Monday, April 6, 2015
Florida Bakery Faces Threats After Refusing To Print Anti-Gay Message On A Cake
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/05/florida-bakery-anti-gay-message_n_7007390.html DUE 13 APRIL 2015. SO...Assume that you are a Senator attempting to solve this problem: Under what circumstances should businesses be able to refuse service to any person? Explain in detail with a great deal of thought.
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Businesses can refuse service for almost any reason (or no reason) with exceptions. Those exceptions at the federal level are race, religion, gender, national origin, and disability/perceived disability (refusing service based on sexual preference does not violate any federal law). Some states have laws covering all these categories plus sexual preference, and some also include transgendered persons and transsexuals. If its a private owned business you get to choose who to give service or not, the thing is that people can start a polemic against your business and it is only up to you if you want your business to work or to close down. If I was a senator trying to solve this problem (I'm thinking in a political corrupt way) I would favor the majority. Why? I want votes I need people on my side so if gay people are the majority I will try to solve their issues and be on their side. All I want is voters.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a Senator trying to solve this problem, then I would set the record straight. You CANNOT discriminate against someone for their race, gender, religion, impairment, nationality, or their sexual prefrence! Discrimination was ruled as unlawful by the Supreme Court after the Brown v. Board of Education trial. Some would say that they wouldn't care and that they would go to a different establishment. But it still hurts to have someone there saying they refuse to share the same space as you because of who you are. They shouldn't have to deal with this. We've come so far as a country, only to backtrack. A business should only be able to refuse someone if they go against legal regulations of the establishment. Such as no, or no shirt. At least something along the line of causing a public disturbance or committing some sort of act of violent or what not. But you CANNOT refuse someone because of who you are! That is discrimination! No if, ands, or buts. That bakery shouldn't have to put those negative comments on a cake. As they said "it's a two way street." If Indiana can be anti-gay, then Florida can be 100% pro-freedom. And it's not like they told them they don't serve anti-gays, they just refuse to perform that task. So all that hate and negative they're getting are uncalled for. I personally can say that the situation in Indiana can compare to segregation back in the days. Sone of the businesses there are having to put up signs that say they DO in fact serve gays. And if I was Senator, this bill would have never gotten passed in the first place. Not in my state, not now, and not ever! And the fact that Indiana's Senator claimed that this wasn't what he intended was straight up nonsense. If it wasn't what he intended then he would have made stricter guidelines for what he did mean in the passed law. And instead of owning up to the mistake he made, he kept making excuses for his reasons. On top of that, he doesn't veto the law, hwjuat claims that ir will be revised to show stricter guides to the law. I honestly don't think I could call America "the land of the free," with Indiana's new law doing this to people.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a Senator trying to solve this problem I would say that any business has the right to do what they feel is right. There is no reason why they should be cursed at for not putting offensive words on a cake. If they say no it's there choice they are pro-freedom and are not anti-gay, so that's why they chose not to follow that request. It's a two way street the owner said, and they will not follow what Indiana is doing, they will do what ever they choose.So what if they lose a couple customers due to that they may earn more who are for gays. They want their business to be successful and not seen as a anti-gay establishment. Despite that as Senator my solution also includes businesses to serve whom they choose, so if you support anti-gays and they don't serve those kind of people they don't have to serve you. They are free to do whatever, along with that their will be no discrimination against anyone by race, skin, religion, or gender if I were Senator. That's my solution to this problem.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a Senator trying to solve this problem, I would encourage religious practices by privately owned businesses. Regardless of whether or not the business looses clientele, they will have to account for their decision for a loss or gain in income. And whether or not they decide to discriminate, they still have to pay the same taxes to the government. In order to regulate this however so that the majority of businesses dont discriminate against a certain group of people, I would make it lawful that only a certain amount of companies be able to discriminate against certain groups. For example, there can only be 15% discriminatory companies within a state. Something along those lines.
ReplyDeleteGuns are given a time period of when you can get one, so I'd say a person that wants to discriminate must have their file processed and can get the ability to do so within year. Within that year they can choose to redress their application. This way people could make more thoughtful decisions. There would also be an application fee and a raise in taxes for people who choose to discriminate. Yay, more money for me. By taking this standpoint, I achieve the wishes of both sides.
If I were a Senator trying to solve this problem, then I would set the record straight. You CANNOT discriminate against someone for their race, gender, religion, impairment, nationality, or their sexual prefrence! Discrimination was ruled as unlawful by the Supreme Court after the Brown v. Board of Education trial. Some would say that they wouldn't care and that they would go to a different establishment. But it still hurts to have someone there saying they refuse to share the same space as you because of who you are. They shouldn't have to deal with this. We've come so far as a country, only to backtrack. A business should only be able to refuse someone if they go against legal regulations of the establishment. Such as no, or no shirt. At least something along the line of causing a public disturbance or committing some sort of act of violent or what not. But you CANNOT refuse someone because of who you are! That is discrimination! No if, ands, or buts. That bakery shouldn't have to put those negative comments on a cake. As they said "it's a two way street." If Indiana can be anti-gay, then Florida can be 100% pro-freedom. And it's not like they told them they don't serve anti-gays, they just refuse to perform that task. So all that hate and negative they're getting are uncalled for. I personally can say that the situation in Indiana can compare to segregation back in the days. Sone of the businesses there are having to put up signs that say they DO in fact serve gays. And if I was Senator, this bill would have never gotten passed in the first place. Not in my state, not now, and not ever! And the fact that Indiana's Senator claimed that this wasn't what he intended was straight up nonsense. If it wasn't what he intended then he would have made stricter guidelines for what he did mean in the passed law. And instead of owning up to the mistake he made, he kept making excuses for his reasons. On top of that, he doesn't veto the law, hwjuat claims that ir will be revised to show stricter guides to the law. I honestly don't think I could call America "the land of the free," with Indiana's new law doing this to people.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, nobody in the world should be discriminated by for any reason. Not because of their race, their religion, their background, their sexual orientation, their gender, or anything at all. Everyone should be able to get served anything or buy anything in every businesses. It is a business, it’s a place where you get money and customers come and go. I don’t see how religion has to do with anything, you go to work which means you will interact with every type of people every single day. If you don’t like that person, then move somewhere else and let someone else work that position. Nobody should be discriminated, we live in the land of “freedom” but having this law, and it isn’t so much freedom for those who are being discriminated. A business should only be allowed to refuse help or serve someone if they had caused a huge disruption or show any violence towards the workers or the business. But then again, if businesses really wanted to discriminate against certain groups of people, then they should change it to a privately owned business. That bakery shouldn’t be getting phone threats, or mean phone calls because they didn’t want to put something like that on their cake. It is their business and they can do whatever they want. They want to serve everyone, and not to discriminate. If I was the senator I would never had passed that bill. It is pretty sad that some places has to put a sign that says they serve gay people, like that’s so unnecessary. Everyone should feel welcome to anywhere.
