[Originally Published March 4th 2017 on Wordpress]
INTRODUCTION:
Now let me state for the record, I have ABSOLUTELY NO ISSUES with same-sex marriage. PLEASE DO NOT use this post as an opportunity to misinterpret my views on marriage. I personally believe if the marriage is between consenting adults, there is nothing to object to. However, all because the vast majority of society has no objections to same-sex marriage, what about those who still do? Should the state enforce regulations, that forces these individuals to comply with actions that are incongruent with their beliefs? This moral quandary between free will and pressures to conform to societal norms often manifests itself in real situations.
One situation that exemplifies this dilemma is the case of Aaron and Melissa Klein. The couple both were subjected to legal ramifications for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a homosexual couple. While personal I support same-sex marriage, I also realize that there are individuals who disagree with me. The question then becomes should we penalize individuals for choosing to provide non-vital services based on convictions? Should the government be able to infringe upon the right to a business owner to refuse non-vital services based on conviction? I believe that, while I support gay marriage, the state does not have the right to overextend authority to either deny the right of a business owner to refuse service or penalize them for doing so.
NEWS STORY:
The whole situation was engendered in September of 2013, when the owners of Sweet Cakes, refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex wedding. While the owners cited their Christian beliefs as being the reason for denying service, unwittingly the couple violated Oregon anti-discrimination laws. Then Rachel Bowman-cryer filed a complaint against the bakery. [3] Brad Avakian of the Bureau of Labor and Industries levied a $135,000.00 fine against the couple for noncompliance. However, the couple has taken the case up to the Supreme Court in an attempt to get the fine overturned. On 3/2/17 the couple went back to court. The Klein's lawyer, Adam Gustafson, argued:
"The law cannot compel an architect to design a church,” said Adam Gustafson, an attorney for the Kleins. “It cannot compel a rabbi to marry a Christian and a Jew.”
The couple's lawyer is working to see if they can make headway on making religious exemptions for Oregon's current anti-discrimination laws. [4]
DISCUSSION:
Now, please be careful while reading below, DO NOT CASUALLY PURSUE THROUGH THIS SECTION!!!!!! For the record, personally, I FULLY SUPPORT GAY RIGHTS. I PERSONALLY believe that THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO RIGHT TO INTERFERE WITH MARRIAGE BETWEEN CONSENTING ADULTS. If any the social justice warriors want to label me as homophobic, then they are just displaying their fucking IGNORANCE. However, the government should not be pressuring us to provide services to anyone and everyone. That is not a matter that the overarching tentacles of bureaucracy are going to remedy. Why not let the market naturally settle matters on its own. What I mean by this instead of utilizing the authority of the government, vote with your wallet. Because as much as the Kleins have the right to deny service, consumers have a right to deny business. I can guarantee you any gay libertarian would agree with this course of action. If it is legal is to agree with same-sex marriage, it should not be grounds for punishment nor illegal to disagree. We as a country cannot capitulate our individual sovereignty and free choice in the name of political correctness. If anything for all of you who are still appalled by this scenario, think of it this way, their stance is bad for business. If a business is cretinous enough to deny business on grounds of sexual orientation they deserve to lose money. It's called economic Darwinism. If you deny opportunities to make, you deserve whatever repercussions come from it. Remember the free market will balance itself out, no need for Uncle Sam to do the heavy lifting.
FOOT NOTES:
1. https://youtu.be/-zBP0rWA6Fo
2.https://invertedlogicblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/04/political-opinions-15bake-or-not-to-bake-that-is-the-question
3.http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_55a946fae4b0d2ded39ee44e
4. https://www.theliberterianrepublic.com/christian-bakers-forced-pay-135000-refusing-bake-cake-gay-couple/amp/