This is the kind of false flag, ridiculous, argument that drives me to write posts like this one. Does anyone have a match so we can burn this straw man down?
One of these things is not like the other two.
Since when are corporations, banks, and organizations equal to individuals? Most of the amendments to The Constitution are set up to protect individual liberties. Corporations, banks, and organizations like the NRA have a lot more money and wield a lot more power than an individual.
That’s the difference.
Yes, corporations and banks can refuse to do business with the NRA. The NRA can refuse to do business with corporations and banks. That’s called leverage. Whoever has the most wins(usually).
A lot of business establishments I know of have a sign that reads, “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.”
Still, that doesn’t give them the right to refuse service to a protected class of citizens based on that criteria alone. Regardless of what your sign says you many not refuse service to individuals based on gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation. If you want to be a bigot you’ll have to come up with some other reason excuse to refuse service.
Out From Under the Umbrella 
March 5, 2018 at 4:20 pm
Ruth, you have a much better understanding of our Constitution and its Amendments than our U.S. President!!! And I know, that’s probably a bad comparison/joke. 😉
No, seriously your understanding of those legal rights and the respect of the same for others is much MUCH better than the average American. In most of the rural areas of Texas here there are signs, like you speak about, all over the place! Some I’ve seen blatantly spell out: “If you are a Muslim, do not enter.” At a family-owned pharmacy in Kerrville, TX a sign on the door said they do not accept insurance policies which support and pay for abortion procedures. Apparently they had a list of those corporations.
Part of the problem with this sort of B.S. are State’s Rights vs. the Federal Gov’t, even the Supreme Court!!! 😮
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March 5, 2018 at 4:26 pm
You would just think that we get run over enough by big corporations that we wouldn’t want to give over all our individual rights to those entities.
The argument above misrepresents, I think, intentionally the position of left-leaning individuals. That’s an apples to oranges comparison.
I haven’t seen one of those signs regarding the pharmacy not accepting certain insurance policies. I don’t see how they would vet such a thing. Maybe it’s just to deter those people who do have that insurance from shopping there?
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March 5, 2018 at 4:34 pm
I’m not sure. When I saw both of those signs I decided to no longer give my business to them in any fashion. I would also discourage anyone from shopping there given the chance. But as you may know, Texas has already passed legislation 1-2 years ago(?) for public school districts allowing teachers at elementary, middle school, high school and university campuses to carry and keep a weapon in their classrooms. Not all ISD’s have started, but it is most definitely allowed in the state. 😮 Does that give you a general idea of the Texas logic here?
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March 5, 2018 at 4:39 pm
Our state did the same re: carrying on campuses, also churches and bars. Yeah, that’s a good idea, guns and alcohol. Great combination! What could go wrong?
There are some teachers who already do as evidenced by the teacher in North Georgia last week who barricaded himself in his [thankfully empty] classroom and fired the weapon. O_O
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March 5, 2018 at 5:00 pm
Geezzz, I did hear about that. From a mere statistical standpoint how many “normal” citizens in the U.S. are on their psychiatric meds for any number of manic or schizophrenic disorders, BUT get off of them because they “think” they no longer need them, YET have been socially and occupationally functioning well enough to hold a job — like a teacher, bar-back, or postal-worker — and we’ve passed (economic) laws to put weapons, or lethal chemicals, or drugs into everybody’s hands to drive our economy? If more and more people have access to these items, what are the statistical odds that a person suffering from high-anxiety or psychotic episode, even if temporary, does something irrational with those items… like that Georgia teacher?
And let me just say, there are a LOT more people around you that are on psychiatric meds than you could ever imagine — because Americans are chronic pill-poppers — that CAN slip off of them and do crazy shit given the right circumstances and hormonal/neurological components. Yet, as we’ve done for the last century and a half, we socially stigmatize mental-illness and health. Don’t take it serious enough, much less learn more about it. 😦
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May 1, 2023 at 7:19 pm
Are you well?
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May 2, 2023 at 11:19 am
Pink, are you asking me or Ruth? 🙂
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May 2, 2023 at 11:32 am
Ruth! She’d disappeared!
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May 2, 2023 at 11:39 am
From some past remarks, I think she just got burned out quite some time back. Hopefully that’s all it is!
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June 4, 2023 at 12:58 pm
I’ve been lurking a bit lately. I’ve had a number of things going on for the last several years. I went back to school to get my degree and try to sit for the CPA exam. I tried to die and needed an emergency heart valve replacement back in 2020(crazy). Had a number of complications with that. Even with that I tried to finish my schooling. That got put on hold when I got a promotion at work without it and have been super swamped since then. I’m finally starting to resurface. That was the long version.
Reader’s Digest version: I’m doing really well! I’ve been poking my head in around and about to see if you guys are!
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June 4, 2023 at 1:01 pm
YAY!! Look forward to your full return! And congrats on the promotion!
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March 5, 2018 at 4:55 pm
Back in 2014 the Supremes decided that business firms have rights to religious freedom under federal law and Mitt Romney said, “Corporations are people, my friend,” and then Citizens United, the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision allowing unlimited corporate and union spending on political issues. Under the current regime things are not getting any better and they also seems to think it’s okay to marginalize those who are already marginalized. Those of us with any sanity left have to make a big statement in November. If not I fear we are on the way out and it is time to seriously consider a more civilized country for everyone. We are in deep doo doo now.
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March 16, 2018 at 2:04 pm
Ruth, newcomer here. My wife sent a link to an old blog of yours on Yoga and Southern Baptists. Your post above reveals the subtle distinction lost on far too many, including our President. The other is the distinction between raising one’s voice when discriminated against versus giving one the right to discriminate on others due to religious freedom, which you note above. There is a subtle but huge difference.
We must also distinguish between voices who rally to tell someone who is different than they are that their rights matter less or not all. This is far different from those who rally to say my rights do matter as much as anyone else’s. That is how it is supposed to work. With that said, it disappoints me when some members of the disenfranchised group choose to use violence to state their cause. They are actually doing the opposite and feeding into a false equation which undermines their efforts. This is where the President dropped the ball after Charlottesville, where he should have condemned white supremacists, but not condone violence by anyone.
Good post, Keith
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September 3, 2019 at 5:46 pm
Oi!
What’s up?
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