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ReplyDeleteIf I were a Senator trying to solve this issue, I would simply say that this shouldn’t have been a problem, nor will it continue to be a problem. Race, religion, sexuality, and other personal factors, should not play any role in whether or not a business should serve or not serve a person. A person should never be targeted just because they may be different from others. The issue between blacks and whites was solved; therefore, determining who should and shouldn’t be served should be solved too. The only reason why a person should be refused service is if they have done something to threaten, abuse, or disrespect an employee or business owner. I understand if a business doesn’t share similar beliefs as some of their customers, but that shouldn’t stand in the way of them doing their job. A business’ sole purpose is to make money, and whether some people want to believe it or not: money is money. Money from a gay person holds the same value as someone who is straight. After all of those years of fighting for equality, it just doesn’t seem right that in the year 2015, some American businesses have to even think about whom they should and shouldn’t serve. “Coming out of the closet,” so to speak, is not something that is new. This isn’t the 1900s, where being gay was meant to be a secret. American citizens should be able to freely express who they are. Being gay is not something that should have to be hidden for the world, just because they want to be served by some stupid businesses that don’t realize it’s the 21st century. I truly believe that all businesses should be required to serve all types of people, unless a person or group of people harms them.
If I were a Senator trying to solve this problem, I would encourage religious practices by privately owned businesses. Regardless of whether or not the business looses clientele, they will have to account for their decision for a loss or gain in income. And whether or not they decide to discriminate, they still have to pay the same taxes to the government. Some states have laws covering all these categories plus sexual preference, and some also include transgendered persons and transsexuals. If its a private owned business you get to choose who to give service or not, the thing is that people can start a polemic against your business and it is only up to you if you want your business to work or to close down. Discrimination was ruled as unlawful by the Supreme Court after the Brown v. Board of Education trial. Some would say that they wouldn't care and that they would go to a different establishment. But it still hurts to have someone there saying they refuse to share the same space as you because of who you are. They shouldn't have to deal with this. We've come so far as a country, only to backtrack. A business should only be able to refuse someone if they go against legal regulations of the establishment.
ReplyDeleteIf i were senator, I would try to make it so that business owners could choose to refuse service to anyone they want. I would make it so that what the business owner wants is the main priority. It is not fair that business owners should have to compromise their beliefs, just to make the public happy. If they disagree with something, they shouldn't have to deal with it. It takes away some of our basic freedoms if we are forced to conduct business with people that we do not want to conduct business with. Businesses are not public entities, so they shouldn't have to allow everyone in. For example, a Christian bakery should not be forced to make a cake for a gay marriage. It doesn't matter whose feelings get hurt in the process, every individual is entitled to certain rights that shouldn't be infringed upon just to satisfy the majority of people. There shouldn't have to be circumstances when you can refuse a person's business, it should just be a right that we all have.
ReplyDeleteIf I was a senator attempting to solve this problem, I wouldn't even think twice about my decision. Christians, the main group at question here are only trying to make private business owners look bad. The only reason people are going into businesses asking to put hate speech on cakes and such is to stir up controversy. No one in their right mind would just go up to a place and ask to put “I hate gay people” on a cake. What could a person possibly be celebrating to put something like that on a cake? Nothing, if you ask me. A gay person is the same anatomically to a Christian person. There is no doubt about that. So why is this even a question. There is a separation of Church and state for a reason-and this is it. Religion is something people practice so they feel at home somewhere. Why is religion becoming a weapon people use against others to incur hate and discrimination? Isn't the mission of the Church to spread love and accept others no matter who they are and what they do? Are gays not considered good enough for God’s love? Why have people turned religion into a weapon of hate, when it is supposed to be a vehicle of love? I understand that we as citizens have First Amendment rights, but those rights can always be taken too far. For example, the Skokie case. That group of Nazis was trying to stir up the Jewish people of Skokie. The same goes for the gay population in America. I am not gay myself, but I can imagine that they feel discriminated against because of their sexuality. If our country could get past discriminating against Blacks, then we should be able to get past discriminating against homosexuals. To me, I cannot get my head around that this issue is even a question to us. I see no base for the argument that people have to compromise their beliefs by serving a homosexual. Of all the years they have been in business, do business owners really believe that not one gay person has walked through their door before? Not serving homosexuals is an act of discrimination, plain and simple. No one should ever be deprived of their basic human freedoms.
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty a business should be allowed to refuse service to a person if they feel that said service will damage their business in any way. This thought that because he was denied service that he was being deprived of his right to religious freedom. Has he ever heard of Free Enterprise? If I were senator I would allow businesses to make whatever economic choice that would help their financial success, including refusing to give service. How is it fair that, as the man said in his video, certain restaurants have the right to deny service to gays because of their beliefs but this bakery store owner is in the wrong because she decided not to make the cake he requested because she doesn't want to sell anything with hate speech on it.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a Senator attempting to solve this problem the only circumstances of refusing service to a person would be if it is going to cause violence or ruin there business. The message that was going to be on the cake was "we do not support gay marriage." This could lead to the business owners getting a bad image, people would think that this business lets stuff like this happen. Others would probably not go for service to that business if they see this cake came from it. Also if a business feels that a controversy like this would lead to violence then they shouldn't have to do it. Gay marriage is a huge argument people are having today. There are a lot of believers that feel that gay marriage is wrong and most people would get violent towards it. The owner of the bakery that refused this service received threats and she said "We started getting some hundreds of phone calls and making very nasty and negative gestures towards our business, towards us." Someone shouldn't have to do a service like this if it will bring harm to them or others. Another thing that I would like to mention is how the main people who are against the gay marriage controversy are Christians. They are usually the ones going into businesses and asking for stuff like this to stir up trouble. There is a separation of religion and state so that things like this don't happen. If people just ignore that then that's a problem, they are ruining things for other people. Christians are suppose to be loving and accepting to all but contradict themselves when they don't like something. They pick and choose what they want to believe in and then act like that's what God wants. I thought that God accepts and loves everyone, so why not gays? Religion now a days is becoming an excuse and weapon to discriminate and hate a group or person. I understand that citizens have the First Amendment rights but sometimes it can be taken a little far, causing harm towards others. Everyone deserves protection despite their race or sexuality. An act such as the cake incident will not guarantee someone the protection they deserve.
