Indiana: It's A Great Place To Be A Bigot

happy jack wrote:

edge540 wrote:

That didn't take long, the idiot governor and the republican extremists in Indy saw the clusterfuck they produced and are now backing off looking like the idiots they are. Well done boys.

Indiana lawmakers announce proposed religious law changes

The amendment to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act released Thursday prohibits service providers from using the law as a legal defense for refusing to provide services, goods, facilities or accommodations. It also bars discrimination based on race, color, religion, ancestry, age, national origin, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or United States military service.
http://news.yahoo.com/indiana-lawmakers-announce-proposed-religious-law-changes-132057903.html

The "idiot governor and the republican extremists in Indy" finally think the way that you do?
OK.
Well done, boys.

Nope, just because these idiots caved doesn't mean they think I like most normal sane people. They're still bigoted right wing assholes pandering to extremists....in other words, they're still republicans.

edge540 wrote:

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/gop-poll-gay-marriage-105886.html

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-07-14-GOP-racial-politics_x.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/rnc-chair-michael-steele-confesses-to-race-based-southern-strategy/

http://www.nationalmemo.com/despite-polls-gop-still-quietly-opposes-marriage-equality/

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/gay-marriage-voters-poll-115171.html

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/04/02/ap-poll-5-things-to-know-about-what-americans-think-about-gay-rights-and/

Yes, I guess you're right.
The opinion pieces you posted prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

File under Can't Make This Shit Up.
450 lashes and 3 years in jail?!?!?
The horror!
The only thing worse I can imagine is that he couldn't get a wedding cake with two grooms on top.



http://michellemalkin.com/2015/03/31/sounds-like-apples-ceo-needs-to-disable-the-hypocrite-app-on-his-iphone/



Tim Cook        ✔ @tim_cook
Follow
Apple is open for everyone. We are deeply disappointed in Indiana's new law and calling on Arkansas Gov. to veto the similar #HB1228.
12:56 PM - 27 Mar 2015

Sounds like Apple’s CEO needs to disable the ‘hypocrite’ app on his iPhone

By Doug Powers  •  March 31, 2015 09:23 PM

**Written by Doug Powers


Cook is criticizing Indiana? Maybe it’s easier to take a stand against a fully tapped market instead of putting his stockholders’ money where his mouth is when it comes to lecturing emerging markets:

Hey, if a theocratic Islamic monarchy can show Indiana how to do religious freedom and gay rights correctly, Apple’s CEO is hot-to-trot for that particular business deal.

Saudi Man Gets 450 Lashes and 3 Years Jail After Posting Gay Tweets

But at least Cook has now warned that man how horribly he could be treated if he ever travels to Bloomington.
From last February:
In his first trip in the region, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, made a historic stop to the UAE and held a meeting with Ahmad Julfar, CEO of Etisalat Group, to discuss how the presence of Apple can be elevated in the region and how the two companies can strengthen their relationship across Etisalat’s footprint in the Middle East, Africa and Asia where Etisalat operates in 15 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and Nigeria.
This meeting took place in the presence of Saleh Al-Abdooli, CEO of Etisalat UAE, and Khalid Al-Kaf, CEO of Mobily. Julfar welcomed Cook and praised the excellent relationship that Etisalat has had with Apple, a relationship dating back 4 years ago, when the two companies signed an agreement on devices to cover the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Cook said: “We are all about making great products that people don’t know they need today but when they have them, they can’t live without. We would like to bring our passion to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Africa.”
Homosexuality can be punishable by death in Saudi Arabia (and other places Cook is trying to increase Apple’s presence). But you know what they always say in the Apple board room: The road to change in Riyadh goes through Indianapolis.
This is akin to the level of hypocrisy that Al Gore showed off when he sold Current to Big Oil-backed Al Jazeera. Fittingly enough, Gore sits on Apple’s board, so at least the company is displaying some consistency. Maybe the company is changing its slogan to “Think Hypocritically.”

happy jack wrote:

Yes, I guess you're right.
The opinion pieces you posted prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Right, LOL.

And YOU just posted what?!?

Now we know that polls conducted by the GOP are opinion pieces.

The survey by the GOP polling firm Wilson Research Strategies was of Republican and Republican-leaning independents and was taken over a month ago, sampling 801 people nationwide from March 18 through 20, with a 3.5 percent margin of error.
The survey showed 82 percent agreeing with a statement that marriage should be between “one man and one woman.” It also found that 75 percent disagreed that “politicians should support the redefinition of marriage to include same-sex couples.”


