Letters: Same old anti-gay song in Arizona
Re “A clear message in Arizona veto,” News Analysis, Feb. 28
The Times explains the motives behind Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s veto of the anti-gay bill recently passed by the state’s legislature.
Prominent Republicans urged Brewer to veto the bill because of the need to focus on the economy rather than divisive social issues, which could hurt the party in the November midterm elections. What they didn’t make a big deal about was that the bill was bad because it was mean-spirited and bigoted.
What the Republicans aren’t saying is that they oppose the law because it is unfair and demeans a segment of the population. What they aren’t saying is that anti-gay laws are immoral and no longer socially acceptable.
I’m glad Brewer vetoed this bill, but it’s still pretty clear where Republicans stand on this issue.
Lenard Davis
Newport Beach
In the debate over the vetoed SB 1062 and similar bills in other statehouses, one hears more about scaring away tourists and conventions than about fairness and constitutional rights, including each person’s right to equal access to public commerce throughout the country.
All publicly licensed and enabled businesses rely on the public infrastructure, without which no business could exist, and that is built and paid for by all kinds of people without regard to their individual concepts of faith, gender and so on.
All are thus entitled to equal access to public commerce.
To those who feel that living and working according to one’s faith precludes them from trading with others who are very different, all I can say is this: Law is not your problem; blind faith is.
David R. Fertig
Pasadena
The Arizona Legislature passed a bill to guarantee freedom to live and work according to one’s faith. Then, when it became clear that this bill might cost them money (in the form of lost business, conventions and the Super Bowl), some Republicans set aside their deeply held religious beliefs and told the governor they had changed their minds.
I guess for some, money trumps everything, even God.
Philip Guiral
Laguna Hills
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