VOLUME FOURI S S U E 1 404 .02 .15

VOLUME FOURI S S U E 1 404 .02 .15

No Rush on Those Documents | Old People Allowed to Live at Canyon Lake | Ask a Mexican

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A Farberer EasterOn Occasion,

Page 11

A Farberer EasterOn Occasion,

Page 11

V O T E N O W !ACCESS THE SURVEY AT

txcitizen.ROCKS

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table of contents

11 On OccasionEd vs Easter

8CitizenSoundcheckThe ONLY guide of i ts kindfor the NB/SM Metroplex!

12

31st Word

Hey, no hurry on thoseCity Hall contracts.

We have all day.

4County BeatCanyon Lake's getting a placefor old guys to live, despite theprotests of other old guys.

15Best of the WurstSample BallotFinally. Your vote counts for SOMEthing.

6Around & About

The Comal County FairChili-Cook Off

Last WordColby and this whole

gay thing again.14

The County sMost WantedLook Daddy!Mommys in the paper!

Ask a MexicanGustavo of fends intwo languages.

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Fun fact: Easter is the third biest wine holiday of the year. Whether that's because of the holiday itself, or simply because most people have a long wkend, is anybody's gue; but that is neither here nor there. No maer what your religious background is, it's easy to areciate anyone who has the ability to turn water into wine. A friend with wine is a friend of mine. That's what I've always said. Or at least that's what I have just started saying as of right now. Come by the tasting rm and enjoy some sunshine this holiday wkend with a gla of wine in our expanded outdr seating. Or get your Biy Joel on with a bole of red and a bole of white, if that's how you prefer to celebrate. That's what we're here for, folks. Make Longshot Wine Bar and Tasting Rm your holiday wine destination. - Josh McFarling

HOURS:Mon-urs: 6-10pm

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Doc Watch: 2015As you probably know,

were waiting on a juicy

bunch of documents from

City Hall - namely, every

4-A/4-B contract the City

has ever entered into, along

with all the Citys contracts with the

Chamber of Commerce since 1995. The

way this Freedom of Information Act thing

works is Party A (in this case, us) requests

documents from Party B (in this case, City

Hall). Party B then gets ten business days

(which is 12 to 15 actual days, depending

on holidays) to come up with the goods.

Sometimes, Party B wont want to hand

over the stuff, and theyll get their respective

states Attorney General involved with a

request to not give the paperwork to Party A.

The AG thing can take another 45 business

days to resolve, (too many actual days to

figure out), and theres a chance the AG will

rule in favor of Party B. We hate that.

In other instances, rather than the docs,

well get an estimated bill for what said

docs will cost us to get. Sure, its called the

Freedom of Information Act, but as Fox News

constantly reminds us, freedom isnt free. At

that point the timer begins running on Party

A to come up with the cash. Party A has ten

business days (12 to 15 actual days) to pay,

or lose its chance to handle those tender,

juicy, single-spaced morsels of truth. In an

example of technical horror, if Party A cant

come up with the money, Party B can refuse

further requests for the same information in

the future. So its important to get the money

in during the ten business day window. Might

not get another shot.

The docs we requested came to nearly

$500. We held a quick fundraiser via our

Facebook page, and all kinds of people

got in line to get a piece of that

action. We raised the money

just in time and delivered the

funds to City Hall. At which

time the clock reset AGAIN.

Ten more business days until

we would get the contracts. Ugh.

Ten business days later, instead

of the docs, we got this letter from City

Secretary, Patrick Stonewall Aten:

This email is in response to your Public Information Request [ORR 2015-059] submitted on February 6, 2015. In your request you ask the City to provide the following:

1. Copies of any and all contracts entered into by the City of New Braunfels, involving the 4A and/or 4B tax, from October 1, 1995 through March 31, 2001.

2. Copies of any and all contracts entered into by the NBIDC from April 1, 2001 through the date of this request [February 6, 2015].

Pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 552.221(d) I am informing you that the City will require more time to collect the responsive documents to your request, as many of these documents are stored off site and will require additional time to retrieve. The City Secretarys Office anticipates completion of your request in ten (10) business days from the date of this letter. Should we complete your request before April 6, 2015, we will inform you via email that the documents are available.

Sincerely,Patrick AtenCity SecretaryCity of New Braunfels

Continued on page 5.

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COUNTY BEATCOUNTY BEATWITH NICK ROGERSWITH NICK ROGERS

Senior Facility Gets Thumbs-Up from CommissionersDespite some boisterous opposition from a

contingent of Canyon Lake residents, County

Commissioners voted 4-1 in favor of giving

the Courts consent to a government assisted

senior living facility there.

The Terrace at Canyon Lake would

be a 62-unit complex for economically

struggling seniors aged 55 and over,

which is the government definition of a

senior. Those qualifying for residency

would have to make $12,360-$28,260

per year. The facility would be located at

FM 3424 and FM 306.

In his proposal for Commissioners

Court, Rainer Andrews, president of Blue

Sky Communities Texas, stated that there are,

Zero affordable apartments units for senior

citizens in the Canyon Lake area, but that

analysis shows a need for more than 1,000

such units and that as the senior population

increases, so will the need.

Commissioners Court cannot approve or

deny a building project in an unincorporated

area. The Courts vote only shows its consent

to the Section 42 project, which translates

into two points for the proposal. Such

proposals are a competition within a region

and the proposal with the most points gets the

government contract.

The resolution doesnt approve or

disapprove it, said Precinct 4 Commissioner

Jen Crownover, whose area covers Canyon

Lake. The developer, ultimately, is the one

who makes it go forward and he wouldnt

even need so much as a driveway permit from

us to be able to do this. Nor would anyone

else who had the money to buy the property.

One of the major complaints from

those opposed to the project is that it would

bring unwanted development into the area,

but the facility takes up a relatively small

footprint. As well, land not used for the

apartments cant be developed on for at

least 30 years.

There is a need in the County for

this type of facility, and the use of only six

acres of a 30 acre tract made it attractive

to me, said Precinct 3 Commissioner

Kevin Webb, whose precinct also covers

Canyon Lake.

Commissioners Court rarely gets an

opportunity to have a voice in land use

and what we generally hear from our

constituents is to try to preserve more open

space and the Hill Country, he said. Most

people dont understand that we really

dont have much land use authority at all.

This development will keep four fifths of this

tract in green space if it proceeds. Given

the choice of this tract possibly being 20

acres of parking lots and strip malls, or this

development that keeps 80 percent of the

land open for the next 30 years, I prefer

this development.

Crownover said that such a senior living

facility has become crucial for the Canyon

Lake area.

This will benefit a large number of

seniors in Canyon Lake who are financially

strapped and challenged, she said. When

you drive out to Canyon Lake, you will see all

of these nice homes but you dont often see

the homes where those who are struggling

live. They are out there in large numbers.

While opponents have been particularly

verbal about their concerns, Crownover said

that they are the minority.

I have received an angry call and a

couple of angry emails, but I have received

dozens of emails from people who support

this, she said. Some of them have elderly

parents and would love to have such a place

for their loved ones, she said.

Crownover said the project doesnt just

fill a need, but it makes sense.

I never promised to agree with

everybody, but I did promise to take in all

of the facts and separate them from the

emotion, and make the best decision I could

based on those facts, she said. While

I know there was a lot of opposition and

resistance to this project, I think most of that

was based upon emotion and speculation.

But, the facts showed there was a need out

there in the community.

The lone dissenting vote came from

County Judge Sherman Krause.

What I mentioned during the meeting

is that it would be hypocritical for me to

criticize other states and communities for

government subsidized or rent controlled

housing, then cast a vote of support for this

resolution, he said.

Some believe that people are greedy

and/or unsympathetic, so government

needs to give money to charitable causes,

Krause said. However, I believe Americans

are extremely compassionate, caring and

giving. You only need to look at what

happens when there is a natural disaster

anywhere in the world. You will see an

outpouring of food, water, medical supplies,

clothing, money, prayer and support.