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ReplyDeleteIf I were a Senator attempting to solve this problem, I would take a look at both sides. As a business man and/or restaurant owner, it is the basis of religion and belief that they should not serve people based on other religion, sexual preference, race, etc. You cannot make someone serve another, it is their business and religion and even the law cannot interfere with belief. If owners let their religious belief interfere with business decisions and risk losing customers, than that is their decision to risk. Based on my understanding, running a business is for the sake of making an income. The interference of sexual orientation, religion, race and any other circumstances should not even be a factor when it comes to serving someone, because either way, money is green and it is needed. A customer should not be refused service just because of a factor that may make them different from others. Looking at the fact that discrimination was ruled unlawful; the instance of discrimination based on religion and sexual preferences is unbelievable. The sake of it being 2015, people should have the ability to walk into a restaurant and not be worried about being refused. If I had to make the decision, the law of discrimination shouldn’t even have been thought of and actually passed. Though you cannot change the way a business owner may think about relating religious belief with business, there is a separation of church and state for a reason. Money is money despite the instance of it coming from a gay person or a straight person.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I believe that a business should have the right to refuse to provide service to anyone they want. There should be a limit to why they are refusing to give service to that person. Not just because they don't like the color of someone's skin or just cause they don't like that person. It should be a really good reason to why they won't provide service to a certain person. If it goes against the owner's religion then they can refuse service. If there's a business that provides the same service then you should just go to another store. It should also fall under the amendments. I believe that the bakery did the right thing by refusing to write what the guy wanted on the cake because it has nothing to do with the guy himself, but the words he was trying to put on the cake. It's their business and what the guy wanted went against their beliefs. Providing that service, to them is like agreeing to what the customer is asking them to do and you shouldn't expect them to. A lot of people are just looking for a fight. If you know that a business doesn't believe in gay marriages, why waste your time going there when there's plenty of other businesses that would love to service a gay couple. Everyone will not always agree on the same things. So, don't expect everyone to feel the same way on the situation as you would.
ReplyDeleteBy having the position of a Senator and attempting to solve this issue, I’d clearly say that the only reason as to why a businesses should refuse service to any person is if they are causing harm in any threatening way. To this day, it can be said that we are undergoing an anti-gay revolution. Discrimination has gone past far now and so many problems are arising due to this. Everyone no matter the color, race, sex or ethnicity should receive equal rights. This problem dates back to the 1900s when the feminist movement was arising and later on into the late 1950s, segregation. A business runs on a daily basis due to their clientele and it is their job to meet their needs. Of course, there are laws that prohibit anything that causes any harm. I believe that if you have decided to start a business especially pertaining to the culinary industry, you should be prepared to expect requests like this one with the bakery. No matter the religious practice, ethnicity, color, race or sexual orientation; everyone should receive equal rights.
ReplyDeleteIf i were Senator and this situation were presented, i would take the side of the business. Just as a person has the right to freedom of speech, a business has the right to deny an action that could misrepresent what they stand for. Thinking in the long run, if the bakery had wrote the derogatory comment on the cake, this could have affected the type of customers coming in. Although it is not specifically stated within the constitution, it is implied that all people should be created equal. The issue in Indiana is no different than the civil rights movement of the 50's and 60's. To myself, it is ridiculous how we teach our future generations of these horrible times, the people who fought for freedom, and how far we have come - and yet, we are letting history repeat itself again. There is no difference between the discrimination of blacks within the 50's/60's and the discrimination of gays. Yes, the Christians have a right to freedom of religion, however our country also has a policy of separation of church and state. Therefore, why are we letting a church dominate the rights of a state, and possibly the country? Businesses should be allowed to refuse services to those that they feel threaten them or their business. If America truly stands on the concept of "the land of the free and the home of the brave", then why are we denying people the freedom to be who they are, and why are we being accepting cowards who hide behind the corruption of our society?
ReplyDeleteIf I were a senator trying to solve this problem, it wouldn’t take much think thought to conclude that this should not be a problem. There should not, under any circumstances, be discrimination against anyone based on their gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, etc. Every single person should be able to get served or buy anything from a business because it’s a public business. Since it’s a business where customers come and provide monetary value for their goods and services, what right do they have to refuse their service? It is their job to provide for their customers, regardless of what their race, sexual orientation, etc. is. Every single person has a religious view and I don’t see how someone can be so cruel and ostracize someone for not having the same views as them. The First Amendment states individuals have a right to freedom of religion, but if the bakery owners cannot abide to every single person’s beliefs, they’re in the wrong business. If you’re in a public position like they are, they should tolerate other people’s views because it’s humane and moral, but also it has nothing to do with the person, their work ethics, etc. The bakery’s job is to provide for the people willing to buy from them, which should have nothing to do with religion. They are funding you, which means you’re in no position or critique or refuse what the customer wants. That is part of your job; to make sure the customer is content and pleased with what they are receiving. The only reason I can see for refusing to do something would be if it could possibly cause harm to others, but in this situation, there was nothing harmful about that. Although the bakery shouldn’t be in the position to refuse people because of their beliefs, it’s also their right to have an opinion, and shouldn’t be penalized for it. They should not be getting threatening phone calls for their actions, even if people did not agree with them. It’s moral respect.
