DU heartbreak: ACLU defends Chick-Fil-A against idiot mayors

[Hubie]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021037239

cthulu2016 (3,440 posts)

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ACLU: Blocking Chick-fil-A unconstitutional Viewpoint Discrimination

Last edited Sat Jul 28, 2012, 04:44 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1)
I am posting this because the ACLU is right, and it is important for folks to understand why they are right.

"Viewpoint Discrimination" is an important concept.

-Can a town in Alabama deny business permits to a Disney store because Disney provides partner benefits to gay employees?

-Can a zoning board in Texas allow construction of churches but block construction of mosques?

-Can a state require that candidates take The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag in order to be on the ballot?


Although the ACLU strongly supports same-sex marriage, a senior attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois warned that if Chicago bans Chick-fil-A over the religious views of its management, it will be engaging in "viewpoint discrimination," Fox News reported Thursday.

“The government can regulate discrimination in employment or against customers, but what the government cannot do is to punish someone for their words,” said ACLU senior attorney Adam Schwartz. “When an alderman refuses to allow a business to open because its owner has expressed a viewpoint the government disagrees with, the government is practicing viewpoint discrimination,” he added.

...

Chicago Alderman Proco Joe Moreno said he intends to block the chain from opening its second Chicago location over president Dan Cathy's position on gay marriage. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel supports Moreno's position.

Schwartz explained to Fox that "if a government can exclude a business for being against same-sex marriage, it can also exclude a business for being in support of same-sex marriage."

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/article/aclu...discrimination


UPDATE: As Prosense helpfuly notes below, Alderman Moreno and Mayor Emmanuel have since backed off their position, saying that Chick-fil-a would be treated the same as any other business seeking to open a location in Chicago.

Like hell they would! Rahm would get his cronies and organized crime buddies to make sure of that!

[Elspeth]

Good on the ACLU. Normally, they drive me batty, but they do take principled stands. The argument is right on.

[LukeEDay]

Wow, first the ACLU takes the side of the KKK in Georgia, and now they are taking the side of Chick-Fil-A. I am speechless.

And I thought I heard everything when the Ladies from the view gave a lecture on free speech, and how no one should have theirs taken away. Wow...

[Hubie]

Even the ACLU is not dumb enough to support something that is so obviously, absolutely and unquestionably unconstitutional. You just cannot pull something like this in America and the fact that at least a couple of these mayors are quickly walking back their idiotic, un-American, unconstitutional statements proves it. The damage is done, though -- to them, not Chick-Fil-A. These clowns have let the mask slip a little and shown their true faces.

[Wibbins]

Wow, first the ACLU takes the side of the KKK in Georgia, and now they are taking the side of Chick-Fil-A. I am speechless.

And I thought I heard everything when the Ladies from the view gave a lecture on free speech, and how no one should have theirs taken away. Wow...

Well, everyone has a right to free speech, no matter if it is bigoted like the KKK. As much as I don't like the KKK, I do not have a problem with them speaking their views, as long as no one is threatened or hurt(physically mind you).

[LukeEDay]

Well, everyone has a right to free speech, no matter if it is bigoted like the KKK. As much as I don't like the KKK, I do not have a problem with them speaking their views, as long as no one is threatened or hurt(physically mind you).

Yes, I am a huge believer in the first amendment. And you are right, everyone has the right of free speech. It just seems at times that left is trying to silence it. They have the ideology of 'free speech for me, but not for thee' ... So when I see anyone on the left come out and protect a right's right to it, it shocks me.

I think the thing that they are finding out about this Chick-Fil-A thing is that they know that Chick-Fil-A can sue both Chicago and Boston for discrimination if they try to keep them from entering their city.

[Lanie]

Wow, first the ACLU takes the side of the KKK in Georgia, and now they are taking the side of Chick-Fil-A. I am speechless.

And I thought I heard everything when the Ladies from the view gave a lecture on free speech, and how no one should have theirs taken away. Wow...

ACLU is really really really huge on the first amendment no matter who it is. I often think they take it too far. Not in this case, but in other cases.

[LukeEDay]

ACLU is really really really huge on the first amendment no matter who it is. I often think they take it too far. Not in this case, but in other cases.

I think a lot of the confusion, for me, comes from them representing more left wing groups than right wing groups.

[Benjamin Parish]

They dont really adhere to any political ideology; or any that differs from any major ideology that is acceptable in our current society (democracy, equal rights, et al).They take positions based on law, and only based on law (their interpretation of it.)

Example:

Gun Control

Updated: 7/8/2008
The Second Amendment provides: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

ACLU POSITION
Given the reference to "a well regulated Militia" and "the security of a free State," the ACLU has long taken the position that the Second Amendment protects a collective right rather than an individual right. For seven decades, the Supreme Court's 1939 decision in United States v. Miller was widely understood to have endorsed that view

Where confusion ensues sometimes, though, is they take collective positions, as well as individual...

and as, with our country seemingly divided by such rhetoric as: 'Dems - collective', 'Repubs - individualistic', the ACLU is seen to favor both major parties, at times.


They seem to adhere more to a collectivist interpretation than an individualistic one, though. So, this may also take part in your perspective of them.

[Rockntractor]

They dont really adhere to any political ideology; or any that differs from any major ideology that is acceptable in our current society (democracy, equal rights, et al).They take positions based on law, and only based on law (their interpretation of it.)

Example:




Where confusion ensues sometimes, though, is they take collective positions, as well as individual...

and as, with our country seemingly divided by such rhetoric as: 'Dems - collective', 'Repubs - individualistic', the ACLU is seen to favor both major parties, at times.


They seem to adhere more to a collectivist interpretation than an individualistic one, though. So, this may also take part in your perspective of them.

They are leftist to the core but have to toss a bone to the conservative side occasionally to maintain some semblance of credibility.