Support for charitable causes belongs at the

local level where it is much more effective

and efficient. And, it should start in the

private sector.

thurs & satTHE MAIN KARAOKE MAN JOHNNY V!!!

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sundayHAPPY EASTER! Free Darts & Pool

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tuesdayJJ Garrett Band!

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thursdayNational KaraOke Day

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Continued from page 3. Well. That was certainly disappointing.

But not nearly as disappointing as the next letter we got:

Re: Public Request for Information [2015-071] Extension

This letter is in response to your Public Information Request [ORR 2015-071] submitted on February 6, 2015. In your request you ask the City to provide copies of any and all contracts written and/or approved and/or entered into and/or granted and/or foreseen between any & all City of New Braunfels entities, (including, but not limited to: departments/subsidiaries/boards/commissions) & the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce; the dates are to include January 1, 1995 through the date of this request [February 12, 2015].

Pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 552.221(d) I am informing you that the City will require more time to collect the responsive documents to your request, as many of these documents are stored off site and will require additional time to retrieve. The City Secretarys Office anticipates completion of your request in ten (10) business days from the date of this letter. Should we complete your request before April 6, 2015, we will inform you via email that the documents are available. If you have any questions, or concerns, please do not hesitate

to contact me at (830) 221-4003, or acunningham@nbtexas.org.

Sincerely,Andrea CunninghamAssistant City Secretary

And thats where stand now. Wed like to know what they were doing during the first ten business days after our initial request in order to set the price - we thought they were actually finding the documents. They were able to provide us with an estimate, so it certainly appears that they knew what they were getting into. We hope they dont come back and tell us that they need even more time, or, worse yet, more money because they mis-estimated. That

would make a great article, though. So to restate that, we hope they do come back and tell us its going to take another three months and $1,000. #forthewin

In News NewsKGNB News Director (and my old news boss) Dave Ferguson has left his decade-and-a-half gig with our local radio station to accept a job as Media Coordinator with the NBPD. This is great move both for Dave and the Department. Of course, it reinforces and justifies everything weve said about New Braunfels media workers being a wee bit too cozy with City Hall, which makes it a win for us, too. Were happy. Daves happy. The Chiefs happy. Everybodys happy. Except for the newsroom at KGNB. That started falling apart Saturday night.

In Other News NewsI didnt write a column last week and youd think the flippin Apocalypse was upon us, what with all the crazy panic-mail I got. Sometimes a man isnt sick or dead, or hasnt quit, and just wants a day off. Or in my case, a half-day off. Keep your pants on, NB. Everythings fine. (Thanks for your concern, however. Its nice to be wanted.)

\m/

Mike ReynoldsPublisher/Editor-in-Chief

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AROUND& ABOUTIt was a big, BIG day out at the Fairgrounds this past Saturday. Between the Comal County Fair Chili Cook-Off, Antique Tractor Pull, Little Miss Chili Pepper, Pig Wranglin', and Calf Scramble contests, the Stick Horse Races, and Bustin' of the Mutton, a dang good time was had by all!

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Thu 4.2

Adobe VerdeJosh Holden

6pm

Oma Gruenes Secret GartenJam Night

6pm

Phoenix SaloonDoug Kent

5pm

Rileys TavernTBA

9pm

AJs Ale HouseRock & Roll Sing Along Piano Bar Show

9pm

Gruene HallCLOSED

Hippy GypsyKnotty Grove

6pm

The Pour HausBob Cheevers

8pm

Fri 4.3Adobe Verde

Trace Owen Jr

6:30pm

The Happy CowT-Bone and The Blue Tones

8pm

Oma Gruenes Secret GartenJumboFunk!

