News Weakly - 6/22/19

Politicians Who Hate Small Business
Kamala Harris joined in a protest in Las Vegas demanding unions and $15/hr minimum for McDonald's workers (and, obviously, everyone else). A wise observer commented, "These minimum wage jobs don't have any opportunity for people to make a living and support a family." He's right. The story went on to say, "New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, former Obama housing secretary Julian Castro and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have all appeared with employees of the fast-food giant around the country. Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker were expected to join McDonald’s workers at a rally in South Carolina on Saturday." There's a quick, short list of politicians who hate small business. "Small business??" Yes. Corporate McDonald's recognizes the right to unions and the average starting wage for their restaurants exceeds $10/hr. It's the franchises that are paying minimum wage because controlling cost is the only way those small business folks can make a go of it. Nearly 90% with a target of 95% of McDonald's are franchised. Undercutting the small business McDonald's folks cannot be termed "small business friendly." Maybe those folks are eating fast food? Oh, and that summer job for teens? Yeah, count that one out, too. You know, those do-it-yourself kiosks don't demand $15/hr at all.

Complicit
New York City is going to be the first city in the U.S. to make all of its citizens complicit in the murder of babies in that city. They'll do it by making New Yorkers pay for abortions. New Yorkers that actually care about babies' lives may need to move, but what do we do when the nation makes us all complicit like so many Democratic candidates for President intend?

Coming Soon to a Country Near You?
Quebec has banned religious symbols for certain public workers in their province. The workers would include "public servants in positions of authority" to include teachers, judges, police officers, etc. The Parti Quebecois wanted to see daycare workers and private school teachers included, but they weren't. Minister Jolin-Barrette said, "It is legitimate for a society like ours to decide how the relationship between the state and religion is going to be handled." The aim is to promote a secular Quebec, so apparently the relationship will be ... banned.

It Hurts
While the Supreme Court turned down the case of the baker in Oregon who was fined for practicing their 1st Amendment rights, a Cracker Barrel in Tennessee refused to serve a church group because they didn't like what their pastor believed. I'm pretty sure there will be no lawsuits here or, if there are, no court action here. Because of the double standard in this country.

That's not really what hurts, though. What hurts is that this guy whose group was refused service is a nincompoop (I'm trying to be nice) who advocates the arrest and execution of LGBT folk. He states it in his sermon of all things, like it's a message from God. He is the pastor of the -- this is painful -- All Scripture Baptist Church in Knoxville. It's painful because he's ignoring Scripture to do it. It hurts because he gives Christ and His followers a black eye in preaching such nonsense. It hurts because I'd want to ban him from my restaurant, too. But two wrongs don't make a right.

Unforgivable
Christians are accused of being too judgmental. While I think that individuals might be (and that would be individual Christians and any other individual), I don't think that 1) judgmentalism is a biblical Christian value or that 2) Christians have a corner on the market. Joe Biden, who is not my candidate, is in trouble with his own. What for? Trying to position himself as a candidate who can work with anyone to get things done, he told about how he worked with Dixiecrats, pro-Jim Crow Senate Democrats, in his early days to get things done. "In a political culture increasingly focused on past sins against racial and gender equality," the story says, he has crossed the line. Reaching across the aisle is out in today's ethos, but definitely with anyone who has ever committed one of today's unpardonable sins at any time in their existence. In our world today, the sins of the father are indeed passed on to the children, and if you ever once held a view that opposes popular views on gay rights or relations between genders or racial equality perspectives and so on is now beyond forgiveness, to be relegated to the trash heap. The fact that the opposition to ending slavery and bringing all people under the equal protection of the law was the Democratic party. They can forgive themselves for that, but you guys ... not so much! So who's judgmental now?

No Justice
I'm not getting this one. "Lawmakers in New York state have voted to eliminate criminal penalties for public possession and use of marijuana." They did not legalize the use of marijuana; they simply eliminated the penalties. Apparently they can't get the voters to approve the legalization of recreational marijuana, so they've provided an end-around maneuver. Because that is both democracy and justice ... or neither.

Where is your argument now?
The courts in the UK have ordered a woman to get an abortion. She is in her twenties and she, her mother, and her state social worker all oppose the abortion. Wrong in so many ways. So much for "bodily autonomy," for "women's reproductive rights," for government non-interference in a woman's body, and for government protecting life. Do you suppose women will campaign against this abortion? The court deemed her mentally deficient -- too deficient to make good choices for a baby -- so the best choice is to kill it. Now, there's a line of reasoning I pray never arrives in our government. "We'll decide what's best for you and your children" and "You might do your child harm, so we'll kill it for you." I am fairly sure it's not really too far off.