Governor Jindal would suggest that his is a heroic stand against left wing liberals who would destroy religious freedom. I would suggest that what he intends to do is rather to give state sanction to intolerance and hatred.
What the governor fails to recognize is that these are businesses open to the public to perform a service. A musician, cake maker or photographer is not, in the course of his or her employment undertaking a religious role. Singing a song, baking a cake or taking a picture is not a fundamental exercise of a first amendment right.
We are a country founded on the principle of protection of certain inalienable rights. What Mr. Jindal misconstrues is whose rights we are addressing. When we permit our worst instincts to permeate our government, when we take umbrage at efforts to insure that all men and women who are created equal are entitled to our equal protection, then we fail to abide by the basic tenets that make this country exceptional.
It is now a half century since segregation, under the cover of constitutional protection, was held to be without legal predicate. Mr. Jindal's misguided efforts to stigmatize and ostracize the gay community with government blessing, demonstrates not courage but only an updated version of moral and ethical bankruptcy.
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So this issue is what he chooses to emphasize rather than the poorly performing schools and employment situation in his state of Louisiana. I wonder what it feels like to, again, be on the wrong side of history.
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