Let businesses ban gays if they want

Wednesday Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer earned high praise from Democrats across the country for vetoing a bill put forth by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature.

The bill, had it passed, would have made it legal for businesses in the Grand Canyon state to refuse service to patrons based on their sexual orientation. It was allegedly inspired by episodes in other states in which florists, photographers and bakers were sued for refusing to cater to same-sex couples. The Arizona bill would have allowed much broader religious exemptions by business owners.

You may recall that I am a proponent of gay rights. I championed New York State’s coming of age in 2011 to allow for gay marriage. I believe that sexuality should be a non-issue when it comes to the government’s dealing with people.

But businesses aren’t government. And business owners should be allowed to discriminate — for any reason they choose.

Yeah. You read that right. I believe that private business owners should be allowed to discriminate against people on the basis of sex, sexuality, religion, color, height, or anything else they so choose.

Many businesses already have signs informing their customers that they may refuse service to any patron for any reason. It’s pretty standard. It’s primarily designed as a catch-all for when they have to kick out an unruly customer - or prohibit a customer who had previously been unruly from entering their establishment again.

So if they can refuse service to anyone for any reason, why can’t they do it for reasons which we find distasteful? Being a prejudiced bigot isn’t against the law. It’s just poor form. Unless you use that prejudice and bigotry as an excuse to break another law.

To those of you who are appalled, let me explain: I’m not saying businesses should ban gays. I’m just saying they should be allowed to. Just like homosexuals may choose to get their flowers or cake or whatever for their weddings from people they agree with politically. Just like there are certain businesses that I won’t spend money at because I don’t like the owners.

Capitalism should be a two-way street. And if I have the right to shop where I want, shop owners should have the right to accept my money or not. Allowing them to be openly discriminatory makes it easier for me to decide where to spend my money.

If I were to go to a florist, grocery store, barber or bubble gum shop, only to be greeted by a sign that says “we reserve the right to discriminate against gays, Asians, and people with red hair,” I know not to spend my money there. Why would I want to assist someone so un-American in fulfilling the American dream? I wouldn’t.

If we not only allow, but force prejudiced bigots to hide their hatred, we run the risk of giving money to people who could, in turn, take that money and use it to promote their agenda of hatred, through campaign contributions to like-minded bigots or some other nefarious means. I’d rather know that the person I was giving my hard-earned money to was using it for good.

So let the bigots be open with their hatred. It will only make it easier for those of us who live in the 21st century to promote our common ideals at the exclusion of those who prefer to live in the dark ages.

Scott Leffler is an open-minded capitalist living in a world full of diminishing closed-minded people. He invites — but would never force — you to follow him on Twitter @scottleffler.

Sorting through the vitriol

I like to comment on politics. It’s what I went to school for. Politics is the art of persuasion, decision-making and compromise. It’s ugly. And it certainly isn’t for everyone. It can be exciting. It can even be fun. But it can certainly be frustrating and can ruin people from the inside out.

Sometimes things should not be political.

I had planned on writing this week’s column on the panel chosen last week by the county legislature to draw the 15 new legislative districts. We had been told that it would be a citizen panel comprised of non-politicians. I wanted to get into it, in depth, talking about each panelist and noting their political connections. Let’s suffice it to say I was not pleased with the list of names.

And I’m going to leave it at that. Truth is, I don’t feel like getting into politics this week. There’s enough politicking going on right now. And frankly, we need less of it.

I was disheartened (a massive understatement) to hear the news Saturday of the shooting in Arizona.

It was a story broken by Facebook for me. I checked in to see what my friends were up to, only to see post after post about Arizona, tragedy and prayer. I got the gist of what was going on, but quickly turned on the television in hopes of getting all the details.

I went back and forth between the TV, which lacked details, and the Internet, which suffered from no lack of speculation or opinions.

The television frustrated me. And the Internet angered me.

And then I caught a tidbit of news that just saddened me. And my frustration and anger melted away, supplanted with an overwhelming desire to hug my children.

One of the victims of Saturday’s insane brutality was a 9-year-old girl.

Christina Taylor Green was born on Sept. 11, 2001 — one of our nation’s darkest days. She died Saturday, the most recent of our darkest days.

And she left behind a mother, a father and a brother.

Suddenly, for me, the political rhetoric being displayed on Facebook and Twitter became annoying. Meanwhile, the concern being displayed on the television news for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was secondary.

All I could think about was that somewhere in Arizona was a guy — probably about my age — who had a daughter — just about my youngest daughter’s age — earlier that morning. And now he doesn’t.

Who cares about Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck and Rush and blah, blah, blah? Somebody shut up and give that poor father a hug.

Amidst all the vitriol, people were actually losing their lives. Innocent children, even.

I’m not saying that politics is unimportant. Or that it doesn’t have a place and time. But the place and time is not now.

Frankly, anyone trying to score political points while a parent is burying their child deserves a fate crueler than I can imagine.

There’s plenty of time to have an honest discussion about the political climate in this country and how that may or may not have contributed to this tragedy. But first, let’s grieve our loss.

I’ll leave you with Christina’s words: “I hope you know all the words to the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ and sing it with your hand over your heart. I hope you jump in rain puddles.”

I hope I do, too.

Scott Leffler, night/city editor for the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, has been in the local print and broadcast media for the past decade. His column appears every Tuesday. Contact him at scott.leffler@lockportjournal.com.