It's an affront to democracy when someone can violate civil laws and then get away with it. That's exactly the case with Sweet Cakes by Melissa, a cake shop out of Gresham, Ore., who discriminated against a homosexual couple -- citing religious reasons for not wanting to sell them a wedding cake. As of March 22, 2013, the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa announced that they will not be fined for refusing to service the same sex couple who rocketed their little shop to media headlines.
"An update for all who have asked for one. We found out that we are not getting fined. We were told the couple was suppose to file a compliant with BOLI and have not done so. So a huge thank you for everyone that showed us support through this ;)" -- read a post on the shop's Facebook page.
The tone of the post seems almost haughty, and it's no doubt that Aaron Klein (the owner of the shop) is reveling in what he feels is a victory, but make no mistakes: He still violated the law, and even though the couple flaked on filing a complaint with BOLI (Bureau of Labor and Industries), doesn't mean the next couple won't. Also, the statute of limitations for the couple to file a complaint with BOLI has not yet expired, and according to this post, they are now pursuing an official complaint against Sweet Cakes by Melissa. So Aaron's victory lap will be a short-lived one, no doubt.
A victory against civil rights is no victory at all. It's a stain on humanity, a blemish on a society that touts itself as being one of liberty and equality. Aaron Klein violated an Oregon state law when he refused service to a same sex couple, and just because he is not yet being fined does not mean that he is in the right and it does not mean that his business is operating ethically or within the law. It does not mean he still has the right to discriminate against members of the public. Regardless of who you are, your personal beliefs do not give you the right to violate the personal rights and liberties of another person.
Homosexual discrimination is a growing trend
Sweet Cakes by Melissa and Arlene's Flowers are already in the headlines together as being "bigoted against homosexual couples" -- and they've even stricken up a friendship among the businesses' owners. But now a new cake shop appears to have entered the fray, although it might have been unwittingly.
Rebecca Lynn Dillow is the owner of "It's A Piece of Cake" -- a so called wedding service out of Shenandoah Junction, WV -- and she appears to be Aaron Klein's latest ally. She posted on the Sweet Cakes by Melissa Facebook wall on March 23, 2013 with the following comment. I reached out to Rebecca Lynn Dillow via the "It's A Piece of Cake" page and asked her if her business services same sex couples, because she openly expressed comradeship with a company that is known for discriminating against gays. She responded at around 4:58 a.m., on Sunday morning, and claimed that she "does cakes for anyone who may need one," and "it does not matter who is getting married." She also told me that she didn't "like" their page out of anything to do with the controversy surrounding their actions. She claimed that she only returned a like, because they had liked her page first. Well that seems legit.
Comments