Kansas doesn’t have enough issues to be address by our state legislature — job loss, brain drain, the necessity of cutting back the size of state government, the need to stop unfunded mandates aimed at counties, and at our property tax rates — so, since it’s such a quiet season in Topeka, they’ve apparently decided to discuss whether there can or cannot be controls on people’s lives that bring into the debate religious ethics versus homosexuality.
At least that is what the Associated Press noted this week in its update on legislative issues.
“Critics say a bill in the Kansas House that has been touted as a way to keep government from infringing on religious freedom discriminates against people who are gay.
“... House Bill 2260 would prohibit government from denying the exercise of religion unless there’s a compelling government interest.
“The Alliance Defense Fund has said the legislation is needed to prevent government from forcing people to go against their religious beliefs.
“But opponents said the measure would allow discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
“Critics also said the legislation would nullify local ordinances that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.”
In his classic 1960 film, “The Alamo,” John Wayne, depicting a rather modernized Davy Crockett, is discussing the infringements on Texans’ freedom by Mexico, to which one of his men suggest it’s not their ox being goaded.
Crockett responds that if a fellow gets used to goading other peoples oxen, what’s to stop him from heading up north and goading oxen in Tennessee next?
It certainly appears that oxen are going to get goaded, no matter which side of the issue you happen to choose.
If we are going to address such an issue, perhaps it would be best for the state leaders to “lead” for a change and make sure that neither side is impeding on the rights of the other, at least not because of state regulations.
We need the state out of our lives, more, not less. There certainly are municipalities that seem to be over-stepping their way into a statist government, and that is distressing, but we need to be careful about whether we turn to the state for help or not.
That should be obvious to everyone who’s trying to figure out how on earth we can carry the weight that government is already placing on us, not to mention the incredible encroachments that continue to be debated.
— Chuck Smith