Friend posted this one facebook about this issue and im pretty much in agreement with him and i think im starting to come around to this side of thinking on these types of issues.
"I want to offer a different take on the situation with Indiana's new attempt to make discrimination legal on religious grounds. I believe a private business owner has the right to hire who they want, and serve who they please. I believe a landlord has the right to determine who should be able to stay in their rental property. To me it doesn't matter if you discriminate based on religious grounds or just personal preference. Here is why I believe we should actually welcome this to be legally practiced.
First, it is a part if our freedom that is important but at the same time difficult for some to accept. We shouldn't get to pick and choose who gets the freedom based on our own personal beliefs. If you are offended by something, it really doesn't matter. People's hurt feelings shouldn't be grounds for legislation to the contrary. I don't like racism, bigotry, homophobia, or a lot of other mindset that some people have in this country, but I believe they have the right to feel that way and practice that in their daily lives if they wish.
Now for why I feel this way. I want to know who the bigots are. I want to know who the racists are. I want to know who the homophobes and sexists are. I don't want them hiding behind a fake smile. I don't want them to be forced to hire someone based on a quota or fear of litigation. I don't want them forced to make a wedding cake for a homosexual couple. I want them to be open and honest about who they are. This way I can spot exactly the people who I never want to give a single fucking penny to. I don't want to support their business or livelihood. I want their business to fail miserably because of their disgusting practices of discrimination. Because let me tell you something, if I found out that the owner of the local health food store refuses to serve blacks or gays, guess who will never get any of my money? You don't improve race relations by mandating that racists play along. You shame them and make it difficult for them to succeed by making the public aware of their practices."
Deception is so much a part of life, though. Whether it be the gay-hating bigot who secretly still works for a business and occasionally serves gay patrons. Or the manipulative client who always puts on a smile and friendly greeting then behind your back does everything possible to get free work out of you. Or the convicted felon genuinely trying to turn his life around. The individual who has terminal cancer trying to gain employment to help through his/her last few years.
To another extent, this person is advocating something only because he believes he will come out on the winning side. Let's make things more open. How about everyone from this forum have to go around life with a sign clearly informing everyone that he watches internet porn every night? And not the solo softcore variety It's all in the name of openness and bettering this world. Right?
The only people who would ever object to full openness are those whom we want to shame anyways. Right? So it's all good.
Businesses exist to provide a product or a service. Anything beyond that product or service should largely be removed out of the equation. Hell, it's similar to the Starbucks move in the name of better race relations that everyone rejected. People have private lives, and people have professional lives with professional conduct. And it is fine if the two are not perfect mirror images of each other. It's fine if people want them separated.
Do you really want to hang labels on people that last them their entire lives?
Or do you just advocate placing only the labels you personally choose?
The problem with the facebook post is he is instructing
everyone else to be publicly labelled for his knowledge. He wants to know everything about everyone else. You have to be the first one to take the plunge and make absolutely everything about your private life, feelings, and opinions open to the world. Every. Last. Detail.
What are we all doing here on this forum? We are hiding behind usernames. Sign every post of yours with your full name, address, phone number, and place of employment, so that everyone knows who you are so we can apply all your thoughts and opinions to you if we ever happen to meet in a professional setting. Or, provide your friend's name, rather than simply calling him a friend. He wants everything open, he wants everyone to know those thoughts apply to him. Share it to the world. It's what he wants.
I've actually once had someone screenshot some of my posts from the Trayvon Martin thread on this forum and email them to my employer. That's why I no longer have my email address visible in my profile. Go ahead. Practice full openness. I think you might enjoy it!