Discriminating on a Saturday Night

Do we have the right to not work with someone?

In an interesting case out of New Mexico, the state supreme court just ruled that Elane Photography violated New Mexico’s Human rights act which “Prohibits a public accommodation from refusing services to a person based on that person’s sexual orientation.”  Elane Photography refused to shoot a wedding for the plaintiff because it was a gay wedding.  They felt it was against their beliefs. 

As someone who has been in the wedding business for 30 years, I am left with a couple things bothering me about this case.

 

My first question is why some discrimination is acceptable and some not?  I get discriminated against all the time (Just like every other businessman out there).  I get discriminated against based on price (Too expensive for some clients), age (They wanted a younger DJ), race (Had a black couple prefer a black DJ) and even personality (I can’t even imagine what they were thinking, I have a great personality).  The point is that people discriminate all the time.  What if that photographer chooses not to shoot a wedding because the bride was a pain in the ass; or because she preferred only older couples? 

Think about what this law does.  This law sets up some groups to be protected at the expense of others.  Orwell said it best.  “All animals are created equal; some are more equal than others.”  I’m just not sure the government should be in the business of protecting some minorities and not others.  And yes, I am a minority.  An individual is a minority of one; you just don’t get a smaller minority than one. (Thank you Ayn Rand)

The other thought I have is why would you want a photographer that doesn't want to shoot your wedding?  Hello?  Is there only one photographer in all of New Mexico?  I can’t speak for that state, but here in sunny FL the vast majority of Photographers, DJs and other wedding professionals would be thrilled to get your business. 

If you run into someone that doesn't want your business, move on.  What do you get out of suing?  No hearts or minds were ever changed with the use of force.  If a photographer didn't want to shoot my wedding because I’m too old, too white or my nose is too big, I will be more than happy to give my hard earned money to someone who deserves it.    

Chicken Little meets The Emperor Has No Clothes

     “The sky is falling, the sky is falling” Chicken Little exclaimed after an apple hit him on the head and now I’m wondering if President Obama got hit in the head by a golf ball over the weekend. In a speech yesterday, Mr. Obama said:

     “Emergency responders like the ones who are here today -- their ability to help communities      respond to and recover from disasters will be degraded. Border Patrol agents will see their hours reduced. FBI agents will be furloughed. Federal prosecutors will have to close cases and let criminals go. Air traffic controllers and airport security will see cutbacks, which mean more delays at airports across the country. Thousands of teachers and educators will be laid off. Tens of thousands of parents will have to scramble to find childcare for their kids. Hundreds of thousands of Americans will lose access to primary care and preventive care like flu vaccinations and cancer screenings”

   
Wow, we must be cutting at 50% of the budget. NO It must be 25% at least. NO? Try around 2% of spending. Yes, 2%... And those evil Republicans are causing him to do all of the above? Try again. Those cuts are determined by the president. He alone decides what programs get cut. God forbid he has to cut subsidies for green energy or maybe play golf less than 5 days a week. By the way, this 2% is off programs that have seen an average of 17% in increases in the last five years. The Wall Street Journal says it so much better than I could.

Take a look at these draconian cuts we are facing, courtesy of Guy Benson via TownHall.

How terrible that those evil Republicans forced him to take sequestration in the first place. Oh wait, it was the Presidents idea? Well then how can he blame Republicans? It’s the only play in his book. The man has gotten everything he ever wanted and is now seeing that none of those policies have worked. Blame Republicans! With the media not challenging him on the facts, he can claim that Obamacare was a Republican idea as it begins to fail.

The Emperor has no clothes and I hope the American people wake up and see that soon. I doubt it though. I won’t be holding my breath.

Lions, Tigers and Guns

January 16, 2013

At 11:30 Am today, President Obama plans to hold a press conference to explain to the American people that he wants congress to do something about the rate of gun violence that has been falling for 20 years…

Oh wait, that’s not it

Maybe the press conference is about the fact that the last “assault gun” ban had next to zero effect on gun violence and that another ban is a silly idea…

No, unfortunately, Obama will lay out his plan to curtail the rights of law abiding citizens without explaining how the criminals (Who by definition don’t follow the law) will be kept from getting guns. On a stage filled with children, (Because he cares about children and those of us that believe in the second amendment hate them) Obama will not only tell us what congress should do, but what he is willing to do outside of congress.

Think about that. Obama is more than willing to go outside of the constitution because it’s that important. Now before you Obama sycophants stand up and applaud, (because he really cares…sniff, sniff) think about a Republican doing the same thing for something you are against. Peirs Morgan would wet his bed thinking about that. Come to think of it, Piers probably wets his bed nightly anyway.

What’s sad to me is not the cavalier approach Obama takes to the 2nd amendment or even to the Constitution. No, what scares me is that so few people are worked up about Obama’s attitude. Remember that a government strong enough to give you what you want is strong enough to take it away and give you things you don’t want.

I have an idea for Obama’s presser with the kids. It might look really cool if all the kids had matching shirts. The color brown might look good, but I think that’s been done before.