EPTThe events of the Civil Rights Movement in America provide great examples of this. Segregation drew a line between whites and non-whites wherever people went. Restaurants would force separation of the races or refuse service. In the below photo, at least one black citizen “sits-in” at a diner in protest of the discrimination expressed by the establishment, peacefully fighting for equal treatment as paying a customer.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/JJH3i.gif)
(While the people at the bar are being mistreated by the surrounding onlookers, and despite the obvious importance of that, please focus instead on the relationship between diner owner and customer.)
More recently, certain bakers have refused to offer some of their products for weddings between same-sex couples, usually stemming from a personal disagreement with the morality of marrying two members of the same sex.
Source.
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) – Chick-fil-A’s president spoke out against gay marriage last week, sparking a huge uproar in the gay community, and now the issue is spilling over to a Colorado bakery.
The owner of Masterpiece Cake Shop in Lakewood refused to bake a wedding cake for a local gay couple and now people are pushing a boycott against the owner.
Shop owner Jack Phillips probably didn’t think he was going to be wading into a civil rights debate a week ago when he told the gay couple that he would not make a cake for their wedding, but that’s exactly what has happened.
Dave Mullin and Charlie Craig say they dated for nearly two years before getting engaged. They went into the Masterpiece Cake Shop thinking they’d spend a full day trying cakes for their ceremony. Instead the meeting lasted a few seconds.
“My first comment was, ‘We’re getting married,’ and he just shut that down immediately,” Craig said.
Mullin and Craig were stunned. They went online and posted their experience on Facebook. The response has been huge.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the shop on Saturday and were very angry.
It wasn’t the first time the shop turned down gay couples who wanted a cake. Phillips has received more than 1,000 angry messages about his stance.
“If gays come in and want to order birthday cakes or any cakes for any occasion, graduations, or whatever, I have no prejudice against that whatsoever,” Phillips said. “It’s just the wedding cake, not the people, not their lifestyle.”
“I support local business, I think it’s really important to our community to support local business,” protester Cate Owen said. “If it has to do with discrimination I don’t think we should support it. I think we should want to change their policies. It’s not like we want to shut them down.”
Some customers said they are now ordering cakes at the shop specifically because of the stance against gay marriage.
“We would close down that bakery before we closed our beliefs, so that may be what it comes to … we’ll see,” Phillips said.
A larger protest is scheduled to take place next Saturday.
The owner of Masterpiece Cake Shop in Lakewood refused to bake a wedding cake for a local gay couple and now people are pushing a boycott against the owner.
Shop owner Jack Phillips probably didn’t think he was going to be wading into a civil rights debate a week ago when he told the gay couple that he would not make a cake for their wedding, but that’s exactly what has happened.
Dave Mullin and Charlie Craig say they dated for nearly two years before getting engaged. They went into the Masterpiece Cake Shop thinking they’d spend a full day trying cakes for their ceremony. Instead the meeting lasted a few seconds.
“My first comment was, ‘We’re getting married,’ and he just shut that down immediately,” Craig said.
Mullin and Craig were stunned. They went online and posted their experience on Facebook. The response has been huge.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the shop on Saturday and were very angry.
It wasn’t the first time the shop turned down gay couples who wanted a cake. Phillips has received more than 1,000 angry messages about his stance.
“If gays come in and want to order birthday cakes or any cakes for any occasion, graduations, or whatever, I have no prejudice against that whatsoever,” Phillips said. “It’s just the wedding cake, not the people, not their lifestyle.”
“I support local business, I think it’s really important to our community to support local business,” protester Cate Owen said. “If it has to do with discrimination I don’t think we should support it. I think we should want to change their policies. It’s not like we want to shut them down.”
Some customers said they are now ordering cakes at the shop specifically because of the stance against gay marriage.
“We would close down that bakery before we closed our beliefs, so that may be what it comes to … we’ll see,” Phillips said.
A larger protest is scheduled to take place next Saturday.
Just this past week, reports have confirmed that the owner of a smoothie bar called “I Love Drilling” charges customers differently based on their political worldview, reinvigorating this topic once again, which prompted me to start this thread originally. Conservative customers are charged $4.95, while liberal clients are charged one dollar more at $5.95. Members of the crew team are charged lower than both at $3.95.
Source. Additional video source.
A juice and smoothie bar owner in Utah is charging liberals an extra dollar for drinks.
George Burnett, owner of I Love Drilling Juice & Smoothie Bar, says he's trying to make a point about fiscal responsibility.
“We have a fiscal problem in this country. We’ve got to deal with it or we don’t have a country, so to kind of help make that point, just a little bit, I charge liberals just a little bit more. Really what I’m focused on is the fiscal differences between big government/small government and liberal ways, as far as entitlements and spending,” said Burnett, in a KSL.com report.
Burnett says the extra money will go to support the conservative Washngton-based think tank, The Heritage Foundation.
Burnett, also a pro-oil and gas activist, plainly lists prices for his drinks, with colorful names like Drakes Well, Oil Creek and Old American. Conservatives: $4.95, Liberals: $5.95, and Crew Team Members: $3.95.
