>> Valerie Mccallister
Deep in the Bible belt, many Tennesseans value religion and stand firm in their faith.
With this stronghold on faith come standards and guidelines that dictate how to approach particular controversial issues.
Aside from religion, however, common sense and courtesy play into approaching controversial issues.
This week, Kansas’ Republican house legislatures proposed a bill that could deny same-sex couples service based on the service provider’s viewpoint on same-sex relationships and provide protection to providers who wished not to serve same-sex couples based on their religious or personal beliefs.
According to CNN, Kansan equality rights activists are dismayed their state legislature would try to enforce this type of discrimination against same-sex couples.
Same-sex civil unions are not legal in Kansas. However, a concession applying to non-religious services indicates service providers could deny service to same-sex, but another service provider could come to the aid of the customers.
The bill in Kansas was overturned, as both parties held their own viewpoints on same-sex relationships, but they all agreed on ending discrimination instead of condoning it. Kansas is not the only state to propost this law, Arizona is also making strides to getting the bill approved.
According to Taylor Bedwell, a senior biology major, “This is definitely a way of increasing discrimination. It’s kind of crazy that someone would think to pass a law refusing service to someone based solely on who they love.”
This is discrimination and while it allows citizens the right to choose who they serve, by working in a service industry you make the decision to serve everyone who approaches you with the same intent and quality.
Discrimination has run rampant in our society, and it doesn’t create itself.
Discrimination is taught and passed on from one person to the next, until what is no longer the “norm” becomes abnormal and wrong. Standing up for your morals and values should be done in a classier way than treating others as though they aren’t human for having a different lifestyle than you.
“I personally do not believe that people should discriminate against others based on their beliefs,” said Kelly Wombacher, a freshman nursing major. America is the melting pot for not only ethnic groups, religious groups and political parties, but it is also a mixture of all types of people who don’t always agree with each other! Just because someone lives differently doesn’t mean they should be denied service from any public service industry.
Everyone is human, and everyone is taught from childhood to treat others the way they want to be treated. Are we really? While we should be, laws like the one in Kansas are being passed to promote discrimination for various reasons. This is not teaching people equality.
However, the bill caused massive uproar.
Discrimination is out of control and for state legislatures to create bills allowing discrimination is inhumane and un-American.
Being a leader means treating every single person the same. Denying them service in any way is wrong and hurtful, and it continues a trend of discrimination. TAS