Michigan GOP Loophole: 'Sincerity' Makes Bullying OK

[drakonyx]

Michigan Republicans have forced changes in an anti-bullying proposal known as Matt's Safe School Law to ensure that it "does not prohibit a statement of sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction."

And what, specifically, do these two things have to do with one another? Bullying is the use of force or intimidation to coerce another person into conformity or submission. According to one definition, a bully is "a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people."

One can certainly state sincerely held beliefs without resorting to bullying tactics. It's not that hard to preserve a level of civil discourse. Freedom of speech and freedom of religion are already built into the Constitution. So why should these Michigan Republicans be so concerned about restating such things in an anti-bullying bill?

I can think of two possible explanations. One is that the "sincerely held beliefs" they're referring to are inherently coercive by their nature. The other is that they actually want to bully people who believe differently than they do into getting with the program. They believe they have a right to bluster, badger and quarrel with people about things they sincerely believe.

http://www.theprovocation.net/2011/11/michigan-gop-loophole-sincerity-makes.html

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. So it's OK to beat the snot out of some gay kid

as long as you sincerely believe Jesus hates gay people and you aren't doing it just for fun? WTF?



Bastards.

[saras]

4. Yes, but it's also permissible for sincere gays to forcibly convert heterosexuals. just sayin'

[sandyj999]

2. No one said Michigan Republicans were smart. nt

[Drale]

3. No one said any Republicans were smart. nt

[awoke_in_2003]

5. "a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person...

who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people."

Sounds just like every christian I know.

[noel711]

6. I'm sure Hitler, Pol Pot and Cheney were all sincere...

so I guess it makes their dictatorial acts of hatred ok then?

[handmade34]

7. sign the petition

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-the-michigan-house-to-pass-an-anti-bullying-law-that-matters

Matt's father's response

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HxDNATDLgfg#!

[OswegoAtheist]

8. It is my sincerely-held

moral conviction that Republicans are joyless asshats whose only source of pleasure comes from depriving others of their own.

Oswego "#occupyoswego" Atheist

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Seeing it in this context shocks people but I do not see how this

is different from the whole of opposition to equality. Obama and others clearly say their bigoted support of discrimination is holy and righteous because it is religious in nature. DU members have made the same arguments in defense of the 'God is in the Mix' excuse for slandering and oppressing gay people. The excuse that 'God' makes them bullies is not new, it is in fact their one and only foisted reason for hating equality and their neighbors.
So those who say 'I will fight against your legal rights for my faith' are the same as those who will say 'I will fight you for my faith'. If there is a difference, I do not see it.

[txlibdem]

10. GOP = Psychopaths = people who love beating other people up for "X" excuse

Of course the psychopathic right wing loves to attack people. They need treatment, not our worship or even our approval.

[eppur_se_muova]

11. So it's the sincerity of your delusion that matters?

And exactly how are they going to measure that?

I thought wingers were against the notion of an insanity defense -- but apparently, as long as it's an insanity they agree with, it's OK. I'm not so sure I object to this -- if their defense rests on proving that they genuinely hold these delusions, it will be as hard to prove their case as it is to prove innocence by reason of insanity, and they'll have to rely on the testimony of the same "mollycoddling liberal experts" to establish their unfitness for trial. Count on a large number of failed legal defenses, and plenty of negative publicity.