6:30pm

Phoenix SaloonScott Boddicker

5pm

Hill Country Gentlemen

9pm

Rileys TavernBig John Mills

9pm

Watering Hole SaloonTBA

8pm

AJs Ale HouseRock & Roll Sing Along Piano Bar Show

9pm

Alpine Haus RestaurantOff the Grid Polka Band

6pm

Billys Ice HouseBen Morris & the Great American

Boxcar Chorus

8pm

Gruene HallBo Porter Trio

12:15pm

Bob Schneider

w/ Quiet Company

7pm, $25

The Pour HausJeremy Steding Band

8:30pm

River Road Ice HouseKori Free & the Groovehounds

w/ Yesenia McNett

8pm, $10-$15

Vineyard at GrueneStacy Ann & Kenndred Spirits

7pm

Vino en VerdeTBA

8:30pm

Sat 4.4

Adobe VerdeBru Erdman

6:30pm

The Happy CowAnthony Wright Band

9pm

Oma Gruenes Secret GartenThe Texas Saints

1pm

Luke Adair & the Big Bills

6pm

Phoenix SaloonThe Georges

9pm

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Rileys TavernModern Don Juans

9pm

AJs Ale HouseRock & Roll Sing Along Piano Bar Show

9pm

Billys Ice HouseLC Rocks

8pm

Gruene HallThe Bellfuries

1pm

Dirty River Boys

8pm, $15

NB Farm to MarketFallon Campbell

9am

The Pour HausNate Rodriguez Trio

9pm

River Road Ice HouseFolk Family Revival

9pm, $8-$10

Vino en VerdeTBA

9pm

Sun 4.5The Happy Cow

T-Bone and The Blue Tones

4pm

Oma Gruenes Secret GartenKim & Her Bad Habits

2pm

Mothership Connection

7pm

Phoenix SaloonMississhippie

3pm

Ethan Ford

7pm

Geronimo VFW #8456TBA

3pm

Gruene HallBob Livingston

12:30pm

Midnight River Choir

5pm

The Pour HausTBA

8pm

Rileys TavernBilly Dee

4pm

Vineyard at GrueneKyle Reed

3pm

Mon 4.6

Billys Ice HouseAustin Gilliam

8pm

Gruene HallTom Gillam

6pm

The Pour HausMichael Kelton

8pm

River Road Ice HouseSusan Gibson

6pm

Tues 4.7

Watering Hole SaloonTBA

8:30pm

Billys Ice HouseKyle Reed Band

w/ Steven Roloff

8pm

Bonzai Steak & SushiSmooth Jazz

w/ Sam Harriss

6pm

Gruene HallBob Cheevers & Stephen Doster

6pm

The Pour HausOpen Mic

w/ Jon Magill

8pm

Wed 4.8

Phoenix SaloonSwing Dance Night

w/ Celania Quartet

8pm

Rileys TavernTBA

9pm

Billys Ice HouseAaron Stephens

8pm

Gruene HallThe Georges

6pm

The Pour HausKurt Grien

8pm

Vineyard at GrueneZack Walther

6pm

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Fri 4.3Cheatham Street Warehouse

Jonny Burke

w/ Halleyanna, Kathleen OKeefe

9pm

The Continental ClubClub Lineup:

The Blues Specialists

6:30pm

Buggaboo

w/ Cody Jasper

10pm, $10

Gallery Lineup:

Robert Kraft Trio, 8:30pm

Mike Flanigin Trio, 10:30pm, $5

Floores Country StoreTexas Jamm Band

7pm, 18+, $12-$15

Luckenbach Dance HallHayden Whittington

1pm

T & C Miller

4pm

Wagon Aces

8pm

Sams Burger JointBleu Edmondson Band

8pm, $12-$50

Stubbs BBQDr Dog

w/ Mewithoutyou

7pm, Outside, $27-$125

Slomo Drags

10pm, Inside

Triple CrownMark Jungers

6pm

The Organics, Spacecorps,

Mr Lewis & the Funeral 5,

Rock Bottom String Band

9pm

Sat 4.4Cheatham Street Warehouse

Mike & the Moonpies

w/ The Merles

9pm

The Continental ClubClub Lineup:

Redd Volkaert, 3:30pm

Roxy Roca

w/ Latashe Lee

10pm, $10

Gallery Lineup:

