From: briand@anasazi.com (Brian Douglass)
Subject: Re: Lifestyle Choices (was  Re: Sexuality)
Organization: Anasazi Inc Phx Az USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 00:06:36 GMT

In article <C057uF.5xB@news.iastate.edu> rossco@iastate.edu (Ross Stenersen) writes:
>In article <1992Dec31.191942.9665@anasazi.com> briand@anasazi.com (Brian Douglass) writes:
>>In article <1992Dec31.005642.14893@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov> fogarty@sir-c.jpl.nasa.gov (Tim Fogarty) writes:
>>>
>>>In article <1992Dec30.234500.21163@anasazi.com>, briand@anasazi.com 
>>>(Brian Douglass) writes:
>>>|>
>>>|>>In article <1992Dec30.185545.26789@cbnewsj.cb.att.com> 
>>>|>>ecl@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) writes:

[much deleted material of E. Leeper asking for a secular reason to justify
discrimination against gays, then me an others going back and forth.  My
points being that The Government can and does have the right to restict actions
and access to specific groups of people based on their biological or
lifestyles when such traits represent a danger to the general welfare of
society.  So...]

>Again, there is a reason for this "discrimination" against homosexuals:  this
>act is potentially very dangerous to OTHER people.  I am also (by your

The operative point, traits that are considered dangerous to the general
welfare of society.

>definition of "discrimination") discriminated because I am required to wear
>glasses when I drive.  And, only because I can't see without them.  How
>terrible.  I have never been rejected from housing because I have poor eyes.
>Nor, do I expect to be rejected from any job _that does not require good
>eyesight_ because of my eyes.  In the same way homosexuals should not be

Again another operative point, that a given trait has or has not been shown
to be dangerous to the general welfare.  A pilot with a heart condition is
sufficient cause to discriminate against him.

>kept out of housing, jobs, etc just because of their being sexual
>orientation, preferences or practices.
>

[more deleted stuff]
>>Everytime we label another group of people under the law, we implicitly make
>>them seperate but equal, and that isn't equal.

>I agree here.  I think they should just make a law that says something
>(although in more legal terms :-) like this:
>
>"It is illegal to discriminate against anybody for any reason.  Pereiod.
>People should be selected for jobs based only on job qualifications."
>
>Of, course, if you consider keeping person A from harming person B because
>of something person A does discrimination then you have to re-word a bit.  (I
>realize that sentence is a bit incorrect, but I think you can get the idea.)

This is exactly what I'm driving at.  Any kind of restriction on a legal
activity (housing, jobs, etc.) that has not been shown to be dangerous to
the general welfare, is discrimination.  And any such discrimination should
be considered illegal with appropriate legal recourse against such
discrimination.

If we had a law/series of laws that outlawed discrimination as a general
activity, without having to enumerate every possible act imaginable, then
ALL Americans would be protected against discrimination, regardless of what
"class" they see themselves.  Such a law would protect the gay person in
Colorado from being refused housing simply because he/she is gay, just as
it would the smoker from being fired because they smoke in the privacy of
their own home.  Such a law *embraces* all Americans under its protection
instead delineating each of those within its bounds, and by corallary
excluding those not mentioned.

I'm no legal expert, but I believe the latest Civil Rights act has just
such a clause within it.  Could someone please comment.

Laws should be written to treat all Americans equally, not to classify and
separate Americans from themselves.

>
>Rossco                                      "Ignorance and prejudice
>rossco@iastate.edu                          "And fear
>rossco@cpre1.ee.iastate.edu                 "Walk hand in hand"
>rossco@aol.com                                  --Rush  ("Witch Hunt")