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/04/gop-poll-gay-marriage-105886.html#ixzz3WC6bMYIy

Those are articles based on facts that you can't refute.
You look as silly and stupid as Mike Pence and the Indiana GOP, jack.
The End.

That should have been:
Nope, just because these idiots caved doesn't mean they think like most normal sane people.
They're still bigoted right wing assholes pandering to extremists....in other words, they're still republicans.

All those links prove my point.

Sorry that you got confused.

Gov. Pence signs 'religious freedom' fix to stop erosion of LGBT protections

The political fallout was equally damning.

At the start of the week, presumed Republican presidential front-runner Jeb Bush stood firm behind Pence with other top 2016 contenders. But by the middle of the week, he had backpedaled.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, was presented a "religious freedom" measure similar to Indiana's at the start of the week but opted not to sign it amid the national firestorm Indiana was enduring. Hutchinson later signed a modified version of RFRA Thursday.

The immediate effect for Pence was that it severely hampered if not dashed hopes for national office in 2016, and the long-term fallout raised concerns among some about his ability to hold the governor's office for Republicans in 2016.
http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2015/04/02/gov-pence-signs-religious-freedom-fix-stop-erosion-lgbt-protections/70865092/

Damn, that's a shame.

The whole thing was a useless PR stunt from the beginning, a signal to the GOP's base that he hates gays as much as they do.  That's it.  Pence et al. shouldn't get any credit for the "fix", since the original bill was redundant and useless to begin with. The "fix" doesn't really do anything:  

Quote :

Here’s the thing that everyone seems to forget: It was already completely legal for a company in Indiana to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation before this RFRA+ law was ever passed (unless there was a municipality that prohibited it by ordinance; I’m talking about state law). There are absolutely no protections against such discrimination at the state level and there never have been. So if a company wanted to refuse to hire or refuse to serve someone because they thought they were gay, they didn’t need RFRA to give them that right. Which means adding language that says this law can’t be used to excuse such discrimination changes absolutely nothing. It will remain entirely legal to engage in such discrimination in Indiana until and unless they add sexual orientation to the state’s anti-discrimination legislation — and I don’t suggest holding your breath until that happens.

I suppose it may have been a preemptive strike put into place before the Supreme Court finally legalizes same sex marriage, though I doubt an asshole who's argued "smoking doesn't kill" is capable of such political strategy. But at least it did a remarkable job highlighting the ridiculousness of these bullshit "religious freedom" laws.  Not sure how or why Indiana brought them to the national stage, but I'm glad something finally did.

The tolerance of the Left is once again proudly on display.
If no one on the board denounces this, it will be assumed that it meets with your approval.
Artie's new rule.



http://www.nwitimes.com/news/state-and-regional/indiana/walkerton-pizza-shop-owners-in-hiding-as-donations-pour-in/article_7fea31ee-5190-51c7-91e7-ba7a0ef9c2d0.html

Walkerton pizza shop owners in hiding as donations pour in

WALKERTON, Ind. | A St. Joseph County pizza shop that came under fire after its owners said their religious beliefs wouldn't allow them to cater a gay wedding is closed indefinitely, and its operators say they've gone into hiding.
Memories Pizza in Walkerton faced criticism this week after co-owner Crystal O'Connor expressed support for a new Indiana religious objections law. The Facebook and Yelp pages for the restaurant about 20 miles southwest of South Bend were bombarded with negative reviews.
A coach of a high school golf program was suspended after a Twitter post that mentioned going to Walkerton and burning down the restaurant.
WNDU-TV reports that O'Connor and her family are considering leaving town.
A gofundme.com site benefiting the restaurant had raised more than $500,000 as of Friday morning.

Looks like broadcasting and exposing to the world that you're stupid and bigoted has consequences, bad and good. And it certainly looks like it's paying off pretty well, thousands of other bigots are pouring in the money like there's no tomorrow. Good for them.

Did you send them any money, jack?

happy jack wrote:

The tolerance of the Left is once again proudly on display.

As well as the Right's true disdain for freedom of speech.  Sadly, they never quite grasp that it's not "freedom from consequences of speech".  

And all they got was a single death threat before they went into hiding?  What spectacular pussies.  That's far below average for a celebrated media case.  Talk to gun control advocates, or atheists fighting for the continued separation of church and state, or any gay couple trying to simply get married without interference. Guess the shop owners' faith in their dear and fluffy lord's phenomenal cosmic power isn't as strong as proclaimed.  At least the asshole got suspended.  That's far more than what usually happens.

