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This is in response to the letter stating the Idaho is “a beacon of discrimination.” (April 12, 2016)

Genuine rights in this country are defined in the Bill of Rights. Some examples of real rights that can be demonstrated in the document are freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, freedom of association, freedom of speech and the right to keep and bear arms. As LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) “rights” increase, real First Amendment rights will decrease or be lost. So when a state protects or strengthens real First Amendment rights, the state is actually a beacon of real rights.

There is no “right” in the Bill of Rights to not be disagreed with, there is no right in the Bill of Rights to never be told “no,” there is no right in the Bill of Rights to extort/force business owners to cater to, or go along with same sex marriages in violation of their religious convictions. No one has a constitutional right to force someone to celebrate or agree with his/her marriage. Let’s face it, the logical end of lesbian, gay, transgender “rights” is this: no right to disagree with, or say anything against the lifestyle, no right to preach/teach what the Bible says about it, not right for a business owner of a marriage-related (e.g. wedding) business to decline to associate with same sex marriage and the loss of real rights (First Amendment rights.) This sounds like tyranny to me.

JASON OTTO

Cocolalla