Monday, March 30, 2015

Via Daily Kos: The Awesome Response to Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Indiana's Governor Mike Pence just signed a new law, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, that will protect businesses that discriminate against LGBT and the response is just awesome.

George Takei, (Sulu from Star Trek) has written a letter and petition challenging all businesses who oppose the new law to boycott the entire state.




He asks people to join him in this boycott
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ESPN, Keith Olbermann is calling on both the National College Athletic Association and the National Football League to boycott Indiana until the new law is repealed.
He tweets:
 Simple fact: after Indiana enacts a law permitting prejudice against some of its customers, NCAA should pull Final 4 out of Indy. Right now
I don't care if Final 4 winds up being played in a parking lot in Tulsa, NCAA has no right to support legally codified hatred and stupidity
And for that matter the NFL should play no games in Indiana until and unless this hateful, medieval measure is repealed.
And if you fall back on the discredited "orientation is a choice," ask yourself: what is religion if not a choice? Or passing hate laws?
http://www.rawstory.com/...            
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Salesforce, a $4 billion dollar software corporation, has also decided to boycott  Indiana, saying:
"We have been an active member of the Indiana business community and a key job creator for more than a decade," Scott McCorkle, CEO of the Salesforce Marketing Cloud division, wrote in a letter to Indiana lawmakers. "Our success is fundamentally based on our ability to attract and retain the best and most diverse pool of highly skilled employees, regardless of gender, religious affiliation, ethnicity or sexual orientation." 
"Without an open business environment that welcomes all residents and visitors," he warned, "Salesforce will be unable to continue building on its tradition of marketing innovation in Indianapolis."
The company is joined by Fortune 500 member Cummins, Eskenazi Health, Eli Lilly and Co, Pat McAfee, Jason Collins (Mayor of Indianapolis) and Gen Con (a $50 million annual gaming convention). Salesforce threatens to stop expansion plans of their recently purchased Indianapolis based company, Exact Target. 
 Maybe these responses will make some impression the Governor? If not, maybe the response from the business community his law is going to hurt will force him to change the law he just passed. And maybe it's going to be pitchfork time very soon.

Via Sri Prem Baba: Flor do Dia- Flor del Día- Flower of the day 30/03/2015

“O segredo da paz é estarmos unidos e felizes independentemente das nossas diferenças. Porque não é possível globalizar (unificar) a cultura, as etnias ou a religião. Tentar fazer isso apenas estimula a violência. Você não pode obrigar o outro a pensar como você. Por isso a única maneira de vivermos em paz e harmonia é ajudando uns aos outros e respeitando as diferenças.”

“El secreto de la paz es estar unidos y felices independientemente de nuestras diferencias. Porque no es posible globalizar (unificar) la cultura, las etnias o la religión. Intentar hacer eso solo estimula la violencia. No puedes obligar al otro a pensar como tú. Por eso la única manera de que vivamos en paz y armonía es ayudándonos los unos a los otros y respetando las diferencias.”

"The secret to peace is for us to be in union and happy regardless of our differences. It is not possible to globalize or unite cultures, ethnicities, or religions. To do so only encourages violence. We cannot make others think like us. The only way to live in peace and harmony is to help each other and to respect everyone’s differences."

Via Mrs. Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian:


Via gbtqnation.com: Apple CEO Tim Cook: ‘There’s something very dangerous happening in states across the country’

Tim CookAP
Tim Cook

Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a new op-ed at The Washington Post on Sunday, called on his colleagues leading other major companies to take a stand against so-called “religious freedom” legislation similar to one enacted in Indiana.
There’s something very dangerous happening in states across the country.
A wave of legislation, introduced in more than two dozen states, would allow people to discriminate against their neighbors. Some, such as the bill enacted in Indiana last week that drew a national outcry and one passed in Arkansas, say individuals can cite their personal religious beliefs to refuse service to a customer or resist a state nondiscrimination law.

Others are more transparent in their effort to discriminate. Legislation being considered in Texas would strip the salaries and pensions of clerks who issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples — even if the Supreme Court strikes down Texas’ marriage ban later this year. In total, there are nearly 100 bills designed to enshrine discrimination in state law.

These bills rationalize injustice by pretending to defend something many of us hold dear. They go against the very principles our nation was founded on, and they have the potential to undo decades of progress toward greater equality.
Continue reading at The Washington Post

On Friday, Cook took to Twitter to condemn Indiana’s S.B. 101 — and similar legislation currently pending before the Governor of Arkansas.

Via Daily Dharma


The Value of Loving Ourselves | March 30, 2015


When we practice, we observe how much peace, happiness, and lightness we already have. We notice whether we are anxious about accidents or misfortunes, and how much anger, irritation, fear, anxiety, or worry are already in us. As we become aware of the feelings in us, our self-understanding will deepen. We will see how our fears and lack of peace contribute to our unhappiness, and we will see the value of loving ourselves and cultivating a heart of compassion.

- Thich Nhat Hanh, "Cultivating Compassion"