Thursday, August 22, 2013

First they came for Freedom of Speech

and I said nothing, because I would have gotten thrown in jail.

Then they came for Freedom of Religion, and I say "Fuck this." If this is allowed to stand, then the First Amendment is shattered, because there is absolutely NO overriding State interest in whether a lesbian couple uses a particular photographer, when many other options are available.

ESPECIALLY over that photographer's specific religious beliefs and any citizen's right to refuse service.

Now, if there was a photographic franchise that the photographer works for, and the company's policy went one way while the camera-snapper's beliefs went another, the only option for the one focusing the camera is to find another job, but for ANYONE working for themselves as an Independent Contractor, they have the ultimate authority to say "No, thanks, I'd rather not work for you" for any reason at all, knowing that they might end up losing business from others with similar requests in the future.

I'm betting that this Christian photographer is willing to sacrifice the ultra-microscopic slice of the pie they might lose for refusing what is probably the only lesbian wedding in the State that year (since same-sex marriage is illegal in New Mexico), because the alternative is to violate closely-held beliefs that are specifically guaranteed in the Constitution. And in New Mexico's Constitution, too.

Freedom of Religion
Every man shall be free to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience, and no person shall ever be molested or denied any civil or political right or privilege on account of his religious opinion or mode of religious worship. No person shall be required to attend any place of worship or support any religious sect or denomination; nor shall any preference be given by law to any religious denomination or mode of worship.

When the Government forgets the First Amendment, it is time for the People to remember the Second.

1 comment:

Ragin' Dave said...

The Progressive cancer is so far advanced in this country, I don't see any way to correct it short of bloodshed. The sheer disregard for the first Amendment, combined with the desire to use the force of the state to violate a person's religious beliefs, tells me that the bloodshed is probably going to come sooner rather than later.