It’s Easy to Stand Up Against “Discrimination” When There’s No Risk

I have been trying to ignore the brouhaha regarding Indiana’s new Religious Freedom Restoration Act.  What with all of the wars in the Middle East (a lot more than normal), the talks on Iran’s nuclear program (and trying to figure out what we are going to have to concede on to get them to sign an agreement that they will then violate), Russia invading Ukraine, and baseball season starting Sunday night at Wrigley Field (with a video board but without restrooms; first things first), it just didn’t seem all that important.  It actually has seemed pretty silly.  But, it keeps on keeping on, so here are a couple of thoughts.  I will use Tim Cook’s, head of Apple, op-ed in The Washington Post, as representative of those who are protesting.

Mr. Cook “remember[s] what it was like to grow up in the South in the 1960s and 1970s.”  I would imagine that it might have been difficult for him.  On the other hand, I don’t think anybody reasonably thinks Indiana’s new law, or the 1993 federal law that it is modelled after, is going to result in “Whites Only” signs on shop doors and restrooms.  (It certainly won’t in the left field concourse at Wrigley Field.  The restrooms there aren’t going to be open to anybody.)

Mr. Cook goes on to say: 

“This isn’t a political issue.  It isn’t a religious issue.  This is about how we treat each other as human beings.  Opposing discrimination takes courage.  With the lives and dignity of so many people at stake, it’s time for all of us to be courageous.”

Two comments on this.  First, it takes very little courage to oppose discrimination against gays and lesbians in Cupertino, California.  In fact, it looks like it takes more courage to support religious freedom there.  (See here.)

Second, I would be more impressed with Mr. Cook’s, and Apple’s, supposed courage in fighting against discrimination and for the “lives and dignity” of people, it they didn’t have as many stores and factories making Apple's products in the People’s Republic of China.  If Mr. Cook thinks it was hard growing up in Texas in the 1960s and 1970s, he ought to try not agreeing with the government in China today.  Courage is easy when it doesn’t cost anything.  I wonder if Mr. Cook, and Apple, are willing to be courageous in defending the “lives and dignity” of people in China, in addition to Indiana.
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UPDATE (4/1/15 4:30 pm): Corrected two typo/grammatical errors and added a link.