Cathi Herrod: As the Dust Settles

The veto of SB 1062 is a loss for our entire state. Not just because Arizonans won’t be provided with the basic protections within the bill, but because we saw for the first time how effective the politics of fear and intimidation can truly be.Yet, as with many things, good can come out of disappointing circumstances.One of the immediate benefits from this experience is that our friends across the country are waking up to the very real threats to religious freedom and what’s happening in Arizona.There have been some interesting posts across the web throughout this situation that clearly show the country is waking up to religious hostility.Before I share some of these articles, I want to especially thank our allies across the country for standing with us, especially our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom, Family Research Council, CitizenLink, and American Family Association.Arizona bill protects religious freedom by Cathi Herrod in USA Today “… the lies and misinformation about SB 1062 have spread across our state and nation. Yet the truth about this important bill is much more simple and sensible.”Brewer’s Foolish Veto by Rich Lowry in Politico Magazine “A headline from The Week declared, ‘There is nothing Christian about Arizona’s anti-gay bill.’ It would be more accurate to say that there was nothing anti-gay about Arizona’s anti-gay bill.”Brewer picked the pigskin by Gary Bauer in the End of Day Report “Right before your eyes, significant parts of Scripture are on the verge of being declared off-limits, subjecting you to accusations of bigotry and jeopardizing the tax-exempt status of your church.”Fiedorek: Setting the record straight on SB 1062 by Alliance Defending Freedom’s Kellie Fiedorek in the East Valley Tribune “It’s a shame we even need a bill like this in America. But the increasing use of government coercion to threaten and punish its own citizens has made it necessary.”Error-zona: Brewer Ditches Facts to Save Face by Tony Perkins in Family Research Council’s Washington Update “The media's coverage stunned supporters of SB 1062, who wondered how the press could be talking about the same bill the legislature had just passed.”Brewer vetoes legislation designed to protect religious liberty by Katrina Trinko on the Heritage Foundation’s The Foundry Blog “Everyone should be free to live and love as they choose, but no one should demand that government coerce others into celebrating their relationship.”Eleven Law Professors send letter to Gov. Brewer “Some of us are Republicans; some of us are Democrats. Some of us are religious; some of us are not. Some of us oppose same-sex marriage; some of us support it. Nine of the eleven signers of this letter believe that you should sign the bill; two are unsure. But all of us believe that many criticisms of the Arizona bill are deeply misleading.”