Thursday, January 27, 2011

Wyoming losing its mind, too?

It used to be a close contest among a select few candidates for the craziest state in the Union, but now it seems like everyone wants to be a contender.

From TPM:
Last year, Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment that would prohibit judges from consulting sharia law in their decisions. A federal judge promptly blocked the ban, saying the case goes "to the very foundation of our country."

But that's not going to stop one Wyoming lawmaker from trying for a repeat.

State Rep. Gerald Gay (R) is proposing a similar ballot measure that would prevent judges from using sharia, or Islamic, law in their decisions. ...

According to one 2000 estimate by Penn State's Association of Religion Data Archives, there are fewer than 300 Muslims in Wyoming.

Um, this is why we have the strict separation of church and state in this country. Of course, today's Republicans don't like that, because they want to force their own beliefs on everyone else. So much for respecting the U.S. Constitution, huh?

Nevertheless, can it get any clearer why the separation of church and state is such a good idea? Most Muslim nations are a perfect example of what we don't want to see in America, but it's not just because it's Islam. We don't want that kind of thing from any religion (or from atheism, for that matter). The separation of church and state is a good thing for everyone, Christian, Muslim, and atheist alike.

After more than 200 years, why are we still having this debate? It's just astonishing, don't you think?

Of course, this isn't about Islam or even sharia law. This is just a political stunt. This is about keeping ignorant Americans as fearful and as bigoted as possible, so they'll continue to vote Republican. But it's still absolutely astonishing that it works.

Well, we'll see if it works in Wyoming, I guess. But I wouldn't bet against it. I'm becoming more and more embarrassed at my countrymen.

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