With recent bills in North Carolina and Mississippi that have been passed and are — in their basic form — a way to legalize discrimination against the LGBT community, I join Dane County executive Joe Parisi in calling on Gov. Scott Walker to not take up similar legislation in Wisconsin.

County executive takes stand against states with anti-LGBTQ laws

These “religious freedom” bills have swept the nation as many states have taken up similar bills that are actually just legislation that codifies discrimination into state law. The argument for these bills goes as such: “If I don’t believe in gay marriage and don’t believe in that ‘lifestyle,’ then I should be able to refuse gay people service at my business.”

That illogical thought, that un-American argument, should not be something governors actively strive to make legal.

Now, America is about expressing opinions. So if you don’t believe in the same things as me, that is fine. Just because people disagree with you or your beliefs, that does not mean they are the enemy. They are not an “other,” most likely they are your neighbor or your friend. Many liberals see conservatives as people who are trying to ruin America, and many conservatives see liberals as people who are trying to ruin America — in actuality, that mentality is ruining America.

Because of this, bills like these “religious freedom” bills happen. Because of this mentality, people across the country believe bills and laws need to be made for every little thing. Instead of accepting differences between people, we shut people with the slightest of difference out of our conversations and out of our lives.

And while these atrocious bills — sponsored by Republicans — are a shining example of what’s wrong with the American political system, Democrats are also at fault.

Political correctness is good, to a point. Slurs and hate speech are not things that should be accepted in our society. But many times, those who identify as Democrats hear something they disagree with and they cry bigotry or hate. Instead of debating, they try and shut the other side out. This is personified most by the fact that 40 percent of millennials actually support making “offensive” speech illegal according to law.

Making laws about every little thing you disagree with is not what we should be striving to do. Out of that, you get laws that codify discrimination into law or that codifies limited speech into law.

So I’ll go one step further than Parisi. I call on Walker, and all governors across the nation, to not take up frivolous laws formed because one person simply disagrees with the other. Get over your differences and get on with your lives, because if there is one thing America doesn’t need, it’s more stupid laws.

Luke Schaetzel ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in political science and journalism.