But let's be honest.  They knew what they were doing.  This is exactly the bullshit victim narrative that Fox News absolutely thrives on.  Kudos to them for taking advantage.  What's it up to?  Nearly $700K?  Yeah... that poor, persecuted pizza shop...  Boo hoo hoo... Now quick! Send another check lest the gays win!

So when you cater a wedding which topping is the most popular?

http://dailysignal.com/2015/07/02/state-silences-bakers-who-refused-to-make-cake-for-lesbian-couple-fines-them-135k/

State Silences Bakers Who Refused to Make Cake for Lesbian Couple, Fines Them $135K

Kelsey Harkness / @kelseyjharkness / July 02, 2015


………
In January 2014, the agency found the Kleins unlawfully discriminated against the couple because of their sexual orientation. In April, McCullough recommended they pay $75,000 to Rachel and $60,000 to Laurel.
In order to reach the total amount, $135,000, Rachel and Laurel submitted a long list of alleged physical, emotional and mental damages they claim to have experienced as a result of the Kleins’ unlawful conduct.
Examples of symptoms included “acute loss of confidence,” “doubt,” “excessive sleep,” “felt mentally raped, dirty and shameful,” “high blood pressure,” “impaired digestion,” “loss of appetite,” “migraine headaches,” “pale and sick at home after work,” “resumption of smoking habit,” “shock” “stunned,” “surprise,” “uncertainty,” “weight gain” and “worry.”
………



Wow.
If that’s what happens to these people simply because they didn’t get any cake, it’s a safe bet to say that they were not very fucking stable to begin with.

Four Promising Takeaways from the Masterpiece Cakeshop Oral Argument

by DAVID FRENCH
December 5, 2017 5:33 PM @DAVIDAFRENCH

Before I write anything else, understand this — basing case predictions on oral argument is an uncertain business. I’ve seen lawyers and clients leave a courtroom with confidence only to be crushed when they read the opinion. Still, arguments can offer clues as to a justice’s thinking, and they’re worth analyzing. I’ve read the Masterpiece Cakeshop argument transcript, and there are at least four encouraging signs. First, Kristen Waggoner, the ADF attorney arguing for Jack Phillips strongly and clearly made the most vital point — the issue was the artistic message, not the identity of the customer. Here’s a key part of the transcript: JUSTICE GINSBURG: What if — what if it’s — if it’s an item off the shelf? That is, they don’t commission a cake just for them but they walk into the shop, they see a lovely cake, and they say we’d like to purchase it for the celebration of our marriage tonight. The Colorado law would prohibit that. Would you claim that you are entitled to an exception? MS. WAGGONER: Absolutely not. The compelled speech doctrine is triggered by compelled speech. And in the context of a pre-made cake, that is not compelled speech. In other words, Masterpiece Cakeshop not only serves gay customers, it would sell a gay couple a wedding cake. What he won’t do is use his artistic talents specifically and intentionally for the purpose of celebrating a same-sex union. That’s the vital distinction. That’s what implicates the compelled speech doctrine. Good on Waggoner for making the distinction up front. Second, the justices seemed less concerned with the facts of this case than with line-drawing (i.e. how far does the compelled speech principle extend? Could it cover a truly wide array goods and services?) It’s always interesting to me when judges remove the focus from the case in front of them to the implications of, say, ruling for my client. That’s often a sign that a lawyer is on the verge of building a coalition with otherwise-hostile judges, that perhaps those judges could be won over — provided their ruling doesn’t extend farther than they desire.  Third, several justices were concerned with the apparent anti-religious animus expressed by members of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Read this question from Justice Kennedy: JUSTICE KENNEDY: — has introduced the question of the Free Exercise Clause in this case. We didn’t talk about it earlier. And perhaps you want to get on to speech, but in this case, pages 293 and 294 of — of the Petitioner appendix, the -­ Commissioner Hess says freedom of religion used to justify discrimination is a despicable piece of rhetoric. Did the Commission ever disavow or disapprove of that statement? MR. YARGER: There were no further proceedings in which the Commission disavowed or disapproved of that statement. JUSTICE KENNEDY: Do you disavow or disapprove of that statement? MR. YARGER: I would not have counseled my client to make that statement. Then, next, there was this: JUSTICE GORSUCH: Mr. Yarger, you actually have a second commissioner who also said that he’s — if someone has an issue with the laws impacting his personal belief system, he has to look at compromising that belief system presumably, as well, right? MR. YARGER: And, yes, Your Honor. That’s the same principle that this Court recognized in cases -­ JUSTICE GORSUCH: But a second commissioner? This is fascinating. Justice Kennedy labels a common leftist talking point — that freedom of religion is used to justify discrimination — a “despicable piece of rhetoric.” Kennedy then went on to raise the question of whether there was “a significant aspect of hostility to a religion in this case.” Many progressives have been playing the bigotry card since the inception of this case, but Justice Kennedy raises the possibility that the true bigots may have been the government officials who punished Jack Phillips.  Finally, legal experts are focusing on the wrong Kennedy quote. His statement that “Counselor, tolerance is essential in a free society. And tolerance is most meaningful when it’s mutual. It seems to me that the state in its position here has been neither tolerant nor respectful of Mr. Phillips’ religious beliefs” is garnering headlines, but it’s not as important as what came later. Justice Kennedy put extremist identity politics on blast. Read this: JUSTICE KENNEDY: Well, but this whole concept of identity is a slightly — suppose he says: Look, I have nothing against — against gay people. He says but I just don’t think they should have a marriage because that’s contrary to my beliefs. It’s not -­ MR. COLE: Yeah. JUSTICE KENNEDY: It’s not their identity; it’s what they’re doing. MR. COLE: Yeah. JUSTICE KENNEDY: I think it’s — your identity thing is just too facile. Yes. A thousand times yes. A person’s actions are not the same thing as a person’s identity. Phillips never, ever, discriminated on the basis of identity. He merely refused to use his talents to support actions and messages he believes to be immoral. Justice Kennedy gets the key distinction in this case. Now let’s hope this thought makes it into the opinion of the Court.

