Letter: Senate shows backbone with workplace bill

The U.S. Senate has sent a bipartisan message to the American people: there shall be equality in the workplace. All those who work shall be judged not by the color of their skin, their sex, their religious beliefs or their sexual orientation, but rather by their performance in the workplace. We should all applaud this action. It is a continuation of the effort for human equality and dignity for all born out of the Civil War, giving women the right to vote and the civil rights movement. And it is the policy and goal set forth by our founding fathers with the words "all men are created equal."

Each step forward in the civil rights movement has taken much longer than it should, so the action of the U.S. Senate, while overdue, is most welcome.

Now it is up to the House of Representatives to bring the measure to the floor of the House for a vote. The failure to do so would be an act of cowardice on behalf of House leadership. It would be a sin. Press your Congress members to show some backbone and seek a vote on the legislation aimed at banning workplace discrimination.

Bruce Cohne

Salt Lake City