IT’S NOT REALLY A HARD DECISION

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY #409

Question regarding Governmental Compulsion vs. Freedom: Shall someone like a baker be compelled by government to create a wedding cake to be used at a gay wedding when the baker’s core values disagree with the concept of gay marriage? Of course Life is Complicated, but the answer to that issue is straight-forward. If the baker with those values is asked to create such a cake, the answer is no. (Of course, the gay couple will still be able to find another baker who does not share those values who can create the same thing.) But if a wedding cake is already “on the shelf,” then it would be a civil rights violation for the baker not to sell it to any customer who desires it and has the money to pay for it. So this should really not be a hard decision for the courts or anyone else.

This approach also has the benefits of being fairly easy to comprehend and to enforce. For the government to force a baker or anyone else to act in violation of their principles in creating any product is an undue intrusion into people’s private lives and beliefs. BUT, if the cake or other products have already been created and offered for sale, it would violate all of our principles for the baker/merchant to deprive anyone of the opportunity to purchase them. What do you think? Let’s move on . . .

Another thought from the “You gotta love English” department: Why are bleachers sometimes called “stands” if they are meant for sitting?

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.) Superior Court of Orange County, California 2012 Libertarian Candidate for Vice President

Please listen to our radio show entitled All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray as we discuss timely ssues and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches. The series has concluded, but you can still hear any edition On Demand at https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/3883. And, by the way, these 2 Paragraphs columns are now on my website at www.JudgeJImGray.com, Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, and wordpress at judgejimgray.wordpress.com. Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty. In addition, my new book with the same title as my radio show is now available at Amazon.com., as is my wife Grace’s and my new novel centered about School Choice entitled 2030 KIDS: We are the Rising Heroes of the Planet. Please read and discuss them with your friends, and send in a review.