Santa Clara County on Monday joined a federal lawsuit with 70 other jurisdictions asking the United States Supreme Court to uphold landmark protections for LGBTQ people.
The county’s friend-of-the-court brief was filed in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the case of the Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.
The high court is reviewing the decision of the Colorado Court of Appeals, which ruled that the bakery owner, Jake Phillips, violated the state’s non-discrimination law in 2012 by denying business to Charlie Craig and David Mullins. Phillips argues that serving a gay couple would violate his Christian beliefs.
Santa Clara County’s brief holds that the First Amendment doesn’t give businesses the right to skirt public accommodation laws.
“Equal treatment under the law is a bedrock principle of this country,” county Supervisor Ken Yeager, Silicon Valley’s first openly gay elected official, said in announcing the brief. “Business owners have a legal obligation to treat each of their customers the same. When they open their doors to the public, they cannot pick and choose whom to serve.”
Click here to read the brief.
While it is perfectly acceptable to hold a government to the standards of “Open to all business” the same cannot be said of private business. The age old mantra of “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone” is the final distinction between public, and private business. I have a lot of gay friends. If they don’t like how a business runs, they make their voices heard with their wallets, and will simply not support any business that does not support them.
Jake Phillips beliefs are personal, his business is private. If he chooses to not bake cakes for gay couples, that is his prerogative. The government has no business meddling in his affairs. He pays his taxes so he can have a street maintained and police there if he gets robbed.
When we stop allowing businesses to decide who and who they won’t service, we open the floodgates for mass discrimination lawsuits without merit, that will do nothing more than choke our already stretched thin court resources.
Really? So glad we have the feedback from white-nationalist and bigotry apologists like you out there to stand up against equality and justice.
“We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone” may be an age old mantra,but it’s certainly not the law of the land ! Lester Maddox had a similar sign posted in his restaurant,he refused to serve black people & no one is allowed to discriminate on the basis of race anymore. Further your argument that this bakery is a private business is just nonsense. Any business that serves the public (you can walk in & purchase something) isn’t a private business. A country club,fraternal organization or motorcycle gang’s clubhouse that requires you to be a member before making a purchase is a private business. Even bars that post such a sign must have a good reason to refuse to serve a customer. These would include being too intoxicated to serve,having been 86ed for past behavior,fighting or annoying the other customers. It’s up to the courts to decide what constitutes discrimination on the merits of each case & it’s the damages awarded to the victims of such reprehensible behavior that discourages it in the future. To blame those discriminated against for clogging our courts is as ignorant as it is preposterous. It’s those whose discriminatory actions leave no other recourse than litigation who are ultimately responsible for these matters to come before a judge & jury. They’re the ones at fault & the reason that you’d defend them is as baffling as it is troubling. Just who are you so intent on discriminating against & why ?
I think SJI is very biased by not allowing certain comments to pass through their moderation. Does this give me the right to sue them for discrimination? Is SJI, with their intellectual elitism seeing my comments as too stupid to publish? Why are they discriminating against my lack of intelligence. It’s a free speech issue too!
If you missed the sarcasm in my metaphor above, you’re not going to understand the scope of my parent comment. This is SJI’s board, their business. They can say what does/and doesn’t pass, even if I don’t agree with it. They rent space on the internet for this site to exist, they can moderate how they see fit to project whatever image they want to the public.
In that same sense, a private business runs itself much like SJI. They rent space, they register their fictitious name with the county. After that, what they choose to project to the public is their choice. Who they do, and do not allow as customers is their business, not the governments.
If they do not cater to the people in their community, they will not profit. It’s a problem already taken care of by capitalism.
Sal:>white-nationalist and bigotry apologists
I’m not apologizing for Jakes Phillips actions. I’m criticizing if it’s appropriate for the government to step in here. We allow Muslims to practice Sharia law in America to a certain degree. We allow them to buy up entire neighborhoods, but we don’t call them bigots or brown nationalists. We defend their rights to practice and hold their beliefs, nobody bats an eye. This guy is a white christian (and let’s face it, some sects of Christianity hold homosexuality as a sin) You mean to tell me we can’t extend the right for him to practice his beliefs? Because he’s white?
We either treat all these beliefs, even ones we disagree with, and peoples rights to practice them equally, regardless of color or we pick and choose who has the right to and who doesn’t. . These beliefs might hurt feelings, but they don’t physically hurt people. Personally, I think all religion is stupid, and I’m somewhat an atheist/agnostic.
Your privilege is showing, and it is incredibly disgusting.
Typical neo-liberal response. RACIST! BIGOT! PRIVILEGED! Your inability to construct an original logical argument is showing.
Robert, you are using that term like you know what it means, you should maybe do a little googling, because you’re individualistic nonsense is the only neo-liberalizing going on in this thread.
But good try. Well actually not. Also, a hell of a way to respond to your privilege is to double down. Gross.
Jake Phillips has made a lot of choices in his life ! He chose to become a Christian. He chose to become a baker. He chose to open a bakery. He chose not to provide a cake for a same sex couples wedding. He chose to become a martyr. And if he’s unhappy with the Supreme Court’s decision he can choose a new livelihood. I think Jake’s just enjoys being a ‘gluten’ for punishment,after all it’s always been his choice
> I think Jake’s just enjoys being a ‘gluten’ for punishment
Could it be said that they were.. “Gluten Intolerant?”
*rimshot* I’ll be here all week folks!
Robert Cortese, Muslims are not allowed to discriminate against gay people either. They read the Judeo-Christian Bible — Jesus of Nazereth is considered a prophet in Islam as well. Many fundamentalist Muslims agree with fundamentalist Christians that being gay is a sin. However, like Most American Christians, most American Muslims would not say it is a sin.
Muslims have fought in the US Armed Forces in every major war, btw. Including the Revolutionary War. There are many Muslims serving in the US Armed Forces today, as I type this.
The Kurds in Iraq are Muslims and they operate their area as a free republic with separation between church and state, just like the USA. The Kurds are very pro-American; no Kurd has ever attacked a US military unit. They are vehemently against ISIS and we are giving them air support and intelligence data to help them fight ISIS on the ground.