ReplyDeleteIf I was a senator the biggest problem for me would be the bakery receiving threats. If you are an owner of a business and if a certain message offends you, that is your right to refuse service. Feuerstein, instead of targeting the bakery, should respect their freedom and much as he wants everyone else to respect his. He has every right to go to another bakery and request the same thing. A business can NOT refuse service based on race, color, religion or national origin. It is legal to refuse service as long as it is not directed towards one group of people. If Feurestein decided to not get a discriminatory message on the cake, the bakery would serve him. The most illegal part of this story is the harassment on the bakery.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a Senator trying to solve this problem, then I would re-establish a very well known law. You just can't merely discriminate against someone because of their their race, gender, religion, impairment, nationality, or their sexual prefrences. Discrimination was ruled as unlawful by the Supreme Court after the Brown v. Board of Education trial. Some would say that they wouldn't care and that they would go to a different establishment. But it still hurts to have someone there saying they refuse to share the same space as you because of who you are. They shouldn't have to deal with this. We've come so far as a country, only to backtrack. A business should only be able to refuse someone if they go against legal regulations of the establishment. Such as no, or no shirt. At least something along the line of causing a public disturbance or committing some sort of act of violent or what not. But you CANNOT refuse someone because of who you are! That is discrimination! No if, ands, or buts. That bakery shouldn't have to put those negative comments on a cake. As they said "it's a two way street." If Indiana can be anti-gay, then Florida can be 100% pro-freedom. And it's not like they told them they don't serve anti-gays, they just refuse to perform that task. So all that hate and negative they're getting are uncalled for. I personally can say that the situation in Indiana can compare to segregation back in the days. Sone of the businesses there are having to put up signs that say they DO in fact serve gays. And if I was Senator, this bill would have never gotten passed in the first place. Not in my state, not now, and not ever! And the fact that Indiana's Senator claimed that this wasn't what he intended was straight up nonsense. If it wasn't what he intended then he would have made stricter guidelines for what he did mean in the passed law. And instead of owning up to the mistake he made, he kept making excuses for his reasons. As if that weren't enough,, he doesn't veto the law, claims that it'll will be revised to show stricter guides to the law. I honestly don't think I could call America "the land of the free," with Indiana's new law doing this to people.
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ReplyDeleteIf I were a senator, and this problem was happening, I would combat it immediately. I feel, that no discriminatory acts should take place whatsoever, no matter the circumstance. People will try to use religion as an excuse. But if a church is respectfully declining to marry a homosexual couple because of the religious belief, I see no problem in that (if it is done respectfully and with education on the reasons to the couple). It is only when a nonreligious organization refuses to provide a service to certain people based on race, sexual orientation, and gender that justice will be served to fight that unfairness. But in this situation, the man requesting a discriminatory saying on a cake has nothing to do with his race, sexual orientation or gender, so I believe the cake maker has every right to turn it down. Businesses should be able to turn down anything they feel IF it promotes discrimination. The constitution grants freedom of religion, not discrimination.
ReplyDeleteThe issue in which a Christian minister asked a bakery company to make a cake on which was written “we do not support gay marriage,” which that company refused to write, is an important issue for all Americans to pay attention to. The U.S. Constitution states that no public entity can discriminate against any person because of race, religion, sex, physical limitation, and in some cases sexual orientation. It is reasonable to ask, should a business with African American leadership be forced to serve members of the KKK, or should a Jewish led business be forced to serve members of the Nazi group. According to the constitution, no business can refuse service to any person because they disagree with the values of its leadership. I believe, however, that no service that directly infringes upon the freedom of another group by expressing hate towards or threatening a group should be required of any business. With this exception, if businesses were allowed to refuse service to any individual that disagrees with its values, then businesses across the country could discriminate against any individual who disagrees with their values, including those values that involve race, religion, sex, national origin, etc. If an entity is a religious organization, I believe that it should have the right to deny service to any individual who expresses disagreement with that entity’s religious values. The constitution states that each citizen is entitled to freedom of religion and the exercise thereof. If giving service to a particular individual goes against the values of a religious organization, then they should not be forced to serve that particular individual. As previously stated, no business should be able to refuse service to any individual for any reason, unless that service would infringe upon the freedoms of another group. Therefore the solution to this problem would be to implement a bill with the characteristics previously mentioned.
ReplyDeleteTo begin with, this whole issue shouldn't have been such a big deal. Nobody in this world can be discriminated against based on their race, gender, religion, background or sexual orientation. If I were a Senator, I would establish a new law. In the first place, everyone deserves to be served by all public businesses, there should be no refusing business to anyone, that is simply discrimination. If that business is privately owned, then the situation could be handled in a different way. But in this case, the business is public, meaning anyone can come and make an order regardless of who they are. Even if they respectfully decline to serve certain people, that is still considered discrimination, unless it's a privately owned business. If, somehow, businesses are allowed to decline serving to gays/lesbians, before you know it, they would start to go against other people as well, using the same reason as religious freedom. Religious freedom should be only applies for private businesses, not public ones. I find it sad how people sent the baker death threats when she refused to put on a hateful message that discriminates against gays and lesbians. In the video he said how their "freedom" is being attacked, does that mean in order to achieve their freedom, a discrimination against gays and lesbians has to take place? Many people may say that this is religious freedom, and that businesses should be able to decline serving certain people, however, everyone has equal opportunities and rights regardless of their race, gender, religion, background or sexual orientation.
