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Friday, April 14, 2023
Nashville florist refuses service to Republican event
The event has been scheduled for some time. In preparation for the event, event planners placed an order for flower with FLWR Shop in Belle Meade. The shop owners Alex Vaughan and Quinn Kiesow refused to provide service saying that while they "respect" the views of their conservative customers, the speakers featured at the RNC event go "beyond our comfort level."
"At this moment, I cannot ignore the work the RNC has done to create this tragedy and so many others like it," the FLWR Shop said referring to the March shooting at the Christian Covenant School. (1)
This is very similar to other cases where florist, bakers, or photographers refused to provide service for a gay wedding, or in one case where a person was having a trans transition celebration. Most people refusing service in these instances refused service on religious grounds.
In the state of Washington, florist Barronelle Stutzman was fined for refusing to make flower arrangements for a same-sex wedding because of her Christian beliefs. She appealed the fine to the Washington Supreme Court, but the Court refused to hear her case.
Probably, the most famous of these cases involved baker Jack Phillips of Colorado who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay wedding. He was fined by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. This case took years to finally resolve and cost many thousands of dollars before it was resolved. It was resolved in Phillips favor when the U. S. Supreme Court voted 7-2 that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission violated Phillips' rights under the First Amendment. (2) Like many Supreme Court rulings however, the decision was narrowly drawn and did not settle the issue of whether a business can invoke religious objections to refuse service to gay and lesbian people.
One has to wonder as did Jesse Williams who posted this on the FLWR Shop's Facebook page:
I wonder what side the florist was on with the baker's business when they didn't want to bake a cake for a gay wedding because it would go against their religion. Did they side with most Republicans when we said a business owner should be able to serve whomever they want, especially when it specifically goes against their religion or were they on board with most Dems to force the bakers to make the cake?
I am old enough to remember when there were principled arguments against open accommodation laws. Owners who did not want to serve Blacks often had signs in their businesses that said, "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." They argued that as owner of the business they should have the right to serve or not serve whomever they wanted for whatever reason. Eventually this was mostly settled, and most people came to believe that if you are open for business, you must serve anyone. Of course, businesses can still have dress codes and refuse service to someone not properly attired. Cheaper prices for elderly people or making establishments adult-only may be legal, but an adult-only apartment building may violate fair housing laws.
I think the case of refusing service because of strongly held values is different than refusing service because of someone's race or other obvious prejudice. Of course, some may have a strongly held value that integration is wrong. It can get complicated. I generally don't feel one should be forced to violate one's conscience, however. I also think a non-religious person should have the same right to conscience as a religious person. The non-religious may have profound opinions of right or wrong just as strong as the religious person. Deciding when one may refuse service and when they may not is nuanced, however. As on many topics, there are many shades of gray and everything is not black and white.
Most of these type cases result in a business being fined for violating a policy or guideline based on a state law prohibiting discrimination or requiring open accommodation. I do not know the status of Tennessee's' law in this regard, so I don't know if the florist could be punished under State law. Whether they can be fined or not, what should happen if they can be?
Because liberals have generally sided with the aggrieved party when someone is denied services of a photographer, or baker or florist, part of me wants to say, "It is payback time; fine them!" However, my better angle says, "No, be consistent; allow them to refuse service."
What should Republican do about this denial of service? Go to the next florist on the list. This is not the only florist in town. I seldom order flowers, but if I was one who did and had been a customer of FLWR Shop of Belle Meade, I would take my business elsewhere.
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‘You hung us out to dry’: Leaked audio shows hot tempers inside GOP caucus after expulsion vote
by Vivian Jones, the Tennessean, April 14, 2023 - Tempers flared inside the House Republican caucus after a handful of members voted against the expulsion of Rep. Gloria Johnson last week, ... audio leaked from a House GOP caucus meeting on Monday — just days after Republicans voted to expel Reps. Justin Jones, D-Nashville and Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, but not Johnson, D-Knoxville — shattered the message of unity the House GOP has pushed as it seeks to move forward. (link)
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Thursday, April 13, 2023
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
On Demonizing those with a different point view.
by Rod Williams, April 11, 2023 - In the most recent issue of The Nashville Scene, Bill Freeman, local real estate mogul, major fund raiser for Democrat politicians, and owner of The Scene and a bunch of other local news outlets wrote an editorial on the recent tragic school shooting in Nashville. The main focus of his opinion piece was that guns are too easy to obtain, and we need more gun regulations.
While I would question some of his contentions, and while I support the Second Amendment, I would not have found Bill Freeman's article particularly offensive if he had not stooped to demagogic demonizing of people who disagree with him. Here are two examples from that editorial:
Sadly, many politicians, like U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, prioritize their relationships with the National Rifle Association over the right to life.
and,
As long as politicians prioritize their own careers over the safety of our children, we will continue to see these devastating tragedies.
These statements in essence say that Marsha Blackman and other politicians who do not see things the same way Bill Freeman does, do not have real convictions of supporting the Second Amendment, but base their support for the Second Amendment on campaign contributions. It says they value campaign contributions more than the lives of children. In my view, that is a despicable thing to say. We should be able to disagree and make our case without attacking one's character or implying those who are is disagreement with our position are simply evil.
I had my own, but much more personal, experience with this mindset myself very recently. A sibling on mine wrote on Facebook to another party this statement.
Actually, this is very misleading of my positions. I was a global warming skeptic when the issue first appeared on my radar. And, following the "bend the curve" scandal I briefly again was a skeptic. But for almost all of the past 25 years I have accepted the predominant scientific consensus. To me however, I do not think it is the issue that trumps all other issues and I see a lot of greenwashing and approaches to the issue that are irrational, non-productive and counterproductive.
As regards to Trump, I did not vote for Trump in 2016. However, I thought he made a pretty good president, despite thinking he is a bully and a jerk, and I voted for him in 2022. I strongly condemn his attempt to illegally hold on the power and keep Congress from certifying the election. Anyone who reads my blog knows I am a Trump critic.
Despite that my sibling misrepresented my positions, even if he had properly represented them, could he not think we are both honorable people with a difference of option rather than saying I am no better than a Nazi?
I know this mindset is not only a mindset of the left. Conservatives are often ready to call liberals "communist," or attribute their policy positions to evil intent. Could we not engage people with whom we disagree as simply wrong, or uninformed, or misguided rather than thinking they are evil?
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Vote to send Justin Jones back to the House is unanimous in Metro Council
by Rod Williams, April 11, 2023 - I am not surprised that the Council appointed Justin Jones to fill the vacancy created by his ouster. I am surprised that it was unanimous. I thought there would be about five votes against it.
Retuning Jones is more poking the bear. The State has already taken action to cut the size of the Council, reduce the revenue stream of the the Music City Center, take over the Airport, the regulation of beer in parts of Nashville, and take over the Sports Authority. I felt it was unwise for the State House to oust the two Junstins but I think it is unwise for the Council to appoint him to fill the vacancy.
Read more about the topic here, and here.
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