And no, Sharia law holds no authority on US soil.
> And no, Sharia law holds no authority on US soil.
Certainly, this is what American Constitutionalists believe.
It’s not at all clear that all or most Muslims believe this.
Many have made the case that Sharia law is not just a “religious” law, but a complete, comprehensive ideology prescribing civil governance. I.e., Sharia law overlaps — and in the eyes of believing Muslims — supersedes the U.S. Constitution.
http://www.newenglishreview.org/files/100/Image/sharia-free-zone.png
FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints) are not allowed plural marriage or marriage to underage girls, but it doesn’t seem to stop them. Fundamentalist Islam Jihad is illegal, but that didn’t stop that guy in NYC the other day from plowing through people in his truck while screaming “ADMIRAL ACKBAR!”
Your sentiment, while nice, doesn’t reflect reality.
》”We allow Muslims to buy up entire neighborhoods.”
Not sure what you mean. Is there some statute that “allows” this? Or is it just that in a free capitalist state, people can buy what they want?
Are you suggesting that’s bad? Should we have a law that a particular religion should not be allowed to enter into contracts for property? Should we zone subdivisions to prevent excessive purchases by one religion? How about one race or nationality? Who should be included in this? Muslims? The H1-B South Asians? Inquiring minds do want to know.
Oh good I’ll reserve the right to sue the hell out of any restaurants that refuse to serve me because I’m wearing a “Make America Great Again” Hat. Matter of fact let’s make it a class action suit fellas.
A dumb hat and an equally dumb following of a moron, are NOT protected (I know youre just kidding) :-)
Thank you for your lucid description of the liberties we gained by limiting to power of government to control our pursuit of happiness. Please tolerate (as I will probanly be targeted too) the typical invectives of the usual voices who only tolerate their point of view and can only respond with irrational name calling and baseless accusations.
I totally agree Mr. Cortese, when does Big Brother mind its own business. No shirt, no tie, no shoes and no LGBTQ’s telling us how to run our own business. Did I miss something recently in this Sanctuary State, did we somehow give up our rights to live? When did the sign “we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone,” become an issue. You don’t like it? Go somewhere else, but tell me how I have to run my own business, just ain’t going to fly, not with the government fees and regulations I have to deal with. So gay boys stick this lawsuit where you already put your stuff.
The Bible says to love thy neighbor,but Christian bigots think they have the right to pick & choose who they love. Most Americans if given the opportunity would refuse to serve bigots & many would likely starve. While eliminating bigots completely is a lofty goal,to do so in this fashion would violate the right to public accommodation & equal protection under the law. The list of groups filing amicus briefs is lengthy & includes many of the largest companies in our country. Groups including business,religious,military,the elderly & other minority organizations have also joined in to voice their opposition to this egregious attempt to trample the rights of the LGBTQ community. To paraphrase Dick Gregory who was refused service in a restaurant & told they didn’t serve black people “That’s fine because I don’t eat black people,but I would like to order a steak & a baked potato”. Fifty-five years later & now gay people are the new blacks,because bigots always need someone to mistreat & feel superior to for their own self-esteem. Refusing to serve black people was wrong then & refusing to serve gay people, whatever the excuse is just as wrong now. Heaven help those fools who believe otherwise !
the “we reserve the right” isn’t a real law, dumdum-you think you can tell a Jew no service? or a black? Or a woman?
Its actually not a “private” business. Its a PUBLIC business, privately owned. You really should read up on the difference before commenting. DOH!!! Youre also not aware of PA laws, obviously. What if the only gas station refused to sell gas to gays? Or the only grocer for 100 miles? see?
This case is a ‘cake’walk & should have never reached the Supreme Court,as the lower courts rulings were the correct interpretation of the law. By law anyone doing business with the general public isn’t allowed to discriminate by picking & choosing which customers they wish to serve on any basis. Citing their so-called deeply held religious beliefs in this case is just another way of saying religious intolerance. It’s obviously just blatant discrimination & can not be tolerated in our secular society. Our Constitution guarantees the right to religious freedom,the right to practice the religion of your choice or none at all. It doesn’t guarantee the right to impose your religious beliefs on others & this is just a convenient excuse for the prejudicial behavior of the plaintive. If businesses were allowed to discriminate based on the deeply held beliefs of their owners,many would refuse to serve customers based upon their race,religion,ethnicity or political affiliation as well as their sexual preference. It’s nobodies business who you decide to love,marry or sleep with & it appears that they would refuse to serve any customer that they determined was gay. It’s a classic case of trying to have your ‘cake’ & eat it too ! I’d like to know who is putting up the ‘dough’ to bankroll this effort to expand the right of religious freedom to include the right to discriminate based on religious intolerance. Let’s hope that the Supreme Court will ‘batter’ this half-‘baked’ argument,to do otherwise would be a ‘recipe’ for disaster. ‘Beating’ back Jake Phillip’s woeful excuse for his egregious intolerance & discrimination based on his latent homophobia would truly be the ‘icing’ on the cake. Here’s hoping that Jake Phillips chokes on their decision,because to rule otherwise would just ‘egg’ him & others like him on. This would of course encourage even more frivolous litigation. Let’s hope that the Masterpiece Cake Shop lives in infamy as the business whose intolerance finally settles this issue once & for all. This will expose every like-minded homophobe who dares to discriminate to costly lawsuits,thus discouraging any further religious intolerance.
If you are going to open a business and apply for a business license and a resale license and a Federal ID then it should be understood that you must serve all of the citizens that wish to do business. Do you have to make a Porno Cake, or Marijuana Brownies, of course not. You are not being asked to engage in any activity except that which you have requested a license. The problem with this case is LBGTQ does not come under the Constitution as currently written to protect against rejection on constitutional grounds. Change the Constitution or have your cake made w/o divulging your sexual preference and don’t waste my tax money preparing a political butt kissing brief. The crime of theft of my tax money upsets me more just like the County with it’s Sanctuary City nonsense. Pickem’ all up and throw them out.
