A local judge in Colorado has decided that the baker MUST bake a wedding cake for everyone if he bakes one for anyone. So what next, a customer demands a marijuana cake, the baker refuses on legal grounds so the judge tells him he MUST bake such a cake if he bakes chocolate, white and carrot cakes??
You may say this is a bit far fetched, but think about a Vegan ordering a cake and demanding a change in the standard ingredients. No eggs, no animal based shortening, and then complaining because the cake had not risen or was not really “tasty” or by the way, cost more. Again, you may say too far fetched, but really?? Think about it, who would have believed a year ago that you could use the law to force a baker to bake you a cake.
I have said this before and will say it again; businesses are in business to make money. To turn down a client means they lose business. Turn down too many clients and they are out of business. This business logic will either force businesses to change their rationale for declining to serve a particular class of customer or allow them to survive with a smaller customer base and a smaller income.
I detest smoking. I tried cigarettes when I was 16 and quickly decided I did not like the taste nor the way it made my clothes smell (Oh and by the way, I never learned to inhale.) I object to cigarette smoke in my house and business. Just as much, I hate picking up the butts clients leave in my parking area when they comply with the “no smoking” rule.
However, I think we have stepped way over the mark of reasonableness when we don’t allow ANY restaurant or bar to permit smoking. That is a business decision. If a local bar allows smoking, and their customers complain or stop frequenting the establishment, very soon the bar owner’s will ban smoking on their own.
But, if the bar is frequented by smokers and everyone smokes who comes there (or at least no one objects to the smoke), then why not allow an establishment to cater to the “smoking” crowd? Ah ha, because it is not healthy and because the government cares. Yes well, did anyone imagine when the “smokeless restaurant” policy was established to protect us from our bad habits that the next step would be to protect us from obesity by forbidding oversize drinks or controlling what goes into hamburgers? What is next, mandated exercise programs with special caveats for the elderly or disabled?
Surely we still have people in government who remember reading about prohibition. What was the result of that dreadful experiment that created an entirely new criminal class and industry? After thirteen long years it was discovered that “you cannot legislate morality”.
We are still trying to control our citizenry beyond the bounds of anyone’s imagination a few years ago. The new socialists gaining power want to legislate everything we do, every decision we make and now, every opinion we hold.
How and where this will end I don’t know, but pretty soon this will not be a country in which we have any freedoms at all.
linesfromlinden 