Stephen King might be a man of many words, but he kept his response to Indiana's new anti-gay law short and sweet.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was signed into law earlier this month, allows individuals and/or companies to cite religious freedom if sued for discrimination, thus, potentially legalizing discrimination against the LGBT community in the Hoosier State.
The declaration has resulted in a slew of backlash against Pence and the state from individuals and companies alike.
King, who split his time between Indiana and Connecticut as a child, took to Twitter to offer his opinion Monday, and he did not mince words, tweeting, "Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration act is gay discrimination, pure and simple. You can frost a dog turd, but it's still a dog turd."
Oh, and yesterday there was a story about an Indiana pizza place (can't remember the city) who said that they would serve gay customers, but not cater a gay wedding.
"We are aware of the recent actions in Indiana and have made a point to talk about this sensitive and important issue among ourselves and with our teams. Each of us strongly supports the positions of the NCAA and our respective institutions on this matter — that discrimination of any kind should not be tolerated. As a part of America's higher education system, college basketball plays an important role in diversity, equality, fairness and inclusion, and will continue to do so in the future."
The shop owners. Why make a random statement like that? Why give an interview?
Here's another charming quote:
"I choose to be heterosexual, they choose to be homosexual--why should I be beat over the head because they choose that lifestyle?"
The shop owners. Why make a random statement like that? Why give an interview?
Here's another charming quote: "I choose to be heterosexual, they choose to be homosexual--why should I be beat over the head because they choose that lifestyle?"
Long live ignorance.
flan
So they aren't allowed to answer a questions without fearing for their lives? Nice...
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America guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome...
I know the left doesn't believe they can be intolerant because they're so ready to jump on the bandwagon for gay rights that they don't see just how they're trampling the rights of the religious.. It seems everyone has rights but us.
__________________
“Until I discovered cooking, I was never really interested in anything.” ― Julia Child ―
The shop owners. Why make a random statement like that? Why give an interview?
Here's another charming quote: "I choose to be heterosexual, they choose to be homosexual--why should I be beat over the head because they choose that lifestyle?"
Long live ignorance.
flan
So they aren't allowed to answer a questions without fearing for their lives? Nice...
Did they approach the local TV station?
THEY were the ones who made a statement.
Of course they don't deserve threats, only to be boycotted.
The shop owners. Why make a random statement like that? Why give an interview?
Here's another charming quote: "I choose to be heterosexual, they choose to be homosexual--why should I be beat over the head because they choose that lifestyle?"
Long live ignorance.
flan
So they aren't allowed to answer a questions without fearing for their lives? Nice...
Did they approach the local TV station?
THEY were the ones who made a statement.
Of course they don't deserve threats, only to be boycotted.
flan
The TV station came to them. They asked a question, they answered.
Sad day when you have to have to be scared for your life if you speak your heart...
__________________
America guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome...
Memories Pizza is a nine-year-old shop in downtown Walkerton, Indiana, just a few blocks from John Glenn High School. It’s owned by an openly-Christian couple, the O’Connors, who decorate their shop with mementos of their faith in Christ. So how does a small business in a small town wind up making headlines around the world as the new avatar of Christian bigotry?
Perhaps, you say, they brought this upon themselves, seeking out publicity for their strict biblical views.
Eh…no.
Some cursory internet forensics shows how it happened…or rather, how it was made to happen.
ABC-57 reporter Alyssa Marino’s editor sends her on a half-hour drive southwest of their South Bend studio, to the small town of Walkerton (Pop. ~2,300). According to Alyssa’s own account on Twitter, she “just walked into their shop [Memories Pizza] and asked how they feel” about Indiana’s new Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Owner Crystal O’Connor says she’s in favor of it, noting that while anyone can eat in her family restaurant, if the business were asked to cater a gay wedding, they would not do it. It conflicts with their biblical beliefs. Alyssa’s tweet mentions that the O’Connors have “never been asked to cater a same-sex wedding.”
What we have here is — as we called in journalism school jargon — “no story.” Nothing happened. Nothing was about to happen.
If I were forced to mark out a story line, it would be this: A nice lady in a small town tries to be helpful and polite to a lovely young reporter from “the big city.”
In other words, Memories Pizza didn’t blast out a news release. They didn’t contact the media, nor make a stink on Twitter or Facebook. They didn’t even post a sign in the window rejecting gay-wedding catering jobs. They merely answered questions from a novice reporter who strolled into their restaurant one day – who was sent on a mission by an irresponsible news organization.
Next: ABC-57 anchor Brian Dorman leads the evening newscast dramatically with this:
Only on ABC-57 News tonight. We went into small towns looking for reaction to the Religious Freedom Act. We found one business, just 20 miles away from a welcoming South Bend…with a very different view.