Jack Slade – You don’t know jack & your homophobic viewpoint has been slayed at last ! It would appear that you marginalized conservatives are the new minority here & now that the shoe is on the other foot they’re all mad as hell. No political clout,no power,no future,no hope,no fooling & it couldn’t have happened to a nicer group of people. It wasn’t a pleasure to know you & the privilege was all yours !
> Santa Clara County’s brief holds that the First Amendment doesn’t give businesses the right to skirt public accommodation laws.
Where the hell is Santa Clara County getting their legal theories? From condom wrappers?
First Amendment = Constitution of the United States
public accommodation laws = local statutes passed by socially isolated local wackos and tribal shamans
The whole point of the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law is that it RESTRAINS the local wackos and tribal shamans. Otherwise, Sam Liccardo could declare San Jose to be a communist people’s republic, appoint Herb Waxman as head of the secret police and round up all scabs and execute them:
> Most people do in fact hate scabs & rightfully so. A scab is so low that he’d have to climb ten flights of stairs to kiss a snake’s ass !
You’re missing the point, the argument is that the 1st amendment does not include that protection, not that the 1st amendment is subservient to local law.
Re: Sanctuary Cities – No local government is required to enforce any federal statutes or participate in helping the federal government in doing so no matter what the issue. Cooperating with the feds without any remuneration is a colossal waste of our local tax dollars. If you’re not happy then send the feds some more of your own money so they can afford to hire enough more people to do the job themselves.
> Cooperating with the feds without any remuneration is a colossal waste of our local tax dollars. I
Waxy:
Why do you care? You don’t pay any taxes.
“Progressives” are tax eaters.
Wasting tax dollars — local, state, or federal — is what progressives do.
Bravo ! Another stupid unsubstantiated comment,just what we’ve come to expect from the Bubble. Unable to argue the facts,he lashes out once again with ignorant right-wing platitudes & specious conjecture. If it weren’t for his habit of repeating the things I’ve said & always out of context,he’d have the vocabulary of a third grader. Coupled with his minuscule intellect he sure uses up a lot of space to say absolutely nothing. I invite all the other readers to read all of his other muttonheaded posts & then join with me to mock & ridicule him at every opportunity.
> If it weren’t for his habit of repeating the things I’ve said & always out of context,he’d have the vocabulary of a third grader.
Waxy:
I’m a little unclear in your notion of “repeating … things … out of context”. Are you saying that quoting a complete sentence out of a three sentence post is not enough context?
Should I be quoting your complete posts, and also allow you to “revise and extend your remarks” after I comment on them?
Why not just say what you mean in a concise, focused manner and then stand behind what you say?
It would be a full time job w/o pay. I gotta earn a living so I can pay taxes that fund running water, electricity, roads, and tax breaks for the wealthy.
> I gotta earn a living so I can pay taxes that fund running water, . . . and tax breaks for the wealthy.
Downer:
Baloney. The “wealth” pay almost all of the taxes.
Whatever pathetic, pitiful amount of taxes you pay is basically just symbolic.
https://www.cnbc.com/2013/12/11/the-rich-do-not-pay-the-most-taxes-they-pay-all-the-taxes.html
“The rich do not pay the most taxes, they pay ALL the taxes”
> Another stupid unsubstantiated comment,just what we’ve come to expect from the Bubble.
I’ve really come to appreciate bubble over the last few years. I throw the slightest shade towards someone on this site, and it doesn’t pass moderation. So far I count the following derogatories you’ve thrown at him just on your last comment.
Stupid
Unsubstanciated
Unfactual
Ignorant
Right wing (although this might not be considered a derogatory)
Specious conjector (AKA Bs’er)
Repeating (Plagurist)
Speaking out of context
Vocabulary of a 3rd grader
Miniscule intellect
Waste of space
Says nothing
Then you finish it off with a rallying cry for everyone to “to read all of his other muttonheaded posts & then join with me to mock & ridicule him at every opportunity.”
So basically you have zero respect for him, and you want everyone to beat up on him with you. What sort of magic voodoo do you have on the moderators of this site that you’re given so much free reign to throw so many colorful metaphors at him?
Who’s butt do I have to kiss for the privilege waxy? Do I just have to start supporting every nauseating liberal agenda to be able to mudsling on this site? Please, do tell, inquiring minds want to know.
Read your article, Bubbly. It defines “wealthy” as the top 40%. What makes you think I’m not there?
I’m talking about the top 1%. No, they don’t pay all the taxes.
I just respond to conservative trolls with the same vitriol & animus that they take great pride in dishing out. Then these timid snowflakes are repulsed & horrified when a liberal has the audacity to turn the tables on them. If they don’t enjoy being given a taste of their own medicine,they should stick to the facts & quit attacking us for being progressives. As long as they keep posting their opinions masquerading as facts,I’ll be happy to keep posting my critical opinions of them. Did it ever occur to you that maybe you’re just not liked very much or that your comments are censored because they are too offensive. It happens to me all the time. You may think that some of my comments are derogatory,but the fact is that some of my better diatribes are censored here & in hindsight probably for good reason. It’s a pity that I can’t tell some of these cretins what I really think about them,but children do have access to this website.
> Did it ever occur to you that maybe you’re just not liked very much or that your comments are censored because they are too offensive.
Oh those facts do not escape me waxy, but the difference between you and I is, I know that’s reality, I just don’t care. in your reality you think I do care. That’s the difference between a centrist and a liberal, or in this case, someone who is, and someone who is out of touch with reality like yourself. Centrists don’t really care what you think, or what conservatives think, we don’t have this overwhelming desire to “Have friends” because our bar of friendship is raised much much higher than yours.
Little story from my 30’s. I had a friend, he had a girlfriend. He whines about Trump, doesn’t work (inherited a large estate from his dad, which he seems adept at pissing away) One evening, his girlfriend, and another girl lock him out of the bedroom. When he picks the lock, he sees this girl with her head between his girlfriends legs.
Now for me, as a centrist, I’d be done with both of them in an instant. Instead, I had to watch this guy bend over backwards to remain friends. His other liberal friends would berate him, tell him, “You have to be OK with this, this is WHO she is” As the conservative trolls like to call them, “A cuckold” At what point does a persons actions become so disgusting, that you shut the door on that friendship?
She didn’t even offer to let him join in… So selfish.
