http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/10/ ... riage.html
Clearly, this city's decision makers deliberately discriminated and went after this farmer because they didn't like his religious beliefs - specific beliefs that are very common across the country amongst people of many faiths. And this is precisely why we must be very careful about making sure people continue to have the freedom of refusal in how they might refuse business or services they feel violates their personal moral sensibilities. Because, even though this case is different (doesn't involve services or products being denied), it does show that there are many people, given the power of policy making in government, would orchestrate ordinances and promote regulations that would take an official view that some people's personal moral beliefs are hateful and thus abhorrent, and thus such people think such people of conscience should pay a price for their moral beliefs, or how those beliefs are acted out. Now, right now, is this a huge, widespread problem? I'd say, not widespread, but far more common in certain uber-liberal pockets of the country. Which is very frightening, if not confronted and discouraged, so as not to creep into laws across the land.
The state and government needs to STAY out of micro-managing how people have the freedom to respond to moral dilemmas they find themselves in. And, believe me, there are many chomping at the bit to use the law to go after people whose sense of moral conscience is different from their own. Funny thing is, this country has corrected substantial discriminatory practices that were merely aimed at people of color, minorities in general, gender, etc. And such corrections were very important. And we've done quite well as a country in respecting the freedoms of people to make moral decisions within their own personal businesses, per their own beliefs.
Ah, but suddenly we're to believe there is some grave crisis that needs legal address and radical remedies, as if allowing people freedom of their own conscience, without fear of repercussions, has suddenly created some huge issue that needs new corrections and absolutes via new policies and laws. There is NO freaking crisis! It's merely a manufactured assertion by those who, under the guise of supposedly protecting universal freedoms, are willing to limit the freedoms of millions so impacted by such tinkering with policies and law. But of course, it doesn't end there - as such people are willing and desire to see huge fines, businesses shut down, even jail, levied against those whose moral conscience is different from theirs. And just because such stories aren't yet widespread, it doesn't mean there aren't many who'd like to see that happen. It's people who want to use law and policies to make people conform to their own views, and not the views their targets prefer, that can grow into a nightmare - if not kept in check. It never ceases to amaze me that, rather than find another easy way around a minor inconvenience, when a service or business has been refused due to a clear, personal moral issue, that rather than be miffed and move on to find another business, they want to pursue legal remedies that have the ability to substantially hurt a business person - and give the costs of lawyers, lost business, etc., one could even lose their business whenever some idiot sues them. This is just totally wrong!