Read more at: Four Promising Takeaways from the Masterpiece Cakeshop Oral Argument

edge540 wrote:

What a complete_fucking_blithering_idiot

John Oliver’s Marlon Bundo Book Sells Out In A Day; Another Printing In Works

Quote :

John Oliver’s new children’s book about Veep Mike Pence’s bunny, Marlon Bundo, has sold out, but another printing is in the works asap, the HBO late-night host told Ellen DeGeneres on her show today.

Oliver’s Bundo book is No. 1 on Amazon, deposing James Comey’s book, while the Pence family’s Bundo book trailed, at No. 5.

Pence’s daughter and wife are taking to TV this week on their book tour for “Marlon Bundo’s Day in the Life of the Vice President.” Last Week Tonight host Oliver is doing same for his competing Bundo book, “A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo,” in which Pence’s pet rabbit falls in love with another male rabbit. All proceeds from Oliver’s book go to The Trevor Project and AIDS United.

Oliver says his book is intended as something he can read to his two-year-old son, painting the world in a more positive light than the “rollercoaster of pain” it is now.

Ellen then made Oliver race to hand copies of his book to her studio audience in under 60 seconds, before presenting the out-of-breath late-night star with a $10,000 donation to The Trevor Project courtesy of HBO.

John Oliver: Published Marlon Bundo Bunny Book Because Mike Pence Is A Career Homophobe

Quote :

John Oliver continued his Marlon Bundo book tour on Seth Meyers’ Late Night, explaining his book about Veep Mike Pence’s bunny marrying another male bunny as hook to discuss “his homophobic views.”

Related
John Oliver's Marlon Bundo Book Sells Out In A Day; Another Printing In Works

“He emphatically is a homophobe,” Oliver insisted, of Pence. “We did a whole piece about his appalling views over his career – especially his friend James Dobson, who is an appalling human being, started an organization called Focus on the Family.”

“Sadly, one of their book events is at Focus on the Family” Oliver said of the Colorado Springs-based org that espoused conversion therapy.

“A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo,” written and published “on the quiet,” is about Pence’s bunny falling in love with another male bunny and getting married. “Because that’s absolutely fine,” Oliver said. “It’s a sweet

children’s book.”

It features a white-haired Stink Bug vehemently  opposed to the marriage. “If you really squint, I supposed you could say that looks like [Pence] because of his hair and his general demeanor and his attitude towards gays,” Oliver conceded.

Meyers informed his viewers that Oliver’s Bundo bunny book is outselling the Pence family’s book,  “Marlon Bundo’s A Day in the Life of The Vice President,”  written by Veeps daughter and illustrated by his wife. Oliver’s bunny book also has kicked former FBI Director James Comey’s upcoming book out of Amazon’s No. 1 spot.