See for me, sleeping with my girlfriend, even under the banner of “LGBTQ” doesn’t hold up. Beyond the LGBTQ there is the very basic, non-sexualized concept of honor, and loyalty and fidelity. Concepts that seem beyond the scope of comprehension of this rag.
Most libs I’ve met would soon as rather bash a guy for “not accepting his girlfriends sexuality” instead of calling it for the BS it is. I just pray your redpill doesn’t come in the same cuckholding manner. I was smart enough to wise up before it infected my household, I pray the same relief for you.
Robert,what the hell are you talking about ? First of all you don’t know me,so you don’t have a clue what I think. In fact to describe you as clueless would be an understatement. The fact is that there is only one reality & I’m not trying to win a popularity contest,I’m just trying to win the argument. I enjoy the conflict of an adversarial relationship with those who disagree with my interpretation of the issues at hand. That is why the befuddled nitwits who I’m compelled to rebuke & castigate are my adversaries, I don’t have any idea why you’d think this is an appropriate forum for an anecdote about your friends sexual misfortunes,but it’s actually you centrists who are the cuckolds. Unable, unwilling or too faint-hearted to pick a side or take a stand,you’d rather watch & kibitz from the sidelines than literally participate. Maybe if your friend had learned to perform cunnilingus like his girlfriend liked it,she wouldn’t have needed to look elsewhere for what she craved ? The difference between you & your friend is that you seem like the kind of guy who’d rather watch & play with yourself rather than asking to join in. There’s an old vaudeville saying that “if you give them what they want,they’ll keep coming back” (or just keep cumming). I’d be willing to bet that those of you who valued honor,loyalty & fidelity above all else,more than likely didn’t get laid that often. Once when I was in my twenties three young women drew straws to see who’d get to have sex with me first. Whether any of them was bi-sexual or not was the farthest thing from my mind. I may be older now,but you can rest assured that if I’m ever unable to cut the mustard,I can always lick the jar ! After all I did win the silver medal in the Pan-American Games once in the three meter muff dive. I should have brought home the gold,but I sprained my tongue in training.
Herb I have no other metric to offer as to the skills of my own cunnilingus other than I’ve been happily married for over 20 years now, and produced 2 beautiful, highly intelligent children (Through intercourse). Having had many lesbian friends, I can assure you cunnilingus is not the deciding factor towards a womans sexuality.
I recently had the opportunity to talk to a lesbian in the making, a daughter of a friend. She’s not quite a teenager, hasn’t had sex, but from my talks to her has been revealing. Cunnilingus has played no part in this childs sexuality. From a very early age, she was attracted to teachers and a few other girls at her school. She’s just not into boys. Has absolutely nothing to do with cunnilingus, and if that’s your stance, you’re oversimplifying the problem.
Yes, you win. Not by logic, but by wearing me down. I’ve become bored of this, so instead I’ll leave you some song lyrics that are pretty much the core of why I don’t really care for too many friends. I like quality, not quantity.
WHo’s that kid at the back of the room
WHo’s that kid at the back of the room?
Setting all his things on fire
Setting all his things on fire
Why doesn’t he want tons of friends?
Why doesn’t he want tons of friends?
Says he’s bored when we hang around
Says he’s bored when we hang around.
We, never talk to him
He, Just never looks quite right
He just laughs at us
and we just beat him up
and what he sees escapes our siyayayayaya SIGHT.
That great Herb you have now made the case for the south’s cessation over slavery, Jim Crow, lynching and segregation in public schools, if the states don’t want to play they don’t have too. That also means if I don’t want to bake a Herbie cake in my state I don’t have to!
States & cities are required to abide by federal law or face the legal consequences in federal court if they choose to do otherwise. They aren’t required to enforce or cooperate in the enforcement of federal statutes,that’s solely the responsibility of federal authorities. States & cities enforce state & local laws & the decision of whether or not to assist the federal government in enforcing federal laws is made by our elected representatives in our states & cities. They can not be legally compelled to do so,no matter how many of their constituents may disagree with their position. Marijuana is illegal under federal law,yet many cities & states have chosen to defy the federal law at the behest of their voters. Further they’ve chosen not to assist federal law enforcement entities in the arrest of those in violation of the federal laws prohibiting the use & possession of marijuana. Once again the enforcement of these laws are the responsibility of federal authorities,whether or not to intercede & how & when to do so is a decision that’s made by the federal government. State & local laws nonwithstanding,nothing is preventing the federal government from charging those in violation of these laws with committing a crime & trying them in federal court. Why haven’t the already done so ? Let’s consider the many possible reasons why they haven’t intervened. The ludicrous classification of marijuana as a Schedule 1 Drug (more dangerous than cocaine & methamphetamines). Changing attitudes toward marijuana use & recent polling showing that 70% of Americans favor legalizing it now. Research showing that marijuana has many health care benefits,despite decades of federal efforts to stifle research. A lack of will & resources (money better spent elsewhere) to enforce an unpopular federal law without local cooperation. Congress refusing to fund enforcement & prosecution activities in states where those using marijuana are in compliance with state law. The inability to convince federal juries to convict those charged with marijuana offences. Many people were arrested for alcohol offences during Prohibition,but few were convicted by a jury. If ignorance was a federal offence Empty Gun would have been tried & convicted by a jury of his peers years ago. Unfortunately for him while refusing to bake a cake for a gay wedding violates our right to equal protection under the law,no one can compel a baker to put a file into a cake to aid & abet his escape attempt. There’s no escape EG,stupid is as stupid does ! Patty Cake,Patty Cake Baker’s Man – now put some of that in your pipe & smoke it !!!
Regardless of how one feels about the merits of the issue, I think that the County should be required to tell us how much money was spent, including labor time, writing such an amicus brief. They should also have to say who approved the expense. That way those of us that agree with the efficacy of writing amici briefs can thank the decision maker. Those that don’t know where accountability should lie.
Bravo. Tempted to file a public records request, but expect it would result in a “we have no records” response. On the other hand, that would be enlightening – i.e., that legal costs are not tracked.
Waxy:
BIG, BIG, BIG, BIG NEWS!
