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This is why every time someone here says "hey, move to Texas, it's better!" I just have to shake my head. Sure, nowhere is perfect, but between the school board

This is why every time someone here says "hey, move to Texas, it's better!" I just have to shake my head. Sure, nowhere is perfect, but between the school boards in Texas and the medical board, plus the unconstitutional laws still on the books against electing atheists, I just can't see myself living there. Yes, I know Austin is a tech mecca of the midwest, but there's a cultural problem in the whole state that stories like these point to.

Zigurd 13y ago
Republic of Texas. It's a win-win.
angersock 13y ago
"unconstitutional laws still on the books against electing atheists" Point to any recent cases where that's been used to actually prevent an election. Every state has stupid laws on the books, seldom enforced. As for the school and medical boards, while there are some mistakes that get made, coverage like this makes it more likely, not less, that things will get fixed. "cultural problem in the whole state" is painting in really, really broad strokes, and inaccurate ones at that.
- npsimons 13y ago
  Point to any recent cases where that's been used to actually prevent an election. Every state has stupid laws on the books, seldom enforced. And yet Texas is one of a dozen states out of 50 that still have a law banning atheists from office; sure it's not enforced, but it sends a message: atheists aren't welcome here. As for the school and medical boards, while there are some mistakes that get made, coverage like this makes it more likely, not less, that things will get fixed. "cultural problem in the whole state" is painting in really, really broad strokes, and inaccurate ones at that. So you get some school boards that mess up every once in a while in every state; medical boards too. You don't see it happening, though, again and again, as in Texas. Oh, and I completely forgot about things like the death penalty and shutting down of Planned Parenthood and abortion clinics. Need I go on? I'm sure there are plenty of nice people who live in Texas; I'm just not too keen on joining them until they sort some things out.
  - angersock 13y ago
    "And yet Texas is one of a dozen states out of 50 that still have a law banning atheists from office; sure it's not enforced, but it sends a message: atheists aren't welcome here." It's things like this that give atheists such a bad name: willfully taking offense at something that is clearly just vestigial legislation. Much as I enjoy seeing our legislature inaction, I prefer they don't waste precious cycles on updating such clearly antiquated codes until they become an issue, for real, in practice. As for the others, you probably just haven't heard of them yet. Terrifying, no?
deleted 13y ago
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Zigurd 13y ago

Republic of Texas. It's a win-win.

angersock 13y ago

"unconstitutional laws still on the books against electing atheists" Point to any recent cases where that's been used to actually prevent an election. Every state has stupid laws on the books, seldom enforced. As for the school and medical boards, while there are some mistakes that get made, coverage like this makes it more likely, not less, that things will get fixed. "cultural problem in the whole state" is painting in really, really broad strokes, and inaccurate ones at that.

npsimons 13y ago
Point to any recent cases where that's been used to actually prevent an election. Every state has stupid laws on the books, seldom enforced. And yet Texas is one of a dozen states out of 50 that still have a law banning atheists from office; sure it's not enforced, but it sends a message: atheists aren't welcome here. As for the school and medical boards, while there are some mistakes that get made, coverage like this makes it more likely, not less, that things will get fixed. "cultural problem in the whole state" is painting in really, really broad strokes, and inaccurate ones at that. So you get some school boards that mess up every once in a while in every state; medical boards too. You don't see it happening, though, again and again, as in Texas. Oh, and I completely forgot about things like the death penalty and shutting down of Planned Parenthood and abortion clinics. Need I go on? I'm sure there are plenty of nice people who live in Texas; I'm just not too keen on joining them until they sort some things out.
- angersock 13y ago
  "And yet Texas is one of a dozen states out of 50 that still have a law banning atheists from office; sure it's not enforced, but it sends a message: atheists aren't welcome here." It's things like this that give atheists such a bad name: willfully taking offense at something that is clearly just vestigial legislation. Much as I enjoy seeing our legislature inaction, I prefer they don't waste precious cycles on updating such clearly antiquated codes until they become an issue, for real, in practice. As for the others, you probably just haven't heard of them yet. Terrifying, no?

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]