Hillary York, 8:30pm

Mike Flanigin Trio, 10:30pm, $5

Floores Country StoreCool Like Roy

7pm, 18+

Luckenbach Dance HallKevin Deal

1pm

Cody Jinks

9pm, $15

Sams Burger JointReady Revolution

w/ RMRS, Mayberry

8pm, $10-$30

Stubbs BBQDr Dog

w/ Wild Child

7pm, Outside, $27-$125

Wiretree

10pm, Inside

Triple CrownLocal Soup, Sloe Your Role,

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On Occasion with Ed FarbererOn Occasion with Ed Farbererwith Ed FarbererOn EasterThis is an important point to remember about religious holidays: They are like trawling.

When you fish with a net, you will capture all the fishy goodness you were hoping for but, along with that, you will also nab some inexplicable tentacled weirdness. Thus, like fishing with a net, holidays also pull along practices from their ancient religious forerunners. Yet, we seldom question why there is so much odd, incongruent stuff in our holy days.

This is why we celebrate Jesus birth with trees, hunks of wood, mistletoe and holly.

This is why, once a year, children dress up and threaten destruction of property if they dont get free food.

This is why we shoot raccoons on Presidents Day.

This is why on the vernal equinox, my grandfather would lie naked and facedown on the lawn, moaning in strange tongues.

And, this is why we have eggs, bunnies and confectionary animal totems during Easter.

The word Easter is from Eostre, the Germanic fertility goddess. This is the seemingly odd combination of eggs and a mammal. As was the case in much of Europe, as Christianity pushed forward, the new believers kept the old beliefs, even long after they had forgot why such practices were there in the first place.

Strangely, then, this is why Jesus resurrection is simultaneously marked with girls dressed in white, and children eating candy and finding eggs left behind by a magic rabbit. This is especially so since, for centuries, Easter was Christianitys highest holy day, being replaced by Christmas during the Victorian Era.

Even Jesus resurrection is similar to vegetation, the lifeblood of all things, which die and are reborn in the spring. The cycle

continues. Jesus didnt die just once, but he dies and is resurrected every year at Easter. And will continue to do so for the foreseeable epoch.

I am not sure whether there are pagans out there, cavorting naked around fires while wearing crucifix necklaces. However, the numerous Easters of my long life have been sadly lacking in nakedness. Except for my aforementioned grandfather, that is.

My grandfather would use any holiday as an excuse to run down the street naked. His nude rampages became such a common occurrence that the cops would just park and wait at the end of the street every holiday (even Canadian Thanksgiving) because it wasnt a matter of if my grandfather would run down the street naked, but when and what color he would be painted. The only time he didnt do this was during New Years Eve because that, he said, would be weird.

Granddads romps were in the days when only the Vanderbilts or Gettys had fancy things like calendars, so the neighbors always appreciated the heads up.

This was especially true for Easter.

How the date is set for this high holy day involves secret religious organizations and differential calculus configured with slide rules. Dont ask how its done, they wont tell you. One year, Easter fell on Christmas. When I asked the priest why this was, he acted as if he didnt know what I was talking about, and told me get off the altar and back into the pew.

I was always an inquisitive child and once asked Father Swarthy Muldoon why

we had eggs and rabbits during the celebration of Our Saviors resurrection.

Its three in the morning and Im trying to sleep! he said. How did you get in here?!

One time, in the second grade, I experienced a moment of true altruism during the Easter season.

My elementary schools PE teacher was Coach Burke. Coach Burke was the kind of guy who desperately wanted to be Vince Lombardy, but couldnt because he was an idiot.

The day before Good Friday, Mediocre Thursday, Coach Burke sent all of us on an Easter egg hunt. If anyone found a dozen eggs, they could skip calisthenics on Monday.

I was in the zone, finding Easter eggs like a dude who could find a lot of Easter eggs. I came up with 11. A boy, whom I didnt even know, asked how many I found.

Eleven, I said. How about you?I found one, he said. He then handed

me his egg, giving me a full dozen.On Monday, I sat in the swings and

played on the monkey bars as the rest of my classmates did jumping jacks and push ups.

