Republicans: Bullying is OK when based on religion

[Mr Spinkles]

Michigan state senate passes 'license to bully' legislation.

Advocates for a law to prohibit bullying and provide school districts with the tools to address the problem were dealt a stinging rebuke Wednesday morning in the Republican-controlled Michigan Senate.

The GOP pushed through an amended bill, SB 137, which does nothing advocates have pushed for — including reporting requirements and enumeration, or listing, of protected classes. In addition, the legislation provides an exception which allows bullying based on “moral convictions.”

The full language of the insert is: “This section does not prohibit a statement of a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction of a school employee, school volunteer, pupil, or a pupil and parent or guardian.”

In a floor speech Minority Leader in the Senate Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) slammed the Republicans over the amended language.

“Here today you claim to be protecting kids and you’re actually putting them in more danger,” Whitmer said. “But bullying is not OK. We should be protecting public policy that protects kids — all kids, from bullies — all bullies. But instead you have set us back further by creating a blueprint for bullying.”​

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

“Here today you claim to be protecting kids and you’re actually putting them in more danger,” Whitmer said. “But bullying is not OK. We should be protecting public policy that protects kids — all kids, from bullies — all bullies. But instead you have set us back further by creating a blueprint for bullying.”
​

Well said Senator Whitmer!

 

[JacobEzra.]

I wonder what they were thinking of when doing such

 

[Father Heathen]

If Christians sincerely believed in Christ, wouldn't they be worrying about the spiritual repercussions of contradicting his message?

 

[Revoltingest]

I wonder what they were thinking of when doing such

I'm sure there's only one side to the issue.
We in Michigan want bullies to have free reign.
For our next trick, we'll make all women wear veils.

 

[Engyo]

[sarcasm]Obviously, anyone who is weak enough or who has such low self-esteem as to allow him-or her-self to be bullied has it coming, no?[/sarcasm]

 

[Revoltingest]

Politics-State | Michigan Senate OKs anti-bullying bill despite protests | The Detroit News

The law includes a section noting it doesn't abridge First Amendment free speech rights or prohibit expression of religious or moral viewpoints....

Certainly, it's a loophole which could allow some bullying, but this is a balance with free speech.
It appears that we're better off with the new law than without it.

 

[Alceste]

I wonder what they were thinking of when doing such

If I had to take a wild stab in the dark, I would assume they were worried a detailed anti-bullying law would infringe on the right of religious students to harass and intimidate homosexuals.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

If I had to take a wild stab in the dark, I would assume they were worried a detailed anti-bullying law would infringe on the right of religious students to harass and intimidate homosexuals.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Revoltingest]

I was thinking the same thing.

But we should note that the partisan tone of the OP is misleading. When Granholm
was governor & the Dems had control, they saw fit to pass no anti-bullying law at all.
Now they complain when a successful compromise is finally passed.
Oh, that Spinkles.....he's from Texas, where bullying is a varsity sport.

 

[Father Heathen]

But we should note that the partisan tone of the OP is misleading. When Granholm
was governor & the Dems had control, they saw fit to pass no anti-bullying law at all.
Now they complain when a successful compromise is finally passed.
Oh, that Spinkles.....he's from a state where bullying is a varsity sport.

It still allows children to be bullied. How is that a successful compromise? Is a child's welfare and well being really something we should be making compromises on? Also, was an anti-bullying bill on the table for the dems in the past?

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

But we should note that the partisan tone of the OP is misleading. When Granholm
was governor & the Dems had control, they saw fit to pass no anti-bullying law at all.
Now they complain when a successful compromise is finally passed.
Oh, that Spinkles.....he's from Texas, where bullying is a varsity sport.

There should be no compromise when it comes to bullying. I'm living in a state that looks the other way when religious bullying takes place so I believe in fighting it.

 

[Revoltingest]

It still allows children to be bullied.

That is one opinion, but it isn't clear that claiming expression of religious beliefs
(which might offend) will necessarily serve as a vehicle to allow bullying intent.

There should be no compromise when it comes to bullying. I'm living in a state that looks the other way when religious bullying takes place so I believe in fighting it.

There should never be compromise.
But in the real world, it happens because it's often better than the alternative.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

There should never be compromise.
But in the real world, it happens because it's often better than the alternative.

As an individual you have to decide which compromises to accept and which to fight. When it comes to kids I will fight for them every time.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

But we should note that the partisan tone of the OP is misleading. When Granholm
was governor & the Dems had control, they saw fit to pass no anti-bullying law at all.

You mean when the Dems had control, they didn't introduce, debate, amend, and pass every change to the law worth passing, for all future time? Outrageous.

Now they complain when a successful compromise is finally passed. Oh, that Spinkles.....he's from Texas, where bullying is a varsity sport.

The exact words inserted into the law were quoted in the OP. Those words are:

“This section does not prohibit a statement of a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction of a school employee, school volunteer, pupil, or a pupil and parent or guardian.”​

Therefore, bullying which is expressed as "a statement of a sincerely held religious or moral conviction" is exempted from the provisions of this law, including the statewide reporting of bullying and harassment.

People are not complaining because a "compromise" was reached by the GOP-controlled Michigan state senate (but you knew that). They are complaining because the GOP pushed through a bill with language which protects bullying in schools in the mold of the Westboro Baptist Church. And the people who are complaining are the parents of gay kids who committed suicide due to school bullying, the very parents who introduced this bill before its meaning and its effects were completely reversed by this language.

 

[Father Heathen]

Revoltingest, I get that you like to try to always be diplomatic and pragmatic, but there must come a time when something is so repugnant and reprehensible that you just have to draw the line.

 

[Sunstone]

Typical of today's conservatives.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

Typical of today's conservatives.

Yeah, I really prefer yesterday's conservatives.

 

[Me Myself]

Monday

"Hey gay! You are a sinner!!"

Thursday

"you are going to hell!"

Wednesday

"Jesus hates you!"

Thursday

"You have the devil in you!"

Friday

"Your soul is rotting!"


Next Monday

"Hey gay! You are a sinner!"

....

You see how easy it is?

Those were all just religious affirmations.

Kudos to the boy if he doesn´t feel bad after living that every day

 

[Alceste]

You mean when the Dems had control, they didn't introduce, debate, amend, and pass every change to the law worth passing, for all future time? Outrageous.

The exact words inserted into the law were quoted in the OP. Those words are:

“This section does not prohibit a statement of a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction of a school employee, school volunteer, pupil, or a pupil and parent or guardian.”​

Therefore, bullying which is expressed as "a statement of a sincerely held religious or moral conviction" is exempted from the provisions of this law, including the statewide reporting of bullying and harassment.

People are not complaining because a "compromise" was reached by the GOP-controlled Michigan state senate (but you knew that). They are complaining because the GOP pushed through a bill with language which protects bullying in schools in the mold of the Westboro Baptist Church. And the people who are complaining are the parents of gay kids who committed suicide due to school bullying, the very parents who introduced this bill before its meaning and its effects were completely reversed by this language.

This language could be interpreted to allow all verbal bullying as long as the bully believes their abuse is "moral."

So, in addition to homosexual kids being bullied by religious kids, religious kids can be bullied by kids of other religions, or by militant atheist kids. The kids would only need to show that they sincerely believe the target of their bullying is "evil."

What a nice clear message that sends to kids. "Bullying is never OK, except when it is OK, which is whenever you think it's OK. Got it?"