March 31, 2015
 
Indiana Boycott is both Selfish and Un-American
 
Consumers can boycott a business, and a business can boycott consumers. Collective punishment, however, is un-American.
 
    Over the past few days Indiana Governor Mike Pence has been under fire from the LGBT community for signing the Religious Freedoms Restoration Act that is designed to protect a business owner from being forced to act against one's own religious tenets. The LGBT community points the example of a bakery refusing to make a wedding cake for a gay marriage. The law has many people in a tizzy, and the Governor says the law which is based on existing Federal law will not go away. Meanwhile, some have called for a boycott of the entire state of Indiana.

    Boycott Watch believes we need to examine the case from all sides without the emotional aspect. That is because regardless of where you may stand on the gay marriage issue, the fact is Americans boycotting any state is America boycotting itself, which is a ridiculous action comparable to people boycotting their own nose.

    Boycott Watch wrote about a similar situation April 29, 2010 in an article titled Arizona Boycott is bad for America. We summarized that article with "Boycott sets dangerous precedent - violates sovereignty, Sets up war between states" and the same applied here.

    Boycott Watch reminds people that this law works both ways. It would also inherently protect an LGBT congregation if it wants to deny, for example, the Westboro Baptist Church from having an event in an LGBT facility under the same legal grounds. We have even seen a cartoon at Comically Incorrect which depicted two Klansmen asking a black baker to make their wedding cake.

    The fact is, if someone does not want your business, why would you even want to force them to take it? Boycott Watch President Fred Taub said "Consumers have the right to say no and boycott, and businesses are no different."

    Boycott Watch believes than consumers have choices and should exercise them. Not every business will do everything. A kosher butcher should never be required to sell pork, and just the same, a vegetarian restaurant should never be forced to sell beef. What we have here is a case where the LGBT community is gathering to force a change because they do not like the fact that people have choices, but the demands of reversal of the law can have a serious backlash.

    Boycott Watch points out that the United States was built on religious freedoms. Everyone should be allowed to practice their own religion and nobody should tell anyone how to practice theirs. Just as a Jewish bakery should never be forced to write "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is Great in Arabic) on a cake, an atheist should never be forced to write "Jesus is my redeemer" on a cake, just as someone who is religiously opposed to gay marriage should not be forced to make that cake either. Besides, why would anyone want to give money to people who don't like you?

    It is simply un-American and selfish to force anyone to partake in a religious activity they disagree with, regardless of the sides of the parties involved. Also, this boycott is collective punishment, something that happens under tyranny, not a democracy. We all need to respect the rights and religious beliefs of other if we want others to respect ours. As such, Boycott Watch believes this boycott call can only be described with one word - Intolerant. What we really need is to be more tolerant of each other. After all, that is the message of all civil rights organizations.
 
 
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Boycoting Peace
by Fred Taub
President, Boycott Watch
 
 
 

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