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Saturday, February 17, 2018

News Weakly - 2/17/2018

Like We Thought
A group of Republicans at the University of Washington had a rally to "bring conservatives together and promote free-speech rights." More than 1,000 counter-protesters showed up to oppose the event.

Wait ... they showed up to oppose free speech? Isn't that ... wait ... that's not even making sense.

A Trump voter said, "I learned that they thought my vote was a hate crime." A counter-protester said, "I'm not a fan of the president ... and what you're doing is not okay."

Got it. We're clear on this. The "loving" Left wants no free speech for those who disagree and wishes to put an end to anyone suggesting otherwise. The new definition of "tolerance". Clear enough.

Wait ... What?
So, it looks like a California judge "has ruled that owner Cathy Miller can continue to refuse to make wedding cakes for same sex couples." Wow, didn't see that coming.

To be fair, the judge simply said that the owner would be free to continue her business (and principles) until the hearing on the case in June. The judge thought that the arguments premised on the First Amendment -- free speech and the free exercise of religion -- were compelling. The owner violated the Unruh Civil Rights Act which prohibited refusing service on the basis of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. The claim was that the First Amendment trumps lower state laws. The position was that it was the event and not the gender or sexual orientation in question. (I thought it was interesting that the defense argued around the point that the cake wasn't made. It wasn't an existing product to be sold; it was a creation.)

The attorney for the complainants wasn't concerned. "Our fight against bigotry and discrimination (and free speech and the freedom of religion in America) is only beginning," she said. (Okay, I added the parenthetical part, but that doesn't mean it's not so.)

Movie Protest
The movie, Peter Rabbit, was released last week and parents are protesting. Are they protesting the violence done to the forest animals? No. How about the vandalism the animals commit? No. Oh ... then the cruelty of the guy with the electric fence to kill rabbits? No. Okay ... then the dynamite for killing bunnies? No. What then? A rabbit at one point of the battle between man and beast launches a blackberry into the guy's mouth. He's allergic to blackberries. They're protesting "allergy bullying." As a coworker asked, "Is that even a thing?" Must be. Carla Jones, CEO of a charity called Allergy UK, said, "Mocking allergic disease shows a complete lack of understanding of the seriousness of food allergy." Apparently all the rest of the outrageous show is acceptable. It was only that "violent food allergy bullying scene" that was "Pure and unnecessary violence."

Sony has apologized. The rest of you studios should get ready, because there is nothing that anyone can do that will not be protested by someone somewhere. Like the Super Bowl Jeep ad that "glorified" the destruction of aquatic habitats. Really? Like I said ...

Makes Sense
Trump managed to get us an income tax break at the trailing edge of last year. Would it make sense, then, that we hear now that Trump backs a 25-cent-per-gasoline tax hike? Well, sure! I mean, he gave you the tax break and now will help you spend it. What makes more sense than that? Oh, sure, not increasing taxes in an attempt to not increase taxes might, but we're talking politicians here, right?

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