Bad as things may seem, at least I don't live in AZ

[tippy]

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home3/5757 ... s.html.csp

A legislature that goes out of its way like this is something to behold.

[tippy]

My brothers' Japanese parents-in-law were sued by some Mormons there over repairs to a commercial building in a bad neighborhood the parents had rented for their furniture business. Basically the owners rented out this building and then when the parents tried to leave to go back to Japan, they sued them for repairs on pre-existing conditions. The parents got a judgment against them that was overturned on appeal and then they went back to Japan. So these people are trying to serve new papers on the parents through a daughter that is still living there in a way that upset her so much that she gave up her dog and moved to a hotel. The judge approved alternative service, and they were days away from a default judgment until the daughters living in the U.S. hired counsel and he talked to the owners' attorney and they are going "to go to the ends of the Earth" to serve a new lawsuit. Will have to be international litigation. Awesome. Stay tuned.

Of course above situation can happen anywhere, but my sister-in-law's father also used to get pulled over by hp just for being Japanese in AZ.

In my parents' township in Utah, where I grew up age 8-17, they recently (this week) passed an ordinance that made it illegal to discriminate in housing, employment, etc. which is great, but within the same legislation they did state that like florists don't have to sell flowers for gay weddings, or rent venues for same, etc. You know they have the intention to do what's right - because finally a majority do get it through the experience of gay family members and seeing first hand their incredible suffering) but the gay marriage issue is clearly a line for people and so that's why we have to suffer this crackpot reactionary stuff right now.

I was raised to think that being gay was wrong (through church, etc., it wasn't a subject my parents ever raised, it just wasn't particularly relevant in my household growing up in the 70s-earliest 80s - not to be insensitive or anything, but similar to how racial issues don't come up in a community that is 99.7% white, there's no gays when people are living in the closet) and so I know how these people think and somewhat where they are coming from. They truly think it is dark and it is evil. I have no empathy for them but it's like that same line with abortion. (The difference being that abortion is a choice however and not to do with who a person is.)

So I guess until more hard people like this are softened by witnessing suffering of people they actually know and care about, to come to the realization that these people are still good people and don't deserve to suffer, this crap is going to go on. It's frustrating I don't have to tell you.

[jwaggs]

I'd like to be in Arizona now, regardless of the politics. I'd just keep my mouth shut and enjoy the sunshine.

[BeBop]

[moldyfigg]

Arizona is the Mississippi of the West.

[jwaggs]

You don't like BBQ and the Blues?