On Sunday, we went to my grandparents house. My grandfather was traipsing through the neighborhood, naked and tossing jellybeans into peoples yards. It was a good day.

So, this year, lets all strive to put the Eostre back into Easter.

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By Gustavo Arellano

Dear Mexican: Why do so many cholos like the song Im Your Puppet by James & Bobby Purify? Is there something about this song or is it all oldies they like?

Aspiring Puppeteer

Dear Gabacho: It aint just cholos who are down with oldies-but-goodies. Mexican-Americans of all social classes have largely kept alive that particular music genrethe brown-eyed soul of Thee Midniters and Sonny and the Sunliners, long-forgotten r&b artists like The Penguins and Billy Stewart that arent crazy enough for hipsters to worship ala Esquerita and the Five Du-Tones, but still too threatening to oldies fans whose idea of soul is The Crew Cuts doing Sh-Boom. Oldies-but-goodies speak to the softer side of machismomatch up The Town I Live In with Cancin Mixteca, and youll find theyre one and the mismo.

But rather than me trying to explain further to gabachos why Mexicans are so into oldies, lets turn to the man who devoted his life to keeping the genre alive: legendary DJ Art Laboe!

I think it has to do with the lyrics, Laboe told The Mexican, referring to Im Your Puppet. If you listen to the song, it says Ill do funny things if you want me to, Im your puppet, so [that] means Ill do whatever you want me do to, I love you so much Ill do whatever you say. I believe that is why [guys] like that song.

Its actually in the lyrics of the song, Laboe continued. Ill do anything, Im just a puppet and you hold my string, Im your puppet. Guys often have trouble revealing their feelings and this song lets them do that. Through the years, Im Your Puppet has been one of our most requested songs on The Art Laboe Connection (which broadcasts Monday-Friday 7 pm-midnight, and Sunday 6 p.m. Pacific Time on KOKO94.com, on the smartphone Tune In radio app via KDUC,

and check ArtLaboe.com for the many radio stations in the Southwest and times).

WOWArt Laboe in Ask a Mexican! This column has finally hit its zenithand since its all downhill from here, Art, Id like to dedicate The Agony and the Ecstasy to my sad girl: journalism.

Dear Mexican: I was watching your video about why Mexicans hate yellow cheese, and it made me hungry. I found my way to the kitchen and made some burritos out of odds and endsI wasnt going for anything fancy or authentic, just clearing out some soon-to-be questionable food. So, with beans, rice, jalapeos and (sorry, yellow) cheese as a base, I threw in some chicken and some mushrooms. The mushrooms were crazy-good, but it occurred to me that I never see them in Mexican recipes. Why is that? Are all the Mexican mushroom recipes for magic mushrooms?

Seta Medio Oeste

Dear Midwestern Mushroom: Great plug for my semi-weekly Ask a Mexican! video series, which I tweet out every Wednesday and put on my Facebook page! As to your pregunta We do eat mushroomtheyre called hongos, and you can find them in everything from queso fundido to chilango-style quesadillas. But the fungus Mexis like the most is huitlacoche, which you Midwesterners call corn smut and have long thrown in the trash. But with huitlacoche now commanding top dinero in higher-end kitchens, looks like were going to save your corn-bred culos once more. If it wasnt for Mexis moving to small-town America, Kansas would be emptier than the skull of Mexican president Enrique Pendejo Nieto

Ask the Mexican at themexican@askamexican.net,

be his fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @gustavoarellano or follow him

on Instagram @gustavo_arellano!

ASK A MEXICAN!

!

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All About the GayIm more than a little surprised that gay marriage continues to capture headlines and lure me into writing columns. To me, the issue seems simple, and the rhetoric seems a little hyperbolic. At best, gay marriage affects a fraction of a fraction of the population of the country, and the actions taken by businesses trying to avoid participating in gay marriage represent such a small segment of even that fraction that we are talking about a handful of cases nationwide. And still, we have laws like Indianas Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and the firestorm of media that comes with it.

