Julea Ward freedom of conscience act, like Michigan's amended anti-bullying bill, should not become law (Joyce Pines column)

Published: Monday, November 14, 2011, 6:06 AM     Updated: Monday, November 14, 2011, 11:58 AM
By Joyce Pines | Kalamazoo Gazette

http://www.mlive.com/opinion/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/11/julea_ward_freedom_of_conscien.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+michigan-elections+%28Michigan+Elections+News%29


While the Michigan Legislature has been in the spotlight recently for what the Senate did to an anti-bullying measure, another bill has been introduced in the House and Senate which also takes aim at the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The Julea Ward freedom of conscience act would "protect the right of a student to assert conscientious objection to providing certain counseling or other services; to prohibit certain actions by institutions of higher education; and to provide remedies."

More surprises from the Michigan Legislature...the Julea Ward Freedom of Conscience Act, in the form of HB 5040 and SB 0518. Although not as outrageous as the so called "Bully Bill", this bill would allow...

"A bill to protect the right of a student to assert conscientious objection to providing certain counseling or other services; to prohibit certain actions by institutions of higher education; and to provide remedies."  SB 0518 of 2011

Stayed tuned for more from Lansing...

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/%28S%28ewhehd55djhdtbulxrmgqciu%29%29/mileg.aspx?page=home

Therapists work with pedophiles and I've never heard of a therapist wanting to "quit" the client because they don't agree with their lifestyle.  And alcoholics and drug addicts,  shoplifters,  wife beaters, child abusers,  former rapists and murderers.  Never have I heard of people refusing to work with these kinds of people.


But gay people huh, for some reason someone who loves someone is a big big problem.   Bigotry.  Plain and simple.

Interestingly enough Ms. Ward was dropped from;

"Eastern Michigan University's graduate counseling program in 2009 because she refused, as a student, "to affirm the lifestyle" of a gay client. She said homosexuality was against her religious beliefs and referred the client to another counselor."

- Joyce Pines, Kalamazoo Gazette