Bill is named in "honor" of Gay teen who committed suicide.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/0 ... 76494.html
Jesus, save me from your followers.
" bill aimed at ending bullying has passed in the Republican-controlled Michigan Senate, but ignited a somewhat emotional wave of criticism among Democrats, TIME's Swampland reports.
The staunch opposition stems from the fact that the law allows harassment by teachers and students as long as they can claim their actions are rooted in a "sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction."
On the floor, Senator Gretchen Whitmer gave a harsh criticism dripping with emotion, WWMT reported.
"You may be able to pat yourselves on the back today and say that you did something," she said. "But in actuality you are explicitly outlining how to get away with bullying," Whitmer said.
In her speech, Whitmer went on to outline the irony is naming the bill "Matt's Safe School Law," after a Michigan teen who committed suicide in 2002 after a gay-bullying incident. Since the law allows bullying based on religious and moral convictions, those who truly believe homosexuality is wrong are free to torment classmates consequence-free.
Matt's father Kevin Epling told the Detroit Free Press that the law makes him "ashamed" and called it "government-sanctioned bigotry."
The bill's sponsor Republican Sen. Rick Jones told the paper that while the motion "may not be perfect" he believes it's a step in the right direction.
