1062 was vetoed, the legislators who composed it and the rest who voted it in should never be elected back into their positions ever again because it is a piece of hateful legislature that stalls progressive and compassionate movements of our nation.

Let’s vote wisely next time, and kick out the offensive politicians with outdated agendas. 

  • Mesa Legend Staff

    These are archived stories from Mesa Legend editions before Fall 2018. See article for corresponding author.

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