Who knew Indiana & Illinois were so cool?

From the December 2, 2205 issue of New Jersey Lawyer Daily Briefing... (emphasis is mine)
______________________________________

The state of Illinois requires pharmacies that dispense contraceptives approved by the Food and Drug Administration to fill prescriptions for emergency birth control, commonly called the "morning after" pill. But four Walgreens pharmacists in the St. Louis area have refused to fill the prescriptions, saying they're exercising their religious or moral objections. Walgreens responded by putting the four on unpaid leave. So far, six other pharmacists have sued over the rule imposed in April, contending it forces them to violate their religious beliefs. Many of the suits were filed by Americans United for Life, a public-interest law firm in Chicago. The state could revoke the license of both a pharmacy and the store's chief pharmacist if they don't comply with the regulation.
_______________________________________

Fucking Walgreens rocks! And apparently so do the laws in Illinois. I mean really, how freaking awesome is that? Of course who knows what the hell will happen with the lawsuit, but seriously -- if you don't want to hand out what has been legally prescribed then don't be a fucking pharmacist. I really don't understand where the fuck these guys get off (and excuse me, but if I had to fathom a guess, my guess is they are all men, and white men at that). In the words of John at AmericaBlog, "I already have a priest, and he doesn't work at Target." (11/14/05). Or Walgreens, as the case may be. OK -- I don't have a priest, but I do have a doctor. And if she prescribes something for me, these guys fucking JOB is to give it to me. If they can't manage to do that because they have some moral objection, then find another fucking career. Because if pharmacists get to decide what drugs people were allowed to have, they aren't pharmacists anymore -- they're doctors. And most people generally prefer that their doctors went to, oh I don't know, medical school? I would love to just bitch-slap one of these guys. But at least Walgreens gets it. Go Walgreens.

AND...
_________________________________________

The speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives is barred from mentioning Jesus Christ or endorsing any religion in prayers at the beginning of legislative sessions. While U.S. District Judge David Hamilton didn't ban prayers completely, he ended a 188-year tradition when he ordered that any person chosen to give the invocation must be instructed that it must not advance one faith or be used to convert listeners. The American Civil Liberties Union sued the state, contending the prayers overwhelmingly promoted Christian values to the exclusion of other beliefs.

__________________________________________

I swear, I want to go to Indiana and shake Judge Hamilton's hand. Because the ACLU was right. And its about time someone started recognizing it and started treating Christianity, and Christians, just like everybody fucking else. Maybe if enough people do this, Christians will start to recognize that their religion and their beliefs do not make them almighty. Maybe they will realize that freedom of religion doesn't mean they are free to push their religion on the rest of us. Thank you Judge Hamilton. Let's just hope the judges on the Court of Appeals share your good sense.