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Washington state florist fined for refusing to service gay wedding
Ottawa Sun ^ | 03/28/2015 | REUTERS

Posted on 03/28/2015 9:12:06 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

A judge in Washington state on Friday fined a florist $1,000 after she refused to sell flower arrangements for a gay couple's wedding, officials said.

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who along with the couple - Robert Ingersoll and Curt Freed - sued florist Barronelle Stutzman in 2013, applauded the ruling in a statement.

(Excerpt) Read more at ottawasun.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: 1a; christians; firstamendment; freeexercise; homosexualagenda; lawsuit; liberalagenda; liberalfascism
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The State Attorney General went out of his way to hit this woman hard to force her to be a participant in something she abhors.

It’s something that has never passed in any vote. The populace at large abhors it too.

Yet this man had to use the power of the State to hurt her.

The people of Washington should hang their heads in shame for letting this happen.


21 posted on 03/28/2015 9:48:58 AM PDT by Regulator
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To: acw011
It's not just a question of merchandizing --- the key element is that this is expressive behavior.

"Not serving sinnners" --- this woman says her shop has supplied flowers purchased by gays for birthdays, graduations and other kinds of occasions --- so she's not discriminating against gays as such, as general customers.

Where she draws a line is when she is expected to recognize their "wedding" and help them celebrate it. Flowers are expressive of joy in this event: it is participation in, or sharing in the celebration of this event that the lady says she cannot do in good conscience.

If a customer wanted a floral arrangement for Celebrate Ku Klux Klan Day or Happy Birthday Adolf Hitler --- or even, say, for the the Westboro Baptist Church (Phelps and his freakish family) adorned with a ribbon that says "God Hates Fags" --- is a florist obliged to cooperate with this expressive behavior whether the florist wants to or not?

Does a T-shirt printer have to print stuff for ISIS?

22 posted on 03/28/2015 9:50:20 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (Blessed be God - Blessed be His Holy Name - Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.)
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To: EBH

Can you blame her? LOL


23 posted on 03/28/2015 9:54:30 AM PDT by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
(Maine)

Private businesses will still be free to bar firearms with or without constitutional carry.

24 posted on 03/28/2015 9:56:50 AM PDT by TYVets
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To: rockrr

From her FaceBook page, Arlene’s Flowers https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arlenes-Flowers/179760432044760:

Arlene’s Flowers

February 20 ·
.

There have been a few questions on how to support Arlene’s Flowers and Barronelle at this time and here are a few options,

You can contact the Attorney General Bob Ferguson at 360-753-6200 to express your support of the constitutional rights of Barronelle Stutzman, the owner of Arlene’s Flowers.

We have set up a PayPal account for those who would like to donate to the Arlene’s Flowers Defense Fund. To locate this you can visit our website www.arlenesflowers.com and at the bottom of the home page is a donate button.

We also have an account set up with our local Key Bank but you can go into any of your local Key Banks and request to make a donation to the Arlene’s Flowers Defense Fund.

You can always mail a letter of encouragement to 1177 Lee Blvd., Richland, WA 99352.

We thank you for all your support.


25 posted on 03/28/2015 9:58:55 AM PDT by Humal
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To: rockrr

Wow, she refused to take any kind of payment or donation? Just buy something then and don’t tell her what it’s for. I’ll try to buy flowers for my Mom..


26 posted on 03/28/2015 10:00:31 AM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company last election, and I laughed while they cried (true story))
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To: TYVets

Private property. They have a right to do that.


27 posted on 03/28/2015 10:01:35 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (If obama speaks and th<uere is no one there to hear it, is it still a lie?)
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To: TYVets
I'd make them post this sign, though:


28 posted on 03/28/2015 10:02:33 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (If obama speaks and th<uere is no one there to hear it, is it still a lie?)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Because leftists suffer from arrested mental development they are like adolescents stuck in the third grade. They insist upon group-think with a central authority to enforce compliance. The idea of a right of free association never occurs to them.

Hypothetical propositions like “floral arrangement for Celebrate Ku Klux Klan Day or Happy Birthday Adolf Hitler” are greeted with “Go ahead - I dare you!” from the left. They don’t understand that we prefer not to associate with them - especially for such pitiful and small-minded reasons as forcing the issue with them.

As we’ve seen the opposite is true - they fall all over themselves to force themselves and their perversions on us.


29 posted on 03/28/2015 10:03:19 AM PDT by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The Judge, Ekstrom, is a recent appointee from the Liberal west side by Gov. Inslee -bleeding heart, global warming liberal.

Ekstrom is up for confirmation in a coming election.

May be a chance to donate to a recall movement.


30 posted on 03/28/2015 10:04:28 AM PDT by alpo
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Private property. They have a right to do that.

The woman who owns the flower shop operates on public property?

(/s)

31 posted on 03/28/2015 10:04:56 AM PDT by TYVets
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To: Humal

Thanks for the link. Sending a few bucks in her direction!


32 posted on 03/28/2015 10:05:35 AM PDT by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

What’s crazy is that the gay couple had bought flowers from her before while they were dating and were on friendly terms with her. When they asked her for wedding flowers, she tried to break it to them as gently as she could that she wouldn’t buy able to fulfill their request for religious reasons. She even gave them the names of other florists. Apparently she was truly hurt when they went after her like they did. Their behavior really is astonishing. Who would do that to somebody? The whole episode is hugely revealing. It shows how screwed up the mindset of the gay rights crowd is. They are pathological and fully deserve to be opposed.


33 posted on 03/28/2015 10:06:16 AM PDT by Yardstick
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To: max americana

Just so happens a lady friend of mine has a birthday this coming Wednesday.


34 posted on 03/28/2015 10:09:29 AM PDT by day10 (You'll get nothing and like it!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

It seems like we all need to make a copy of a Mohammad cartoon, and take it to our nearest Muslim printer and have him make a hundred copies.


35 posted on 03/28/2015 10:13:58 AM PDT by norwaypinesavage (The Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stones)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Why don’t those at the “gay wedding” service each other?


36 posted on 03/28/2015 10:16:37 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer ("I want to be America's first, historical, male first lady." - Slick Willie)
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To: EBH

There was someone here who had a clever way for florists, bakers, etc. to get around this law. Just offer your services only for holy matrimony. Don’t even offer it for marriage or weddings. Then you can decide what constitutes holy matrimony using your definition.


37 posted on 03/28/2015 10:18:20 AM PDT by Yardstick
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

It seems like we all need to make a copy of a Mohammad cartoon, and take it to our nearest Muslim printer and have him make a hundred copies.


38 posted on 03/28/2015 10:20:27 AM PDT by norwaypinesavage (The Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stones)
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To: El Cid

self-ping


39 posted on 03/28/2015 10:22:01 AM PDT by El Cid (Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house...)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

and people protest Governor Pence of Indiana signing a bill to prevent such happenings here....kudos


40 posted on 03/28/2015 10:37:20 AM PDT by terycarl (common sense prevails over all)
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