Arizona--The Constitution Applies to You Too

The reasons to cross Arizona off your travel plans just keep coming.  First there was the 'Show Your Papers' law that discriminated against people of color in general, and Hispanics in particular.  Now the legislature has passed a bill that would allow businesses to discriminate against gay and lesbian citizens based on "religious beliefs".

Senator Al Melvin, in an interview with an incredulous (and gay) Anderson Cooper, said that he wants "maximal religious freedom" in Arizona.  What does he mean by that?  He acknowledges that there are dozens, if not hundreds of religions, so is he advocating for heroin worshipping store owners to be able to indulge in that frimly held belief?  He dodges every direct question that Cooper posed to him, but I am going to guess he is not.  So what about those who want to follow the Bible literally?  Will they be able to have slaves?  Multple spouses?  Stone their disobedient children to death?  Read Leviticus--there are an awful lot of laws in there that secular governments disallow.  Is discrimination of gays the only thing that we will have religious freedom to do?  Why is that?  I find the argument baffling.  But it really isn't a reasoned approach--it is taking one's bigotry, wrapping it in rhetoric that is supposed to be seen as self-explanatory, and hoping nobody notices that you are hateful.  Thankfully the Governor vetoed the legislation, but the fact remains, the people of Arizona voted for representation that makes them appear to be living in a previous century.