Senator Chuck Schumer just informed me that I was manipulated by Russian ads on social media into voting against Hillary Clinton.
I was probably the reason that Hillary lost. Along with social media like SJI.
My bad!
Is there anything I can do to show my true remorse?
Could I pay some more taxes or something?
Move to a different state where your vote will count. In this case it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
> Move to a different state where your vote will count.
Are you saying that they haven’t been counting my vote in California?
Does the so-called “Democratic Party” know about this?
Who do I complain to?
Complain to the other state’s SOS. Good luck and good riddance!
That’s telling him ! I know that most progressives are far too busy to respond on a daily basis to the repugnant rhetoric of these intolerable conservative trolls. However if we just encourage our like-minded neighbors to take a few moments to share their opinions herein,these angry old pinheads would be outnumbered 100 to 1 !! Tell a friend !!!
Herb, don’t bother with these right-wing trolls. They have nothing to live for, no happiness here in great blue California, so they constantly inhabit the SJI forums, and explode whenever there’s an article related to the LGBT community or Second Amendment. It’s the only thing that gives them any kind of satisfaction.
Atta boys County government employees. We can always count on you to champion the interests of the special interest groups to which you pander- in this case the Ls, Gs, Bs, Ts, and Qs.
Never mind the interests, rights, and freedom of individual Americans. Individuals are irrelevant in progressiveland.
“Equal treatment under the law is a bedrock principle of this country,” county Supervisor Ken Yeager.
If I want to order a cake from Masterpiece Bakery I wonder under which branch of our government it’s listed? Ken Yeager, whose brain must be as airy as a cream puff, believes that bakeries, in addition to making cookies and frosting cakes, also dispenses the law, and he wants those who stand before the authoritative glass counter and the stern-looking, white-aproned baker (after their number is called) to receive equal treatment.
The very definition of liberty is to be free of oppressive rules, and rules that compel people to do things against their constitutionally-protected freedoms cannot qualify as bedrock principles of anything other than a totalitarian regime. It is blatantly absurd, and a testament to the derangement of the homosexual community, to argue that the same American who cannot be compelled to fight in defense of his country can nevertheless be forced to bake in service to homosexuality.
The question before the court is simple: in a nation colonized and created in the name of religious freedom, must that freedom be surrendered to satisfy the social and/or political demands of others? Should the conscience and labor of one private person be subject to the confiscatory actions of government in service to the desires of another private person? Does the state have the right of eminent domain over our religious beliefs?
Should the court rule religious freedom insufficient to protect the beliefs of a taxpaying businessman, then there can be no way for that same freedom to be deemed sufficient to protect from taxation the coffers of religious or charitable organizations. The rights of one religious individual can never be of secondary importance to the rights of an organization formed around the beliefs of a group of such individuals. If Jake Phillips’ constitutionally-protected beliefs are ruled unconstitutional then so should be every belief, previously protected or not. This would, of course, include the many tax-emempt gay organizations.
> Ken Yeager, … believes that bakeries, in addition to making cookies and frosting cakes, also dispenses the law, and he wants those who stand before the authoritative glass counter and the stern-looking, white-aproned baker (after their number is called) to receive equal treatment.
An excellent illustration, Finny, that inside of every “progressive” is a repressed authoritarian.
Ken Yeager: “an authoritarian in a progressive suit”.
So what will the NIMBY snowflake’s do if the supremes overturn your pet lawsuit? Tantrum time!
> quit attacking us for being progressives.
Waxy:
Just what the hell is a “progressive”?
My definition is: a “progressive” is a repressed authoritarian. If we let progressives be who they really want to be, they would morph into nasty intolerant little Stalins.
Repression keeps “progressives’ from be the authoritarians they really want to be, so they compensate by being passive agressive.
Saul Alinsky’s “Rules For Radicals” is just a training manual for progressives on how to be passive aggressive.
Litigation is fun! Don’t really know who isn’t being discriminated against in the new America. Why not let the scumbag lawyers decide for us. What a pity!
Waxy, Downer:
As some wag once said: “You’re entitled to your own opinion. But you’re not entitled to your own facts.”
FACT: The wealthy pay almost all the taxes in the United States.
Whatever pathetic, pitiful amount of taxes you pay as a member of the bottom 90 percent (or whatever) is basically just symbolic.
Careful Bubbly. Your “centrist” fan Robert might consider the terms “pitiful,” “pathetic” and “whatever” to be overly “derogatory.” Or at least he would if they came from a particular side – left of the center.
Personally I’m not hurt. Your comments liven up my day and cause about as much pain as a little gnat trying to bite my a**. But since you’re the expert on the comments policy, you might want to check it again.
I love the tapestry of usernames the same users create. SJO and I do just fine with our monikers, why do you need so many?
That’s all you’ve got? I get into what’s “centrist” and what’s “derogatory,” and you respond with sleuthing and deduction that rivals Shermlock Shomes of the 1950s Mad Magazine comics. Why not ask Bubbly who he is? Do you and he go bowling together? Or are you the same guy? Are you the “centrist” face of Bubbly? Good cop, bad cop? When you figure it out, don’t bother letting me know. I’m more interested in the substance of the discussion. Don’t care who he is or who you are. Nothing personal here, Robert – at least not yet. Don’t make it that. This is a pfolitical debate.
> Why not ask Bubbly who he is?
I’m kind of on the same page as Donna Brazile: an abundance of caution.
I don’t want the atheistic, religion-hating, white-hating, and scab-hating Waxy bursting into my church on a Sunday morning wearing a bullet-proof vest and hosing down my community with an illegally obtained assault weapon.
I just feel safer knowing that Waxy doesn’t know where to find me.
wow-youre dumb (hint-the “wealthy” pay about half of the taxes in the USA, as they should). And-this is important-the VERY rich, like Trump, dont pay anything because of loopholes
> And-this is important-the VERY rich, like Trump, dont pay anything because of loopholes
Normandy:
Do you ever feel dumb and embarrassed when someone points out that a statement you just made is ignorant and wrong?
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/donald-trump-tax-return-takeaways-236095
“Five things to know about Trump’s leaked tax return”
. . . .