ReplyDeleteIf I was a Senator and I was trying to solve this issue, then I would make sure that my opinion was appropriate and equal. I would never discriminate from anybody whether it was their nationality, race, religion or whom they feel affection towards. Whether they are lesbian,bi-sexual, gay or straight. I believe that everybody deserves to be treated with respect no matter what the circumstances are. Discrimination is a form of cruelty and shall never be displayed under any circumstances. A business should be able to have rules set for that reject any rude remarks about one person or a certain type of people. Everybody is equal and shall be respected the same way. In my opinion, it is like a chain reaction. If I was part of the business I would most definitely not accept any hatred because it will teach the person wanting to show off hatred a lesson. It will teach them that hating towards specific people is the wrong thing to do and everybody should be treated with respect. Then, the message will go on and on. He will soon realize it and teach his family the lesson that he has learned and so on and so forth. Sooner or later, everybody will understand the importance of having and being respectful towards all people. In my opinion, the way that somebody is should not be a factor into whether or not a business can serve the person. The only reason that a business should not serve to a certain place is if they are harming their surroundings. If there is no harm, they should be served. A businesses purpose of being there is to make money so it should not be an issue serving people unless their is harm occurring. As the video and the article states, “I believe that tolerance should be a two-way street.” I completely agree. Tolerance must be treated properly in both directions or else it will lead to complications.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a senator I would be on the businesses side during this altercation. In any restaurant people are allowed to refuse service to someone, the same should stay for every business. People are beginning to stretch the first amendment's right to "freedom of speech". Freedom of speech can not be discriminatory especially in a situation where you are jeopardizing the business. If the guy who wants "we do not support gay marriage" on a cake actually believes it is his right to get that cake, then gays should be able to go into his business and receive service. People are selfish when it comes to beliefs and think its their way or the highway. The right to freedom of speech and religion and assembly is what makes our world so diverse and educational and interesting. Are we all supposed to be robots and be the same skin color, same religion, dress the same and have the same beliefs? Anyway, I could never be a senator. Trying to organize and keep the peace in situations like these will never happen and you can't get selfish people to learn to respect others. Businesses should have the right to refuse service whether it's refusing profanity, discrimination or religious slander.
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ReplyDeleteAs a Senator I would not allow anyone discriminate against another. Any type of refusal of service would not be permitted. With the Constitution stating it and everything,all should be treated equally, and if discrimination is accepted in any type of way for any reason, it will only encourage/teach people (especially the younger generation) to do the same. As a business owner, people have to focus solely on just that, business. Refusing to serve a person, whether it being because of their race, sexual preference, gender etc., will only cause loss of money and a downgrade in their reputation. I personally believe religious or personal beliefs should not have any factor in deciding to serve someone or not. It is not well for business and a moral injustice as a whole. No law allowing such discrimination would ever be passed if I were a Senator.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a senator trying to solve this controversial topic, I would make sure that nobody is allowed to be discriminated against due to anything from race, religion, disability, sexual orientation and so on. Nobody in this world should be treated in a disrespectful way no matter who you are. You should have the same treatment and respect as any other person. If someone wants to open a business, you must not be able to turn away any customers. It's a business not a "religious house". The only reason businesses should be able to not serve someone is if they want a hateful slogan or whatever against another person or group or even something that promotes a terrorist organization. Discrimination is a real huge problem that needs to be dealt with. Their needs to be separation between religion and businesses.
ReplyDeleteIf I was a senator trying to solve this problem, I would make sure that the business does not discriminate a person on their race, gender, religion, nationality, or their sexual orientation because first of all, they would lose customers. There's a saying that say's "Don't judge a book by its cover". It basically means that before you judge the person by what they are, get to know them and find out why they chose to be that way or how they feel about those who discriminate. Once a person knows that you don't sell too a person with a specific race, or sexuality, they would spread the news and you basically lost customers. Every-one should deserve to be treated with respect even if you hate it. We are all equal in our own way, and for me personally knowing a person who discriminates is a disgrace to my life. I prefer that we all treat each other with the same respect as you would want to be treated if that was you in the situation. If you were that person that a business does not want to sell an item too, what would you do? and how would you feel? You would feel like you aren't welcomed into this world and you would feel upset. Discrimination is treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit. So if I was a senate, I would make sure that businesses treat every single human being equal or else they shouldn't be in a business.
ReplyDeleteIf I was a senator trying to solve this problem I would say that not business is allowed to discriminate. First because its not right if you're handling a business you should allow your service to be used by everyone. Discriminating is not the way to handle business.The only and acceptable reason to not give people your service is only if it can cause death. Besides that I feel like everyone is human we are all equal no matter what we believe in what color skin we are. Discrimination just causes more problems in our community that we don't need. Therefore businesses should be more professional and leave their beliefs at home not have it deal with work.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a senator attempting to solve this problem, many circumstances should be taken into consideration for when a person is to refuse service to a person. Due to the fact that there are many freedoms listed under the bill of rights, these rights must be taken into consideration as well. Homosexuality is not something that should be discriminated against publicly, nor do business owners have to serve people who want this discriminating speech to be posted on the materials being bought. A cake bakery owner should be allowed to refuse service to a person who wants hate speech against homosexuals to be put on the product they are buying; however, the owner should not be allowed to refuse service to a person who only believes in this hatred. Refusing service to have products with hate speech and refusing service to people who believe in the hatred are two completely different things. One deals with not having harmful things written on that business’s products while the other deals with discriminating against the person’s beliefs. On the other hand, churches should be taken into consideration as well. A religion’s beliefs should not be messed with due to a country’s standards. The U.S. has religious freedom, so I do believe that if a religion does not believe in gay marriage, they should not have to wed a gay couple. To solve this problem as Senator, I would write up a bill that states that business owners should be allowed to refuse putting hate speech on their products, but should not be allowed to dismiss a person due to their beliefs; however, religious beliefs should not be tested or tampered with since there is religious freedom and churches are not businesses. Pastors/Reverends/etc. should be able to refuse to marry a gay couple due to their religious beliefs.
ReplyDeleteThis all began with Indiana Governor Mike Pence signing the Religious Freedom restoration act which states, “…that a state or local government action may not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion unless it is demonstrated that applying the burden to the person’s exercise of religion….” Though not stated directly, that for-profit businesses to use the “free exercise of religion,” this law was signed to target gay people. So to discriminate against the gay community, they conjure up this law that makes it okay to do so by using the freedom of religion in their defense. Then this video pops up that a bakery in Longwood, Florida refused to put the words “We do not support gay marriage” on a cake saying that they are “not gonna do that.” Joshua Feuerstein was the one responsible for ordering the cake saying that it was a “social experiment” after seeing the response of the law in Indiana. But if you were the Senator of a state, what would you do if businesses start to refuse serving a specific group of people? I feel as though if we let this law continue to diffuse into other states, it will be exactly what happened in the 1950s with the Separate-but-Equal doctrine that discriminated against all colored people. Many would hate to admit it but, history repeats itself, and if we don’t do anything to stop this there will be separate water fountains and other public facilities for all gays and lesbians.