Notice that his city of South Bend is “welcoming,” but that small-town business is not. It’s very different. That’s why ABC-57 “went into small towns,” as if embarking on a safari to aboriginal lands.
Not only did ABC-57 News create that story ex nihilo (out of nothing), but the next day, the station’s Rosie Woods reported on the social-media backlash against the Christian pizza shop owners.
“Our Facebook page has been blowing up with comments after we aired that story last night,” said Woods.
At this point, even my old Leftist journalism professors would be grinding their teeth and rending their garments.
You see, not only did ABC-57 manufacture the story with an ambush interview, it then doubled-down by making the reaction to the story into another story to give the sense of momentum, as if it were growing at its own impetus. Yet, everything about it is a fabrication.
Memories Pizza didn’t “publicly vow to reject gay weddings” as HuffPo says it. The O’Connors were just, quite literally, minding their own business.
Back in the ABC-57 studio, Rosie Woods read three negative social media comments attacking the pizza shop owners, and then said, “And that’s just one side of this debate that’s heating up as more people and business owners speak up about the law.”
She then quotes one (1) person, the owner of another business, who agreed with the O’Connors. Seems that “just one side of this debate” deserves more attention than the other.
The unnamed ABC-57 editor then sends another reporter door-to-door on Walkerton’s rather depressed-looking main drag, trying to get reactions from other business people about the pizza shop owners. And the story inexorably snowballs onward, with only man’s yearning for truth to propel it.
All of the blog traffic and social media activity led to about 36,000 Facebook shares at ABC57.com on the original Alyssa Marino story less than 24 hours after it aired.
BuzzFeed posted its own inaccurate headline, with the kicker: ”The Internet has unleashed its wrath.”
All of those eyeballs benefit the TV station, which sells advertising on its website. It also helps several young, minor-market reporters who hustled and stumbled their way into the national spotlight. But don’t blame them. Blame the editor.
Meanwhile, over at Yelp.com, more than a thousand “reviews” of Memories Pizza rapidly accumulated, quickly overwhelming the positive comments from actual customers who like the pizza, the hospitality and the small-town charm. Folks who never heard of Walkerton attacked Crystal O’Connor’s business, her morality and her Lord. Many of the remarks included racially charged descriptions of genitalia and sex acts. “Reviewers” also posted pictures of naked men, of Adolf Hitler shouting “Ich habe ein pizza” (I have a pizza), and of Jesus gesturing with his middle finger. Over on Facebook, the restaurant’s 5-star average rating rapidly plunged to one star, as non-customers slammed away at Crystal’s little business.
In Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals, a manifesto of political power, Rule No. 12 says, in part:
Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)
The Left doesn’t care who gets hurt, so long as they get what they want. They’re willing — no, they’re eager — to sacrifice a small-town business, and it’s owners.
Lest you think I’m being too dramatic. Late Wednesday, word comes that Jess Dooley, a female coach at Concord High School 45 minutes away in Elkhart, has been suspended after tweeting:
Who’s going to Walkerton, IN to burn down #memoriespizza w me?
Funny thing is, freedom of religion has been the law since the second amendment.
This new law isn't new. Each and every state has the same law. It just never came up until now and some one finally got tired of, boring a phrase, being a doormat.
Here's the thing. The quelching of this freedom of religion would end ALL religious freedom.
Not just the Christian. The Hindu, Muslim, Buddist, any and all religion would be under the same lack of freedom.
Right now it would stop only a few things, BUT it opens a door doesn't it?
A door in which each and every individual, no matter their religion, will be punished if they practice it in any way.
And that will lead to one religion.
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
Funny thing is, freedom of religion has been the law since the second amendment.
This new law isn't new. Each and every state has the same law. It just never came up until now and some one finally got tired of, boring a phrase, being a doormat.
Here's the thing. The quelching of this freedom of religion would end ALL religious freedom.
Not just the Christian. The Hindu, Muslim, Buddist, any and all religion would be under the same lack of freedom.
Right now it would stop only a few things, BUT it opens a door doesn't it?
A door in which each and every individual, no matter their religion, will be punished if they practice it in any way.
And that will lead to one religion.
Why do I even try?
NO ONE is going into their churches. This is a BUSINESS matter.
If it was 1960 and a Christian store refused to serve Blacks, that would be the SAME thing.
There will NEVER EVER be "one religion." Has not happened since the dawn of civilization, won't happen now.
Funny thing is, freedom of religion has been the law since the second amendment.
This new law isn't new. Each and every state has the same law. It just never came up until now and some one finally got tired of, boring a phrase, being a doormat.
