Originally posted by Sandman333: We simply have differing opinions then...
Only if you believe that laws and rights do not necessarily have to be applied equally to everyone.
Quote: So, then, we should accept certain Satanist sects that believe in the practice of animal/human torture and murder, among other socially unacceptable behavior?
Not at all â?¦ this is the â??slippery slopeâ?? argument with a different face. Animal/human torture and murder are against the law; a law that applies equally to everyone without exception.
Originally posted by Sandman333: I was trying to make the point that they are attempting to get something that could potentially cause them financial harm, and hence from that aspect it is not logical if there is an alternative, which there is.
Yes, I got that â?¦ but this is something equivalent to saying that itâ??s noisy and bumpy at the front of the bus, why would Black people want to ride there anyway. This is certainly not a valid argument to deny a certain minority having the right to do so, even if the back of the bus is a good alternative.
Originally posted by Sandman333: Unless, of course, the vast majority hold values contrary to the supposed "right".
This IMO is a contradiction. The very essence of a â??rightâ? is that it protects a minority, or even an individual, from the majority. That is their purpose â?¦ that is the founding principle upon which their need was established.
I believe the latter half of your sentence contains the real meat of the issue â?¦ are homosexuals protected from discrimination according to the same principles that protect citizens from discrimination on the basis of race and gender. And IMO, this is a simple â??yesâ? or â??no.â? question. IMO the answer is yes.
I think the following quote illuminates some of these ideas â??? itâ??s from Madison who for a time did not believe there was a need for a Bill of Rights in addition to the constitution. Jefferson and others persuaded him otherwise and this is how he apparently expressed it (I have bolded what I think are the most relevant words):
â??By the fall of 1788 Madison had been convinced that not only was a bill of rights necessary to ensure acceptance of the Constitution but that it would have positive effects. He wrote, on October 17, that such "fundamental maxims of free Government" would be "a good ground for an appeal to the sense of community" against potential oppression and would "counteract the impulses of interest and passion." Bill of Rights link here