“At that point it’s getting ridiculous,” Oliver laughed. As of taping Tuesday, Oliver’s book had sold 180K copies, “which is definitely more than we were prepared for.”

“A Day In The Life Of Marlon Bundo” also  is getting 4.9 out of 5 stars in Amazon reviews. Some of the one-star reviews have been written by people trolling Trump/Pence voters. Reviews that read, “I fear the writing is above President Trump’s reading level,” and “Love this book posting one star to annoy all the homophobes who will read this and find I think the book is absolutely fabulous.”

“That is some high level trolling…Well done, internet,” Oliver beamed.

Though sold out, Oliver promised a second printing will have copies in book stores in days.

And Meyers reminded, proceeds are going to the Trevor Project and AIDS United.

“I’m sure HBO finds it absolutely hilarious they’re getting no money out of this,” Oliver agreed.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/06/masterpiece-cakeshop-case-supreme-court-slaps-down-bias-police/

Christian Baker 1, Officious Bureaucrats 0
By Rich Lowry

June 5, 2018 6:30 AM

The Supreme Court slaps down the bias police — for their blatant bias.


In the closely watched Masterpiece Cakeshop case, the Supreme Court dealt a blow against the small-mindedness that so often characterizes the self-appointed minders of social justice in America.
The case involved a Christian baker in Colorado named Jack Phillips, who refused to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple in 2012. The couple, Charlie Craig and David Mullins, reacted in characteristic 21st-century American style — they filed charges. They took their complaint to the Colorado Civil Rights Commission under a Colorado law forbidding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Jack Phillips lost before the commission, lost before an administrative law judge, and lost before the Colorado Court of Appeals. It fell to the Supreme Court to vindicate him, and none other than Justice Anthony Kennedy, who previously authored the national right to gay marriage, did it.
In his majority opinion, Kennedy homed in on the blatant bias of Colorado’s bias police, who apparently blanch at anything that doesn’t accord with their blinkered, thoughtless progressivism. Phillips was on the wrong side of history, and so his rights could be disregarded and trampled. The arc of the moral universe bends toward crushing all resistance.
Phillips is an unlikely totem of hate. He’s happy to serve gay couples. As he told Craig and Mullins, “I’ll make your birthday cakes, shower cakes, sell you cookies and brownies; I just don’t make cakes for same-sex weddings.”
At the same time that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission said Phillips couldn’t decline to bake a cake that violated his conscience, it upheld the right of bakers to refuse to bake cakes bearing anti-gay-marriage messages.
Yet, once Phillips was thrown before the Civil Rights Commission, he didn’t have a chance. Commissioners opined that he was welcome to his religious beliefs, just not to bring them into his business. One commissioner said that “freedom of religion has been used to justify all kinds of discrimination throughout history, whether it be slavery, whether it be the Holocaust.” Yes, religious freedom has much to answer for.
At the same time that the commission said Phillips couldn’t decline to bake a cake that violated his conscience, it upheld the right of bakers to refuse to bake cakes bearing anti-gay-marriage messages. The Colorado Civil Rights Commission is all in favor of conscience rights — so long as it agrees with their conscience.

Kennedy ruled for Phillips on fairness grounds but avoided the more fundamental question of whether he had a First Amendment right to refuse to bake the cake. The answer to this seems simple: Yes, of course.

As Clarence Thomas pointed out in a concurring decision going further than Kennedy, making a wedding cake is a considerable creative undertaking for Phillips. It involves “sketching the design out on paper, choosing the color scheme, creating the frosting and decorations, baking and sculpting the cake, decorating it, and delivering it to the wedding.” If nude dancing is considered expressive conduct, surely this should be.

Working with Phillips isn’t like picking a cake out of a freezer at Carvel. Thomas again: “He sits down with each couple for a consultation before he creates their custom wedding cake. He discusses their preferences, their personalities, and the details of their wedding to ensure that each cake reflects the couple who ordered it.” After he delivers it, he sometimes stays to mingle.
Other Christian bakers don’t draw the line on gay weddings the same place that Phillips does, but there’s no doubt that he is sincere: He also refuses to bake Halloween cakes or cakes containing alcohol.
As Thomas points out, it would be very odd for the Supreme Court to protect the right of members of the Westboro Baptist church to carry signs saying, “God hates fags,” and the right of the Ku Klux Klan to burn 25-foot crosses, and yet rule that Phillips can’t politely decline to bake a cake.

The Court will eventually have to return to this topic. But for now, it’s done the right thing — any day that officious bureaucrats who want to chase religion from the public square are slapped down is a good day for America.