1. Trump paid taxes
“His leaked return shows he was to have paid $38.4 million in taxes that year, something that’s sure to disappoint Democrats ,,,,
The president paid $36.5 million in individual income tax and $1.9 million in Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes.”
Like everything else you feel obligated to share with us,your definition of Progressive is irrelevant. Why don’t you buy a dictionary ? If you go to the library I’m sure that someone would be delighted to explain how to use it to you. Merriam- Webster (a dictionary) defines Progressive as 1: a) of,relating to,or characterized by progress b) making use of or interested in new ideas,findings or opportunities 2: of,relating to,or characterized by progression 3: moving forward or onward – advancing. This is just another example of a disingenuous attempt on your part to lie or mislead,in an attempt to advance your own specious political agenda. Why are you so frightened by progress,most things evolve over a period of time ? Of course dimwitted knuckle-dragging Neanderthals like yourself are the most obvious exception to the rule.
Wikipedia describes Saul Alinsky as “An American community organizer & writer. He is generally considered to be the founder of modern community organizing. His organizing skills were focused on improving the living conditions of poor communities across the United States”. Conservapedia describes him as “An author,activist,liberal community organizer & rabble-rouser in Chicago who developed a method of local organizing that was widely copied by Democrats & influenced Barack Obama & Hillary Clinton. He wanted reform inside the system by pressuring government officials to take into account the needs & wants of neighborhood residents,& he believed that the end justified any means. He was opposed by far-left radicals who wanted to destroy capitalism & who feared that Alinsky was strengthening it by resolving the issues most important to the poor” I find it ironic that conservatives loathe a man who wanted to work inside the system & was believed to be strengthening capitalism. You just can’t please these people ! I’ve never read “Rules for Radicals & I seriously doubt that you have,but that being said he sounds like a great guy to me. It appears that the “nasty intolerant little Stalin” besmirching the name & character of a great American figure is you Bubble Boy !! It’s said that those who you admire say everything about who you are. When your heroes are Steve Bannon,Sean Hannity,Bill O’Reilly & Rush Limbaugh;you needn’t say anymore,your spin on the issues is predictable.
Herb,
“Progress” meaning moving forward? Your moving forward to 1917 Herb, it was tried and failed all over the world no matter how miserable the failure you seem to be bent on dragging the rest of the world down you miserable stinky rat hole.
It wasn’t the dream of Marx’s Lennon and Alinski to make the world a better place, but the only place, and one they ruled with a iron fist. Zero opposition, for that we will bash your stupid opinion for as long as there is a Constitution and a Bill of Rights.
> dimwitted knuckle-dragging Neanderthals like yourself
Waxy:
Dimwitted knuckle-dragging Neanderthals seen to occupy a lot of space inside your oversized progressive brain.
Did you ever think of maybe using your big brain brain to cure cancer, end sexual harassment in Hollywood, or bring about world peace?
> Did you ever think of maybe using your big brain brain to cure cancer, end sexual harassment in Hollywood, or bring about world peace?
I’d be happy if he used it to break his thoughts into paragraphs.
I’ll leave it to those who read the comments herein to determine whether or not they agree with me that you & your like minded cohorts are all dimwitted knuckle-dragging Neanderthals. I’d wager that a vast majority of the readers would concur with my erudite assessment of you half-baked & asinine alt-right blabbermouths. Sexual harassment is abhorrent wherever it occurs & as a feminist I’m just as appalled whether it happens in Hollywood,or where it’s just as prevalent like Fox News. If Masterpiece Bakeshop were to prevail at the Supreme Court,those devout Christians who believe that women should be subservient to their husbands & remain at home raising their children could just refuse to hire any women at all. Being sexually harassed is unacceptable under any circumstance,but it pales in comparison to being denied the right to seek a job & earn a living. Christianity = Misogyny = Bigotry !
Misogyny + Sexual harassment + Rape + Hollywood + Carlos Danger + an Arrogant Condescending Attitude + a snoot full of cocaine = Bill Clinton and the 20’s Century DMC Party hardy boys the girls keep rolling through the door.
The wall came tumbling down in 1989. It’s time we buried your commi attitude and dream of ruining America, Waxhead
“If mommy is a commie,then you’ve gotta turn her in” (The John Birch Society) – by The Chad Mitchell Trio. As funny & true today as it was in the 1960’s & available for your listening pleasure on YouTube. I give it an 92. Catchy tune & spot on lyrics,but it’s hard to dance to it !
> “If mommy is a commie,then you’ve gotta turn her in” (The John Birch Society)
Waxy:
Even the commies hate commies.
“Wall of Grief: Putin opens first Soviet victims memorial”
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41809659
Come on Waxhead,
That’s straight out of the Obama lexicon. Read somthing anti Obama turn them in.
You really are a puke!
“Wake up white people” ! That’s the opening line shouted by the bigoted speakers at the hate rallies Empty Gun attends. Pay attention EG (I know you have a short attention span),but President Obama was a huge disappointment to me & I only voted for him once. He was far too conservative for my liking,was too conciliatory with right-wing extremists & accomplished little due to their obstruction. If only he could have been angrier,bolder & more confrontational,America would be a far better place today. That being said he was ten times better than any Republican alternative. So, “Shut your festering gob you twit ! Your type really makes me ‘puke’,you vacuous,toffee-nosed,malodorous pervert” !!! – Monty Python
Q: Your point is ? A: Showing (buy a hat) !
I’ll just leave this right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgWIhYAtan4
“Free exercise law provides many protections for the religious beliefs & actions of individuals & institutions that oppose same-sex marriage for religious reasons,” said Holly Hollman,General Council of The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. “But it does not provide a right for commercial vendors to refuse to sell goods & services to certain people in violation of a nondiscrimination law by simply asserting a faith-based reason”. When even mainstream Christian organizations think that a ruling in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop is a bad idea,you know that Jake Phillips is going down & going down hard. It’s ironic that it was Jake’s own religion based revulsion of other men going down that was the genesis of his decision to stand erect & proud in opposition. If he’d only “Let ’em eat cake” he’d still be in the bakery business,but instead it is he who has bitten off more than he could chew !