Here's the thing. The quelching of this freedom of religion would end ALL religious freedom.
Not just the Christian. The Hindu, Muslim, Buddist, any and all religion would be under the same lack of freedom.
Right now it would stop only a few things, BUT it opens a door doesn't it?
A door in which each and every individual, no matter their religion, will be punished if they practice it in any way.
And that will lead to one religion.
Why do I even try?
NO ONE is going into their churches. This is a BUSINESS matter.
If it was 1960 and a Christian store refused to serve Blacks, that would be the SAME thing.
There will NEVER EVER be "one religion." Has not happened since the dawn of civilization, won't happen now.
flan
Church of England ring a bell?
__________________
A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
"Here's another charming quote: "I choose to be heterosexual, they choose to be homosexual--why should I be beat over the head because they choose that lifestyle?""
because ...
the only people who can SERIOUSLY say this are people who are bisexual.
A straight person KNOWS that being straight is not a "choice".
__________________
The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
The media is spinning this into a frenzy. They are creating all this dialogue, going out and seeking out Christian business owners who are not going to lie about their beliefs.
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
"Jess Dooley, a female coach at Concord High School 45 minutes away in Elkhart, has been suspended after tweeting: Who’s going to Walkerton, IN to burn down #memoriespizza w me?"
Isn't that inciting a terrorist act?
Shouldn't Homeland Security or the FBI be knocking on her door?
__________________
The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
Funny thing is, freedom of religion has been the law since the second amendment.
This new law isn't new. Each and every state has the same law. It just never came up until now and some one finally got tired of, boring a phrase, being a doormat.
Here's the thing. The quelching of this freedom of religion would end ALL religious freedom.
Not just the Christian. The Hindu, Muslim, Buddist, any and all religion would be under the same lack of freedom.
Right now it would stop only a few things, BUT it opens a door doesn't it?
A door in which each and every individual, no matter their religion, will be punished if they practice it in any way.
And that will lead to one religion.
Why do I even try?
NO ONE is going into their churches. This is a BUSINESS matter.
If it was 1960 and a Christian store refused to serve Blacks, that would be the SAME thing.
There will NEVER EVER be "one religion." Has not happened since the dawn of civilization, won't happen now.
flan
Church of England ring a bell?
Are you saying that the everyone living in Britain was a member of the Church of England? At what point in time were there no Jews in England?
On the other hand, I've known people who firmly believed that Judaism was a branch of Christianity, like Methodist or Lutheran or Amish.
__________________
The Principle of Least Interest: He who cares least about a relationship, controls it.
The media is spinning this into a frenzy. They are creating all this dialogue, going out and seeking out Christian business owners who are not going to lie about their beliefs.
Then they down play the death threats and scare tactics. This will end up getting out of hand just like the way they played out the Michael Brown "Hands up, don't shoot" lie and got a whole town in an uproar. I feel the news stations try really hard to create their own news stories by pitting both sides against each other.
__________________
“Until I discovered cooking, I was never really interested in anything.” ― Julia Child ―
They went to an OBVIOUS Christian restaurant. They were trying to stir cap up. These people have never catered a wedding. So the intention was to drive them out of business.
__________________
America guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome...
The media is spinning this into a frenzy. They are creating all this dialogue, going out and seeking out Christian business owners who are not going to lie about their beliefs.
Then they down play the death threats and scare tactics. This will end up getting out of hand just like the way they played out the Michael Brown "Hands up, don't shoot" lie and got a whole town in an uproar. I feel the news stations try really hard to create their own news stories by pitting both sides against each other.
I tend to agree - they make their own "news" and sell more airtime as a result.
I agree. Just watch. As soon as the ruckus dies down there will be some new quote they'll use to stir it up. What did they think a devout Christian would say and why is what they said wrong? Sometimes the news stations are just desperate for news even if they have to create the drama.
-- Edited by Tinydancer on Thursday 2nd of April 2015 05:30:07 PM
__________________
“Until I discovered cooking, I was never really interested in anything.” ― Julia Child ―
The media is spinning this into a frenzy. They are creating all this dialogue, going out and seeking out Christian business owners who are not going to lie about their beliefs.
Yes, I agree.
From the OP:
You see, not only did ABC-57 manufacture the story with an ambush interview, it then doubled-down by making the reaction to the story into another story to give the sense of momentum, as if it were growing at its own impetus. Yet, everything about it is a fabrication.
They went to an OBVIOUS Christian restaurant. They were trying to stir cap up. These people have never catered a wedding. So the intention was to drive them out of business.
I'm not sure if that was the intention, but they definitely wanted viewers!
Here's a good rule...when in the "minority" of beliefs and you own a business, keep your opinions to yourself.