ReplyDeleteNobody in the world have the right to discriminate on another. If I was a senator who had to deal with this situation there would be a lot of circumstances to consider. The main argument is freedom of religion which is highlighted in the first amendment of the constitution. Every business should serve the people. I will not allow a business refuse to serve a gay couple. The couple can go to another shop for their needs, but if the entire town rejects the couple lifestyle then the gay couple has to go to another town for their needs. It would be similar to the film separate but equal, a black child had to walk 20 miles just to go to school. Nobody should go to another town for something they could get in their home area. But this situation is different. The pastor is asking for a hateful message on a piece of cake. Something like that, to me, violates the 14th amendment of the constitution. As soon as the customer incites something hateful the business owner has the right to refuse service to that customer. We have the right to exercise any religion we want but not to the fullest extent. The cake owner has to serve the pastor the cake but she has the right not to write his message. As a senator I want to make it clear that businesses have to serve the people, but if the customer want to use the business to hurt other people then the business owner have the right to protect their business.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a Senator attempting to solve this problem, I would say that a business should be able to deny service based on any hateful basis. For example, if the man in this article had simply ordered a cake, then they should be given that cake. However, if one requests for "We do not support gay marriage” or “We do not support Christians” to be written, then the business should be able to deny it if they choose so. If anything, the customer may write it on themselves after receiving the cake but not demand the business do so. I believe that someone may not be denied service based any basis of who they are but can be denied if they request something hateful towards someone on the basis of who they are. Saying the business has the total right to deny someone service would just bring us back to the times of segregation, ruled illegal by the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. The Board of Education, and saying the business can’t deny anyone could ruin businesses by doing something they don’t support. Imagining if a random Nazi client came to a highly populated Jewish area and requested from a Jewish-owned business to write something extremely hateful. Would they be forced to serve? One would say no that they shouldn’t. Now… if the client didn’t request anything including hateful comments, should they still be denied service? Should they be denied service in the whole Jewish area? I think not. For if one Jewish person was in a highly Palestinian area, they could be denied and so on and so on. I think just basing the denial of the order based on whether or not the order itself is hateful should be the way it should be.
ReplyDeleteThe owners of businesses want to make money, obviously! There is a line that they must draw though when it comes to producing things for clients. Once a client asks for something that will cause hate then I beli that they can refuse their business to that client. There is no way that in business it says that you must comply to every order. If a client wants something for the use of spreading hate then they must do the research for a business that has no morals and will comply to every wish all because they want money. Businesses that deny a customer service because the customer wants something absurd such as an anti gay cake, that business is a clean and honest business that has my approval. Hate should be stopped anyway that we can and businesses have the right to deny a customer depending on the order request.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a senator trying to solve this problem, I would simply say that discrimination is only okay when one is using slander towards others. Businesses should never have a problem with discrimination, because usually all businesses want is to make money. Whether you're gay, straight, black or white you should be served regardless of a businesses views or religion. Certain circumstances, such as someone who wishes to be served that uses slander towards a certain type of person should be the businesses choice. If one is being disrespectful or threatening the business should be able to decide what they wish to do. Basically, if the business chooses not to serve a customer using derogatory language towards a certain group of people there shall be no repercussions but if a business chooses not to serve someone based on their beliefs or views it should not be tolerated.
ReplyDeleteIf I was a senator trying to solve this problem, I would make sure every business understand that its wrong to discriminate against someone by their religion, gender, ethnicity, or by their sexual orientation. I think the only reason a business should deny you service is when the customer is either bothering, or disturbing other customers. All human beings should be treated the same way. If you’d put yourself in that persons shoes, would you like to be treated differently by your Race? I don’t think anyone would. The world would be such a happier place if we all treated each other the same. Even if you dislike a certain race or someone’s sexual orientation keep it to yourself. Just be respectful, is it that hard ? It doesn't hurt you, and it defiantly doesn't hurt the other person.
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ReplyDeleteIf I were a Senator trying to solve this problem, then I would set the record straight. You cannot discriminate against someone for their race, gender, religion, impairment, nationality, or their sexual preference. Discrimination was ruled as unlawful by the Supreme Court after the Brown v. Board of Education trial. It is a business, it’s a place where you get money and customers come and go. I don’t see how religion has to do with anything, you go to work which means you will interact with every type of people every single day. If you don’t like that person, then move somewhere else and let someone else work that position. Nobody should be discriminated, we live in the land of “freedom” but having this law, and it isn’t so much freedom for those who are being discriminated. A business should only be allowed to refuse help or serve someone if they had caused a huge disruption or show any violence towards the workers or the business. But then again, if businesses really wanted to discriminate against certain groups of people, then they should change it to a privately owned business. That bakery shouldn’t be getting phone threats, or mean phone calls because they didn’t want to put something like that on their cake. It is their business and they can do whatever they want. They want to serve everyone, and not to discriminate. If I was the senator I would never had passed that bill. It is pretty sad that some places has to put a sign that says they serve gay people, like that’s so unnecessary. Everyone should feel welcome to anywhere.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a Senator trying to solve this problem, then I would set the record straight. You CANNOT discriminate against someone for their race, gender, religion, impairment, nationality, or their sexual prefrence! Discrimination was ruled as unlawful by the Supreme Court after the Brown v. Board of Education trial. Some would say that they wouldn't care and that they would go to a different establishment. But it still hurts to have someone there saying they refuse to share the same space as you because of who you are. They shouldn't have to deal with this. We've come so far as a country, only to backtrack. A business should only be able to refuse someone if they go against legal regulations of the establishment. Such as no, or no shirt. At least something along the line of causing a public disturbance or committing some sort of act of violent or what not. But you CANNOT refuse someone because of who you are! That is discrimination! No if, ands, or buts. That bakery shouldn't have to put those negative comments on a cake. As they said "it's a two way street." If Indiana can be anti-gay, then Florida can be 100% pro-freedom. And it's not like they told them they don't serve anti-gays, they just refuse to perform that task. So all that hate and negative they're getting are uncalled for. I personally can say that the situation in Indiana can compare to segregation back in the days. Sone of the businesses there are having to put up signs that say they DO in fact serve gays. And if I was Senator, this bill would have never gotten passed in the first place. Not in my state, not now, and not ever! And the fact that Indiana's Senator claimed that this wasn't what he intended was straight up nonsense. If it wasn't what he intended then he would have made stricter guidelines for what he did mean in the passed law. And instead of owning up to the mistake he made, he kept making excuses for his reasons. On top of that, he doesn't veto the law, hwjuat claims that ir will be revised to show stricter guides to the law. I honestly don't think I could call America "the land of the free," with Indiana's new law doing this to people.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a senator, I would lean more towards the side of the bakery. I think people are only allowed to refuse service when the issue becomes harmful to the customers, but sometimes there has to be a line that is drawn when it comes to what businesses make for their clients. Discrimination should never be an option. Just like you would be very upset if people discriminated based on who you are and how you are, we cannot be in favor of it. People should never be discriminated based on their ethnicity, race, gender, religion, or sexuality. It is completely unlawful. Most businesses do not discriminate, because the more discrimination they do, the less money they get. I do think that they are allowed to refuse service when it comes to issues that stir up controversy. Anyone should be allowed where they please without worrying on whether they will be served or not. Not everyone has to agree with your beliefs and opinions, but everyone should be fair.