Not all are finding his "liberal tax" sweet tasting. Some have criticized the move on Facebook saying it is "pathetic" and "offensive." One user, Justin Olson, wrote: “If you own a business, you don’t insult half of your potential customers. That’s Econ 101.”
But many don't appear to mind the extra charge.
Another user Splinter Baker wrote: "I LOVE what you're doing! Never back down! keep it up!
George Burnett, owner of I Love Drilling Juice & Smoothie Bar, says he's trying to make a point about fiscal responsibility.
“We have a fiscal problem in this country. We’ve got to deal with it or we don’t have a country, so to kind of help make that point, just a little bit, I charge liberals just a little bit more. Really what I’m focused on is the fiscal differences between big government/small government and liberal ways, as far as entitlements and spending,” said Burnett, in a KSL.com report.
Burnett says the extra money will go to support the conservative Washngton-based think tank, The Heritage Foundation.
Burnett, also a pro-oil and gas activist, plainly lists prices for his drinks, with colorful names like Drakes Well, Oil Creek and Old American. Conservatives: $4.95, Liberals: $5.95, and Crew Team Members: $3.95.
Not all are finding his "liberal tax" sweet tasting. Some have criticized the move on Facebook saying it is "pathetic" and "offensive." One user, Justin Olson, wrote: “If you own a business, you don’t insult half of your potential customers. That’s Econ 101.”
But many don't appear to mind the extra charge.
Another user Splinter Baker wrote: "I LOVE what you're doing! Never back down! keep it up!
Many would agree that it is unwise for a business owner to affiliate an otherwise neutral enterprise with any brand of political, moral, or religious worldview. It is generally seen as unnecessary and bothersome when considering most paying customers only desire basic transactions of compensation for goods and services.
However, more than a few businesses discriminate in a manner that society views as courteous and righteous. The mere premise of a “ladies’ night” at a bar, where women (but only women) are treated to a discount on such occasions, is a clear act of discrimination. Students, veterans, and senior citizens are often incentivized with costs that are a fraction of the normal price. As a student myself, if I show my student ID, the majority of fast-food restaurants will grant me a discount when I place my order.
Breakdown Of The Views:
Support:
+ Show Spoiler +
1. Owners have the freedom to operate their business however they please and should not be forced to serve someone they have no contract with for whatever reason they wish.
2. No one is forcing customers or clients to do business with companies that implement prejudiced practices in the way they serve them. Such individuals always have the freedom to do business elsewhere, or begin their own business that conducts its practices more in line with their own views.
2. No one is forcing customers or clients to do business with companies that implement prejudiced practices in the way they serve them. Such individuals always have the freedom to do business elsewhere, or begin their own business that conducts its practices more in line with their own views.
Oppose:
+ Show Spoiler +
1. Clients and customers can be too easily given the “short end of the stick,” so to speak, if the person or business they wish to purchase a good or service from denies said good or service. As an example, doctors could choose to withhold vital medical treatment for reasons their patients do not agree with. The customer has a right to the product or service they desire and pay for no matter what it is, so long as it complies with the law.
2. There are some traits that should never be used to prejudice consumers, namely race, gender, and sexual orientation. Such unequal treatment is not what is best for society. The Civil Rights Movement fought to eradicate this blatant discrimination, and we should not support this prejudice now either.
2. There are some traits that should never be used to prejudice consumers, namely race, gender, and sexual orientation. Such unequal treatment is not what is best for society. The Civil Rights Movement fought to eradicate this blatant discrimination, and we should not support this prejudice now either.
What The Law Currently Says:
Civil Rights Act of 1964: link.
Source.
According to Attorney Craig Fagan, a business cannot refuse service to anyone that the Civil Rights Act deems a "protected class." This would include discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, creed, national origin or disability. Fagan asserts that, although many businesses hang signs stating, "We reserve the right to refuse service to anybody," these signs are illegal and provide a way for a business to excuse illegal discrimination against certain consumers.
Source.
While consumers are not a protected class, with respect to anti-discrimination laws, some laws do apply to consumers in certain situations. For example, creditors may not decline an otherwise qualified mortgage applicant solely on the basis of their skin color. Similarly, a department store issuing credit cannot charge a higher interest rate to a customer with a foreign accent. This section covers the basics of discrimination as it pertains to consumers; how to file complaints with the appropriate government agency; contact information; and more.
Another "Great Wall of Text," but it's from Cornell's Law School, so here's a link.
I conclude this OP with a question
+ Show Spoiler +
Well, and a poll. Because everyone loves polls. 
Poll: Should businesses be able to discriminate service to consumers?
Yes. (123)
49%
No. (80)
32%
Depends on what is being discriminated. (46)
18%
249 total votes
No. (80)
Depends on what is being discriminated. (46)
249 total votes
Your vote: Should businesses be able to discriminate service to consumers?
(Vote): Yes.
(Vote): No.
(Vote): Depends on what is being discriminated.