Amusingly enough, a quick look at the polls will really tell you how all this will end up (at least with regards to what most of us care about): public opinion is changing on gay marriage, with people becoming more and more accepting of it with time. Most of what we are seeing now is just political maneuvering or calculated grandstanding. There is no question that the government cannot treat people differently based on their sexual preference. Its actually some of the side issues that are more interesting.

First, I dont understand this insistence on the part of conservatives to say that laws like Indianas RFRA dont allow discrimination. Of course they do. They are carefully crafted to allow people with religious convictions to discriminate in their choice of customers.

Somewhere along the line discrimination garnered such a poor connotation that people are actively trying to redefine it. We all discriminate all the time. I dont much care for Brussels sprouts, and Ill avoid them if I can. (Sure, Ill eat them and turn up the corners of my mouth at Thanksgiving dinner at a friends house, but Id much rather have the asparagus.) The fact that I prefer one vegetable over another doesnt make me a bad person, and it is not necessarily a bad thing for people to make such choices in their lives even when those choices involve our perception of morality.

Second, I cant believe that the reporting on this issue completely ignores the ironic reversal

of fortunes involved. For quite some time social conservatives have attempted to legislate morality while the liberals have generally argued that such legislation is not only wrong, but not possible. Now its the conservatives faced with attempts to legislate morality, and its the liberals who find themselves in the position of trying to dictate social norms.

The actual power in the equation hasnt changed, though. Social shaming is still much more effective than silly government mandates. For years, homosexuals were forced to stay in the closet because of social judgment. Now its Christians who are looking for the closet door. Some of the basic tenets of their religion have become socially unacceptable. (Its ok to be a Christian, as long as you keep it to yourself.)

The most irritating part of this issue is the level of self-righteousness; it seems to drip from pundits on both sides of the argument, leaving a puddle that has you looking for the puppy. I have a certain amount of sympathy for Christians who feel targeted in all this. They are being targeted, and it isnt really fair. That said, this is perhaps a good object lesson for how judgment can hurt. I seem to recall Christ having a thing or two to say on the subject in that big book of his. On the other side, I feel like its important to remind people that this isnt Selma, and that comparisons to the KKK or Nazis are overblown enough to damage their argument. The sixties are over, and weve come a long way since then.

My biggest concern with regards to RFRA-based laws is that they may, in an unintended way, harm everyone. I think the intent is a good one; government should not have the authority to force people to go against their religious principles or even their conscience. But, by enshrining this idea into law, a special dispensation is being given to religious attitudes that should apply more broadly.

People have the right to discriminate regardless of the reason they do so. One does not need to be a member of a formal church to be a racist, sexist or homophobe, nor are

those the only reasons one might discriminate. It isnt any business of government how people interact with one another so long as they do so lawfully. We already have laws that protect people from actual harm from their fellow man, and we dont need to extend that to hurt feelings. Doing so adds a level of power to government that no one will be safe from. If the government can enforce kindness, can they enforce patriotism? How about modesty or industriousness? We might be better off letting society develop at its own pace without legislative goosing.

Lastly, and most importantly, RFRA laws send the message that we need to pass laws to limit the authority of government in the first place. This is entirely backward. The People retain to themselves those things they have not specifically outlined to the government (either local, state or federal). If we need these laws to specifically restrict government action, then we have already accepted that all things are permissible for government unless they expressly forbidden. This is a dangerous precedent.

To some extent we see this coming up because government has already been given too much latitude. In this country, we have taken businesses to be public accommodations. That view has made them susceptible any number of laws that should bind government (a real public institution) but should not bind privately owned businesses. Rolling back this idea may not be possible any more, and doing so would absolutely allow for a possible return to overt and open discrimination. But, discrimination that is out in the open is the least dangerous type. It allows consumers and society to decide how to react to it, and we already see that society is moving in a more accepting direction. This would be a better way of approaching things than allowing government a toe-hold into every aspect of our economic activity.

Last WordWith Kelly Colby

You can read more from Kelly Colby at yourfirstshrug.blogspot.com.

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