ReplyDeleteIf I were a Senator trying to solve this problem, I don't believe a new law would have to be passed, I'd just have to ensure that the laws created before are actually being enforced. People should never be denied of service due to their race, sexuality, religion, etc. The religious freedom law in Indiana is primitive and ignorant and basically allows a basis for legal discrimination. America may be described as free, but this law moves us back to a time when discrimination was ok. I feel as though a business can only deny service when the customer is harming the safety of other customers, or if that person is doing something detrimental to their business. People should be able to take their business anywhere they please, there should be no repercussion. Of course there's going to be Christian business that won't feel comfortable serving gay people, or a Southern White business that won't feel comfortable serving black people, businesses is business and being who you are shouldn't matter. There should be no law that appropriates discrimination we've fought too hard as a nation against prejudice and discrimination, and if I were Senator, I'd make sure we move in the right direction toward equality.
ReplyDeleteI believe this is such an easy problem to solve but not everyone will be happy with the out come. A business should be able to refuse service to anyone for any reason. More likely then not if someone refuses you service you can get the same if not better service for the same price. The business that declines service is losing valuable clientele of they would like to give that up I believe it should be in there right. People will get offended and some will say it's not right but you cannot force someone to serve you if it goes against there belief or way of life. I would like to use an example presented in class, if you are a preacher of any religion and it states that homosexuality is a wrong doing you should not be obligated by law to marry that couple. Many other preachers offer this same service and would be happy to serve you, why would you purposely sabotage a persons relationship with there religion, it's just not right.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion businesses such as in this case should have the right to turn down a customer because of something they find morally correct based on fact and reasoning. Just like the man said in the video that you wouldn't expect a family owned black business make a KKK cake, exactly why they would simply go to a business that does support what they believe in or at least condone it. If I was Senator and was faced with this problem I would let the business serve how they want to not who they want to. Meaning no prejudice or racism against any person should be in mind when making decisions. But if it morally goes against what you believe in and it is your private owned business then you should be allowed to do as you please
ReplyDeleteIf I were a Senator trying to solve this problem I would say that any business has the right to do what they feel is right. If a private business owner wants to he can. It's his choice if he wants to risk losing income and/or employees. I would make a law stating that any private business can make there own rules as long as they follow federal laws. If I as a business owner choose to support gays or not that's my problem. As long as I don't physically hurt someone or cause hate crimes than this shouldn't be a problem. We are a free country and should be able to do what we want. Money is what rules the world so most business owners would do what the majority spenders want. As a senator I would also go with the majority. - Sam Mohammed
ReplyDeletePeople are aiming all their hate towards people who believe in what they believe however, I find it very hypocritical and unnecessary. It seems like it's "in" right now to support what was once protested against and it makes me wonder if people feel strongly about this or if a large amount of Americans are doing what they have always done which is to be "politically right". If I were a senator I would say you can't declare freedom for yourself and force an individual to do something they don't believe. Its not a matter of sexuality or religion but human choice. I am a Christian and I am not anti same-sex marriage but I can't say I don't understand why you would be. We need to realize not everyone believes what we believe and that's okay. People should not be hated or threatened for their beliefs when your also fighting for the right to be who are. If you really think about it, both sides want the same thing which is to have their beliefs and be supported. What's lacking here is respect for one another to allow people and business to have their beliefs. There isn't a way to solve this because there isn't a way to solve people because people shouldn't have to be solved because they aren't broken just different.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, under the Interstate Commerce Clause, businesses cannot refuse services to anyone regarding any discriminatory reason. If I were a Senator, I would've fined the bakery every day until the cake was made. The quote did not put anyone's life in danger. "We do not support gay marriage." That's all. The pastor a stance, a non-violent one. It's just the same as him asking for a cake that says "We do not support the legalization of marijuana.", when you strip away all of the tension surrounding the acceptance of the LGBT community. If the cake were to say, "All homosexuals must die.", that would've been different. This country offers freedom of speech. Because of that, things are going to be said that one may not always agree with. This is just a fact that any people are going to have to accept. This woman refusing to print that pastor's quote on the cake opens up a gateway to more discrimination: refusing to serve Hispanics, Blacks, Asians, Native Americans, handicapped, etc. I do understand that the woman had different views about gay marriage than the pastor, BUT being a business, it is unlawful to people service with different views as you.
ReplyDeleteIf I was senator presented with this problem, I'm probaly trying to get relected and would have to fight for the side the majority public is siding with(in this case gay rights) but to me personally this is similar to the skokie movie. Even though the request from Feurestein was unneccesary, insensitive, and just a huge cry for attention at the end of the day it IS freedom of speech. Something people are quick to bring up for the "little guy" but we quickly dismiss it when it comes to unpopular choices like writing "We do not support gay marriage" on a cake or marching in nazi uniforms. If we are truly going to be a free and "fair!" society we have to let people express themselves(legally) whether we agree with their opinions or not. The resturant didn't have a right to deny them service. If they want that message on a cake then we have no grounds to stop them. We can only continue to show or disapproval and pray that the younger generations will see the mistakes we are making and eradicate it in the future.