I’m Dumb Baker ,
Please bake me a cake with rebel flag a swastika and a gay pink Nazi pissing on a candle so I can set it a blaze in Herbie Waxheads, Mercedes Benz.
Empty Gun – the ‘bigoted clown prints’ of San Jose Inside commentary. Your eloquence is only exceeded by your intellect,your anger only exceeded by your homophobia ! I’d suggest that you go #@%! yourself,but taking your nickname into consideration I’d surmise that you shot your wad years ago. Let’s hope they finally catch you starting fires & institutionalize you permanently before you really hurt someone. Please seek the help of a mental health professional before you acquire any more ammunition, because we’ll all sleep better at night knowing your gun remains as empty as your head ! Speaking of your empty head,what sort of noise does the air rushing through it make on a windy day ? Enquiring minds & psychiatrists want to know !
I’ma Dumb Baker,
You mean Prince?
My gay psychiatrist Charlie says you and Herb nuts and I’m funny.
The ringing in my ears is tinnitus from working in places for 40 plus years with a DB level above 89 decibels.
No,Empty Gun – You are the “Bigoted Clown Prints” (prints as opposed to cursive;or as your preferred means of communication),you’re certainly not a Prince ! I do take great exception though to your referring to me as a “Dumb Baker”. The ‘dumb baker’ is the one who appealed his losing argument for refusing to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple to the Supreme Court. I thought that you got your tinnitus from wearing a foil hat for forty years,but it’s your eyesight that’s going bad. I know you’re going blind because you haven’t made a single snide or repugnant remark about the two grooms on the cake being black & white. See an optometrist & try pulling the foil hat down over your ears.
> I know you’re going blind because you haven’t made a single snide or repugnant remark about the two grooms on the cake being black & white.
Ima:
I don’t get it.
Why would a gay black guy want to marry someone with white skin privilege?
Because they’re in love,Booble ! Something you’d obviously know nothing about. Nobody male or female with a modicum of decency & self-respect would have anything to do with a vulgar prick like you. That’s why you don’t get ‘it’,the fact is that no one would ever willingly give ‘it’ to you. You’ve never had ‘it’ & wouldn’t know what to do with ‘it’ if anyone ever gave ‘it’ to you. Get ‘it’ ? Not Likely. You’ll never get ‘it’ ! Lonely + Angry x Ignorant = Booble
Waxy says:
> President Obama was a huge disappointment to me & I only voted for him once. He was far too conservative for my liking,was too conciliatory with right-wing extremists & accomplished little due to their obstruction. If only he could have been angrier,bolder & more confrontational,America would be a far better place today. T
Wow! I didn’t know it was possible to be much angrier and more confrontational than Obama.
So, Waxy; name some names. Who are some of the leaders that you admire who are “angrier,bolder & more confrontational” and who would make America a far better place?
The Progressive community is hanging on your every word and ready to take notes.
Angrier, Bolder more Confrontational making America better, Isn’t that why Trump got elected !
Trump was elected because his campaign colluded with the Russians to help spread right-wing propaganda,which mislead millions of ignorant,intolerant,inbred imbeciles into voting for him. He didn’t win a majority of the popular vote & less than 40% of the voters support him now. Trump’s anger plays well with his clueless & bigoted supporters because they aren’t swayed by the facts or the truth. The Democrats actually have something to be angry about,the lying obstructionist POS Republicans. If they’d been more confrontational & attacked the deplorable GOP bastards who keep making the middle class promises they have no intention of keeping,Hillary would be the President today.
The upcoming midterm election will be a “huuuuge” referendum on the Trump presidency & many Republicans in Washington are already running for the exits,rather than face the growing horde of irate voters. If Steve Bannon is successful in his efforts to replace the last moderate Republicans with alt-right zealots,the Democrats could seize control of the Senate & the House. You know that if the Democrats take control of the House,Trump’s impeachment will be a certainty. That is if he’s still the President a year from now,as Robert Mueller is going to be relentless in his pursuit of truth & justice. Trump’s tax returns,tawdry business deals (both domestic & foreign),his assets & liabilities,bankruptcies,sexual assaults,etc. are all fair game for a Special Prosecutor. Just ask Bill Clinton,after years of investigations lying about his affair with Monica Lewinsky was the only thing they could pin on him.
Maybe Trump is being nice to Putin because the Russians have offered him political asylum in Moscow & all of the underage beauty contestants he can abuse. He’ll need to hide somewhere when he leaves office,because he’s already despised by more people than that bible thumping GOP pedophile Roy Moore. Everyone knows that the Pussy Grabber-in-Chief is every bit as guilty of assaulting women as Righteous Ray & it’s only a matter of time before his lies won’t be believed anymore. Give these women lie detector tests on “The Maury Show” !!!
Obama was rarely angry or confrontational,as he felt it was more important to act Presidential & preserve the dignity of the office to which he was elected twice. Only those who reviled him personally & politically would believe or repeat such detestable right-wing propaganda to the contrary. He should have been far more vocal & combative,using his platform to tell the American people just what reprehensible POS Republican politicians & their supporters really are. Instead he left this job to Joe Biden & other Democrats who lacked the political clout that comes with being the Commander-in-Chief. President Trump on the other hand has completely diminished the stateliness of the Presidency by vehemently & recklessly attacking his adversaries on a daily basis. The difference between these two men is like night & day. Barack Obama is a thoughtful & intelligent leader & statesman,respected not only by a majority of Americans,but worldwide by our allies. Donald Trump is a clueless & ignorant narcissist & buffoonish tyrant reviled not only by a majority of Americans,but worldwide by our allies. President Obama was honest & truthful,a man of great integrity & self-esteem. President Trump is a treacherous bold-faced liar,a dishonest man bereft of any rectitude or morality.
