Posted on 02/19/2015 6:48:59 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
A Washington grandmother and florist of 40 years who refused to service gay weddings because of her faith will now be forced to arrange flowers for gay ceremonies, a judge ruled Wednesday. On top of that, the woman, Barronelle Stutzman, will have to pay the legal penalties imposed by the judge as well as attorney’s fees.
Benton County Superior Court Judge Alex Ekstrom ruled in a summary judgement that Stutzman violated anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws.
Ekstrom ruled that the gay couple could collect penalties not just from her business, but also from her personally, according to Alliance Defending Freedom, the legal group that represented Stutzman. That means she could lose her personal possessions and savings.
Stutzman refused to serve a gay couple in 2013 when they asked her to arrange flowers for their wedding ceremony. The ACLU represented the couple and took her to court.
“The message of these rulings is unmistakable: the government will bring about your personal and professional ruin if you don’t help celebrate same-sex marriage,” ADF Senior Counsel Kristen Waggoner, who argued before the court in December, said in a statement. “The two men had no problem getting the flowers they wanted. They received several offers for free flowers, and the marketplace gives them plenty of options. Laws that are supposed to prohibit discrimination might sound good, but the government has begun to use these laws to hurt people – to force them to conform and to silence and punish them if they don’t violate their religious beliefs on marriage.”
ADF will appeal.
“We can’t hide our social security...”
BTW, keep your social security payment money completely separate from any other money. Don’t mix it with anything.
Militant radical Sodomites, just like ISIS
Doesn’t anyone know how to say “go to hell” anymore??
State Attorney General Bob Furgeson sent out another statement Thursday. In it he said he is prepared to settle the case for just $2,000 plus one dollar for costs and fees. He's instructed his team to create a formal offer letter to present to Arlene's Flowers.
If I were a business, I would avoid all of this by giving them the absolute worst product they could imagine, along with terrible customer service.
Eventually it would be self correcting, and nothing like this would happen. After some complaining, I MIGHT give them a refund... lol
Can’t creditors hit Social Security Disability? My mother was threatened with that once. I told her they were probably just trying to scare her, and to ignore them.
I suppose none of the super intelligent, highly educated, more than wonderful, legal minds (ON BOTH SIDES) ever read or understood what the 8th Amendment is.
In the vain hope that they know how to comprehend English sentences and in the vainer hope that they might read this, the 8th Amendment says: “EXCESSIVE BAIL SHALL NOT BE REQUIRED, NOR EXCESSIVE FINES IMPOSED, NOR CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENTS INFLICTED.”
Hope the judge becomes the new Judge Crater. Look it up folks. An old story but interesting one.
Thanks for the ping!
Soooooooooooooo, lert’s go another way with this.
The queers want those things?
Never advertise your prices!
Signs saying I refuse the right to serve anyone.
Lastly, any queer-wanted bakery anything, charge them triple!!! Make THEM pay for their nastiness.
Good point. Dip them in shit and send them on their way. after all, the scent would be familiar and they would be pleased as shit punch.
One suggestion I read on this very site and I think is perfect. The Christian business owner should tell prospective gay customers "Yes, I will provide flowers, cake, whatever for your gay wedding, BUT, I will donate the profits to an organization that helps people leave the gay lifestyle...and the donation will be made in your name!"
That is an AWESOME idea! I don't see how they could legally attack that.
How are these gay people able to collect penalties? How were they harmed by not having this one florist provide a service to them? Is she the only one in town? Does she provide a service unique only to her business? What is the rational basis for collecting penalties for a service that a number of other people can provide?
Beyond the fact that this law is unconstitutional, collecting penalties makes no sense.
What next?
Force accountants to work for drug cartels?
It's one thing to refuse to sell a cake or floral arrangement already on the shelf, to a walk-in customer, based on the customers race, creed etc.
It's entirely another matter to try to force bakers, florists, caterers, photographers, rental equipment staging companies etc to provide specialty custom services to individuals who will never be happy with the created outcome...unless there is a reciprocal force that “all sales and services are final, with no warranty of satisfaction, and no opportunity to lodge any complaints”...
People in WA State never get anything right. I bet George Washington would like for them to change their name.
These guys have been customers of Arlene’s Flowers for 9 years. She was not against making bouquets for them. She simply couldn’t help them celebrate their wedding. It’s the wedding part of it that was against her religious beliefs.
Social security disability has the same rules as regular Social Security payments. Private payments and final settlements under workman’s comp can be different. Check the state laws where those payments orginate to see how much is protected.
That makes 3 Constitutional amendments which have been violated in this case, all in the name of homosexual rights. The 1st (of course), the 13th (involuntary servitude), and as you point out the 8th. In addition, the Constitution of the state of WA clearly states, SECTION 11 RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. Absolute freedom of conscience in all matters of religious sentiment, belief and worship, shall be guaranteed to every individual, and no one shall be molested or disturbed in person or property on account of religion...(Article 1, section 11)
None of it matters in the face of the political elites forcing homosexuality on the nation.
Names mean nothing here in Washington. King County, the largest county in the state, just changed their name from the old guy it was originally named after, to honor Martin Luther King. Now the taxpayers are forced to have their money paid to MLKing’s family for the use of his name. Forget the “honor”, just send them the money.
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