ReplyDelete-Raymond Tilus
Under no circumstances should one be discriminated against. No individual has the right to discrimate towards anyone else. It is against the law to discriminate. Discrimination was ruled as unlawful by the Supreme Court after the Brown v. Board of Education trial. If i were a senator i would tackle this issue immediately and close it out with no room for arguments. There is a simple solution to this epidemic but everyone involved is close minded and dim witted. Unfortunately we can only grow with our generation today while we wait for the older generation to either change their minds or get on with their lives. It is understandable yet unfortunate that the older crowd grew up in a segregated world. We as a younge generation need to be more accepting of race, sexuality, religion etc. It will only make us a stronger world. As for businesses refusing to serve a customer that should only apply if that individual is causing a disturbance of acting violent. Otherwise there shouldnt be a problem. We are all the same people. Doesnt matter who we love or share our lives with. Or what we look like or act like. We all bleed the same and all of our bones break the same. But yet we still continue to fight eachother as if there is a superiority scale based off of race or sexuality. Any little different characteristic on someone we seem to pick out and discriminate against. We are making progress with accepting difference. But hopefully one day we can look past all of those differences and live in that 70's carefree vibe.
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to assume I'm a senator & attempt to solve this problem, because there is no way to solve this problem. This is discrimination against more then one person. The gays feel they are being discriminated against & the Christians feel they are being discriminated against. I believe (as a Christian) that this whole situation is ridiculous. Gays should be allowed to live freely in these United States of America without the threat of death for being who they choose to be. I believe that as "Christians" supporting the gays is something that needs to be done, instead of preaching hate & sending death threats. We live in a society that is very accepting & forgiving & EXTREMELY diverse, however discrimination IS still alive, many people CONTINUE to discriminate & wether it be by refusal of service or by calling someone a name, IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. No one should EVER be forced to serve someone if they do not wish to serve that person. If a group of teenagers walk into a restaurant i own & started acting wild (be they white, black, blue, purple) I'm going to refuse to serve them strictly on how they are acting. Some feel that way about gay people, some feel that way about black people, some feel that way about white people. In the situation one will always end up unhappy.
ReplyDelete-Bryttanie Underwood
If I were a Senator trying to solve this issue, I would simply say that this shouldn't have been a problem, nor will it continue to be a problem. Race, religion, sexuality, and other personal factors, should not play any role in whether or not a business should serve or not serve a person. Religion and business are two separate tiers that should not be mixed together when deciding who can or can not receive service from a business. This action will only lead to a form of discrimination in terms of religion, and can further evolve to different varieties of discrimination in the future if not properly dealt with. A business can not just neglect to give service to one customer due to religious affiliation on the basis that it conflicts with their religious faith. A business's foundation should not be built upon religious values so this form of conflict can be avoided.
ReplyDeleteAs a senator, I'm not completely sure how I would attempt to solve this problem. It's one of those issues where you know that it is wrong, but there may not be any legal way to stop it. I think that the best legal argument to make is: the products that a business produces reflects back onto them, so if a business doesn't want to produce something that shows themselves in a negative light then they shouldn't be forced to. Yes, people have freedom of speech, but I think if a business owner doesn't obey the customer because it will spread a message of hate then that should be okay. People may think that religion is the main issue here but maybe it simply has to do with the future impact on their business. If the shop owner was to abide by the customer's wishes, then it is possible that they would lose business if the word got out. Not to mention, discrimination is illegal. I thought our country was past this? Apparently, if it's a different group of people then it's okay? As a Christian, I just want to say that I'm appalled by the actions of other "Christians" as of late. It is not our place to judge, nor is it our place to be hateful.
ReplyDeleteIf I was Senator, under no circumstances should a business refuse service to a person, no matter the message behind it. It is only hate if thought is given behind it; without thought there is no meaning. With freedom of speech, the people can say whatever they want, whenever they want. If a business refuses service to a person because of a message, that is a violation of First Amendment rights because it is just a message. A message does no physical harm to a person, and can be easily ignored. A business cannot refuse service to a person.
ReplyDeleteIf I was senator, I would direct this towards hate speech. This means, private businesses must cater to anybody of various beliefs as long as they do not ask for anything with hate speech/ insulting another group. So in this case, the bakery could deny the anti-gay order. But if they were atheist , they would still have to accept something like "I love Jesus" on a cake because no hate is directed in it.
ReplyDeleteWith this situation I honestly don't think there is anything a senator can do to fix it. It's a lose/lose situation. If a senator goes in one direction then the side that it offends gets upset and vice versa. The fact that this situation is even happening is very upsetting. When it comes to a store they shouldn't be allowed to discriminate due to any circumstance. I feel as though if you're to be serving to the community then their views should have no affect on whether or not you serve to them. With the claim that some of the stores do not want to serve gays because it is a "sin" would then go against many other people. They would loose all other business. If a store wanted to not serve because of sin then they'd go out of business. I understand the response to that that its their business they should be allowed to not serve who ever they don't want to but I honestly believe that isn't how it works.
ReplyDeleteMakeup- Absent 4/8/15- 4/10/15
ReplyDeleteIf it were me being a Senator and trying to solve this particular issue, i would tell the world this really isnt a problem and will not be a problem. When it comes to race, sexuality, religion and other certain factors, it shouldnt take a role in determining whether or not to discriminate a certain individual. So what if someone is a little different from another. Everyone should be looked at the same in the sense that they should be treated with the equal amount of respect. No individual should ever be discriminated and unfortunately it happens frequently. But wjen it comes to business thats a whole other mentality for many others. People believe since its their own business they should feel free to do services with who they want. Since it has to do with beliefs its something the law cannot interfere with. I on the orher hand believe everyone should revieve the same amount of service as long as its not harming the individual himself or the business. If buisness owners keep choosing their religion beliefs to discriminate who they will give their services to, then they will have a bad repuation that will continhe to spread rapidly. Customers would definetly be lost by the business owner. If i was a senator i wouldnt have let these types of things become anything close to legal. If this is land of the free then so be it. But not in a way that will make others feel unwelcomed.