Want proof that America is still a government that is, as President Abraham Lincoln said in the Gettysburg Address, “of the people, by the people, for the people?” Look no farther than Indiana’s now infamous Senate Bill 101.

Somewhat misleadingly called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the controversial bill put a harsh spotlight on the Hoosier state and Gov. Mike Pence. It also showed that a strong public voice — led by citizens and much of the business community — can make a difference, helping to drag lawmakers back to reality when necessary and remind them for whom they actually work.

If you have been living in a cave for the past few weeks and don’t know what SB 101 is, here is a quick refresher. The law essentially would have allowed individuals and companies to claim as a legal defense that their exercise of religion has been restricted. It remains somewhat unclear exactly what the true intent of the law was but, based on the fact that Indiana does not have statewide anti-discrimination laws protecting sexual orientation and gender identity, SB101 certainly would have opened the door to potential discrimination against a growing segment of our citizenry.

The bottom line is that this law poised our southern neighbor on a dangerously slippery slope of discrimination and seemed to fly in the face of the brand Indiana has built around “Hoosier hospitality.”

The public outcry was tremendous and offered a great reminder that we, collectively as a community, can make impact positive change. Dozens of corporations, organizations and others took a firm stance by organizing boycotts, looking at alternatives to hosting conferences or housing headquarters in Indiana and generally reminding lawmakers that they must truly represent their constituents.

The Indianapolis Star showed newspapers still remain an important platform and have a powerful voice when it made the rare decision to dedicate its entire front page to an opinion editorial. The massive headline sent a clear message: FIX THIS NOW.

On April 2, barely a week after the governor signed the bill into law and after first declaring nothing was wrong with the law, the legislature took major steps toward implementing changes that have been widely viewed as providing significant protections to the LGBT community.

As one of my colleagues said, “when people care enough to voice their opinions, change happens.”

Regardless of the intent of the law or whether or not it actually would’ve allowed discrimination, it certainly seemed to go against the principles our country was founded on, and that is freedom for all, especially the idea that there is a fine line between granting religious freedoms and using those beliefs as a weapon to persecute those who are different.

In the end, it is the people of Indiana who made democracy work. The effects were felt here in Michigan and far beyond.

 

Michael Caldwell is the publisher of Leader Publications LLC. He can be reached at (269) 687-7700 or by email at mike.caldwell@leaderpub.com.