Bill of bigotry

The PG recently announced that state Reps. Daryl Metcalfe and Harry Readshaw are supporting legislation that will cause Pennsylvania to follow Arizona and "protect its borders and citizens" ("Legislators Hope to Mirror Arizona," May 5). Given that they are public officials, we should treat their proposal with all the respect it deserves. Therefore, I will not describe it as a bigoted piece of garbage.

Frankly, their position is confusing. Precisely which border are they planning to protect? Pennsylvania is bordered by New York, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware.

Precisely which citizens will they protect? We know that Rep. Metcalfe doesn't feel that people who are Islamic or don't believe in Jesus deserve equal consideration under the law. We also know that he voted against something as simple as recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Perhaps he intends to protect our borders from Jewish women from West Virginia and Muslim men from Ohio?

Apparently, Rep. Readshaw is easily led. That's the only explanation for his behavior in the face of the overwhelming intelligence of Daryl Metcalfe -- or our state's motorcycle jockeys. How can we explain Mr. Readshaw's support for helmetless motorcycle riding (the Pennsylvania Unintentional Organ Donor Law)? Perhaps he's had too many falls off his own bike (another graduate of the Big Ben School of Cycling Safety?).

As I said, we should treat their proposal with the respect it deserves -- then discard it as the garbage that it is.

ALBERT SCHUBERT
Penn Hills