I think that Senator Al Franken would make a fine President because he’s never been shy about giving his thoughtful opinion of the GOP or those who carry their water. His books “Lies & The Lying Liars Who Tell Them:A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right” & “Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot & Other Observations” were both bestsellers & as insightful as they were scathingly candid & accurate. Fox News filed a lawsuit to block the publication of “Lies” describing Franken as “intoxicated or deranged” & “shrill & unstable”. A US District Court Judge refused to issue an injunction saying that the networks claim was “wholly without merit,both factually & legally”. Fox News lawyers withdrew their lawsuit three days later. Anyone that a right-wing propaganda machine like Fox News would attack so vociferously in an attempt to silence them,is the kind of man who’d have my emphatic support should he seek our nations highest office. As far as I’m concerned that may be the greatest endorsement imaginable,that Fox News hates your guts !!!
> So, Waxy; name some names. Who are some of the leaders that you admire who are “angrier,bolder & more confrontational” and who would make America a far better place?
Al Franken! Got it!
It will take me some time to wrap my head around this one.
President Al Franken? President Al Franken. PRESIDENT Al Franken. President Al FRANKEN.
Hmmmmmm.
> President Al Franken? President Al Franken. PRESIDENT Al Franken. President Al FRANKEN.
Waxy:
I’m feeling a disturbance in the FORCE.
I don’t think this is going to work.
Ima Dawn says:
> Because they’re in love,Booble !
Really?!
I didn’t know it was possible for a progressive to love someone with white skin privilege.
How about you, Ima, who’s your favorite white privileged heart throb? Bill Clinton? Jerry Brown? Sam Liccardo?
Booble? That’s gonna stick.
Booble doesn’t know anything,but that doesn’t deter his constant race-baiting no matter what the subject. He’s a bigoted racist who enjoys fanning the flames of hatred & intolerance at any & every opportunity. Most progressives are white,but that has nothing to do with the fact that white people have always been the privileged race in this country. We also recognize the fact that people of color have always been systematically oppressed,denigrated & abused by white Americans since this nation was founded. Those days & the days of those ‘good ‘ol boys’ who long for ‘the good ‘ol days’ are certainly coming to an end. Old white conservatives may cling to their power & their wealth,but they’re a minority in this country now & a reckoning day will soon be upon them. Angry,frightened & threatened by a growing upheaval to their privileged lives,they continue to flail away at those that they rightfully believe will change their America forever. Most people know that the color of ones skin doesn’t actually make you any better than those whose skin may be a different color than their own. It’s sad that some dim-witted Caucasians still embrace such stupidity,but it appears that we’ll need to force them to submit to the reality of the situation like it or not. The GOP Party (Grand Old Pedophiles) discriminate against women,racial & religious minorities,foreigners & immigrants & those who identify with the LGBTQ community. Although those who grab women by the pussy & assault teenage girls get a pass,as long as they’re not Democrats. Of course the Evangelical religious right are by far the least tolerant & most hypocritical Americans of all !
Taking a knee during the Star-Spangled Banner to protest racial oppression only denigrates our flag,our country & our military in the eyes of those who refuse to acknowledge that such oppression is still a dire problem in America today ! The writer of our national anthem was a slave owner who prosecuted abolitionists & in the third verse he wrote “No refuge could save the hireling & slave. From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave” ! And now you know why they never sing the last two verses in public. Francis Scott Key was known as a strong critic of the anti-slavery movement !
> He’s a bigoted racist who enjoys fanning the flames of hatred & intolerance at any & every opportunity.
Waxy:
I accept your surrender.
When progressives realize they have lost the argument, the only thing left for them is to shriek “racism”.
Progressivism is just “tribalism”: “my tribe good — other tribe bad”.
To a progressive, anyone who does not share their love for their tribe and their loyalty to their shaman is a “racist”.
“Most progressives are white,but that has nothing to do with the fact that white people have always been the privileged race in this country.”
In recognition of Thanksgiving it should be asked, “Did the Pilgrims represent the privileged race in America?” Of course not, leaving those who would agree with Waxman’s assertion the task of identifying just when it was that white people captured that privilege. Was it before or after the Revolutionary War, a conflict in which white people were privileged to spill almost all the blood? If not, maybe the privilege arrived with the Civil War, when white soldiers spilled thirty times more blood — for no real benefit, than their ancestors did securing their freedom from England.
At what point did Irish immigrants become privileged here? Or Italians? Was there a particular event in which they were they anointed as privileged, or was their privilege revealed only when declared by demented progressives?
That the majority of the privileged in America were, and maybe still are, white people, does not justify identifying the white race as privileged. It especially does not justify branding — and dismissing, every white person offering an opinion or defending a position as just another person of privilege. Progressives hurl “white privilege” as a contemptuous epithet with zero concern for its accuracy, very much the same way racists indiscriminately hurl the N-word.
Waxman would no more have the courage to accuse a white biker of being privileged than he would the inclination to hurl the N-word at Obama. He’s just a nut case blowhard.
I’m sure the Indians would have killed all the Pilgrims if they could have foreseen the future slaughter of their people & loss of all the land they inhabited. I’d venture that ‘white privilege’ began long before the Revolutionary War,as slavery was prevalent in all thirteen colonies since the early 1700’s. Your point about thirty times more ‘white’ people dying for “no real benefit” during the Civil War speaks volumes about your racism. After all it was the slave states seceding from the Union that started the conflict. The Irish & the Italians were often discriminated against when they began arriving in America,by the ‘white’ Protestant Anglo-Saxons who arrived here before them. It took them years to assimilate into society & many more years to finally join the ruling class. At that point many of them begin to enjoy the myriad benefits of “white privilege’ at last,joining with those discriminating against other minorities.
Not all white people are privileged of course,although many like yourself seem to believe that being ‘white’ makes you superior to what you see as inferior races. ‘White privilege’ is a term for societal privileges that benefit ‘white’ people beyond what is commonly experienced by ‘non-white’ people under the same social,political or economic circumstances. As far as “white bikers” go,the outlaw bikers I’ve partied with over the years most certainly see themselves as privileged. In fact they feel privileged enough to do as they please & take what they want irrespective of any laws. If you show them the respect that they desire,you don’t need to have any courage to drink a beer or share a joint with them. However I’ll leave it to you to “hurl the N-word at Obama”,as I’m quite certain you done it often enough for at least two or three people ! Do you wear your pointed hood when you drive ? Does that put a crease in it ? Is your robe machine washable ? If not how difficult is it to find a white dry cleaner nowadays FF ?