Getty Images for Environmental Media AwardsArnold Schwarzenegger has written a bold and powerful op-ed blasting Indiana Governor Mike Pence's anti-gay religious freedom law.
"As an American, I'm incredibly concerned about what happened in Indiana this week and the threat of similar laws being passed in other states. As a Republican, I'm furious," the former California governor writes (via The Washington Post). "Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, spoke to all Americans earlier this week about this issue, and he should be applauded. Now I'd like to speak to some of my fellow Republicans. I know plenty of Republicans who are sensible and driven to solve problems for America. They believe in Reagan's vision of a big tent where everyone is welcome. This message isn't for them."
The 67-year-old continues, "It is for Republicans who choose the politics of division over policies that improve the lives of all of us. It is for Republicans who have decided to neglect the next generation of voters. It is for Republicans who are fighting for laws that fly in the face of equality and freedom. If we want our party to grow and last, we must be focused on real solutions to problems Americans are facing."
Schwarzenegger lists a bevy of problems ranging from infrastructure to education and pollution before adding, "But distracting, divisive laws like the one Indiana initially passed aren't just bad for the country, they're also bad for our party."
"If the Republican Party wants the next generation of voters to listen to our ideas and solutions to real problems, we must be an inclusive and open party, not a party of divisions," Schwarzenegger concludes. "We must be the party of limited government, not the party that legislates love. We must be the party that stands for equality and against discrimination in any form. We must be the party that originally attracted this young Austrian immigrant."