Heck, we live in the Bible Belt, aren't religious, don't go to church, and we certainly don't spout off our personal business. We have a dozen or more religious organizations as customers. They are nice people. The smile and we smile, and on occasion they extend an invitation to their church services, and we always say, "Thank you, we'll try to make it, but we are incredibly busy" or "Thanks, but we are going out of town that day"
No muss, no fuss.
In fact, a local church brought us a large basket of candy, which our employees have been enjoying all day. And when one went to pick up the lunch they phoned in to the local pizza place, she was told that another church picked up the lunch checks that hour.
I facebook thanked them for their generousity.
After nine years of business, the owners should have known better than to answer a loaded question. No comment would have been appropriate!
Let's see: GenCon is considering not coming to Indy for their convention...oh, and Pence is holding a news conference to announce a "fix."
A hate group? Not even remotely the same thing. Sorry.
flan
BS. It's EXACTLY the same thing. You are such a hypocrite. You are all about "rights" that you care about--but don't give a crap about anyone else's rights.
There is NO right to marriage in the constitution--there is a right to religious freedom.
__________________
I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Well, I could agree with you--but then we'd both be wrong.
Here's a good rule...when in the "minority" of beliefs and you own a business, keep your opinions to yourself.
Heck, we live in the Bible Belt, aren't religious, don't go to church, and we certainly don't spout off our personal business. We have a dozen or more religious organizations as customers. They are nice people. The smile and we smile, and on occasion they extend an invitation to their church services, and we always say, "Thank you, we'll try to make it, but we are incredibly busy" or "Thanks, but we are going out of town that day"
No muss, no fuss.
In fact, a local church brought us a large basket of candy, which our employees have been enjoying all day. And when one went to pick up the lunch they phoned in to the local pizza place, she was told that another church picked up the lunch checks that hour.
I facebook thanked them for their generousity.
After nine years of business, the owners should have known better than to answer a loaded question. No comment would have been appropriate!
I'm sure they wish they had now but why can't they give their opinion without fear of reprisal? If they had asked someone who agreed with the law it wouldn't have been "a story".
__________________
“Until I discovered cooking, I was never really interested in anything.” ― Julia Child ―
You know darn well that it would be unconscionable to force a Jewish baker to make a cake with a Nazi symbol on it.
Why? Is it because they were personally affected by the Nazi regime? Likely not as 70 years has passed and even most grandparents who went through that are no longer with us--let alone someone who is still in business.
It's simply because it is personally offensive to them.
JUST LIKE homosexual behavior is personally offensive to people of certain religious beliefs.
__________________
I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Well, I could agree with you--but then we'd both be wrong.
You know darn well that it would be unconscionable to force a Jewish baker to make a cake with a Nazi symbol on it.
Why? Is it because they were personally affected by the Nazi regime? Likely not as 70 years has passed and even most grandparents who went through that are no longer with us--let alone someone who is still in business.
It's simply because it is personally offensive to them.
JUST LIKE homosexual behavior is personally offensive to people of certain religious beliefs.
So where is the "line" drawn? We've had this discussion before, and neither of us is going to change the other one's mind.
Can you refuse to serve Democrats? Atheists? Obese people? People with tattos or other piercings?
The difference is that those are CHOICES, while sexual orientation is not.
You know darn well that it would be unconscionable to force a Jewish baker to make a cake with a Nazi symbol on it.
Why? Is it because they were personally affected by the Nazi regime? Likely not as 70 years has passed and even most grandparents who went through that are no longer with us--let alone someone who is still in business.
It's simply because it is personally offensive to them.
JUST LIKE homosexual behavior is personally offensive to people of certain religious beliefs.
So where is the "line" drawn? We've had this discussion before, and neither of us is going to change the other one's mind.
Can you refuse to serve Democrats? Atheists? Obese people? People with tattos or other piercings?
The difference is that those are CHOICES, while sexual orientation is not.
flan
BS. Behavior is a choice.
__________________
I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Well, I could agree with you--but then we'd both be wrong.
However, further, I do think under some circumstances you should be able to refuse service to certain people or groups.
If you are a conservative--you should be able to refuse to cater a democratic fund-raiser. Personally, in that case, I'd take their money and donate it to anti-abortion groups, but it should be the right of the business to decide.
Should an atheist be forced to photograph a baptism if they don't want to? I don't think so.
Let the free market take care of it. If attitudes are changing as fast as you say--then most people won't patronize businesses that refuse to participate in gay wedding and pretty soon there won't be any more such businesses.
In the meantime--we can preserve their rights, as well.
__________________
I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right.
Well, I could agree with you--but then we'd both be wrong.