We continue our postings tonight with Part II of an ongoing segment concerning Phil Robertson the Duck Dynasty 'patriarch' and the show's sponsors and supporters. We will focus our attention on Jordan Outdoor Enterprises LTD. First however we wish to give an example of what we are talking about.
There is a bakery called Sweet Cakes By Melissa which is located in Gresham, Oregon. They were the subject of a boycott by Gay Rights groups after they refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. You can read about the situation at the following links.
http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/16469-oregon-bakery-closes-over-owners-refusal-to-serve-gay-wedding
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/02/sweet-cakes-by-melissa-closed-_n_3856184.html
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/09/05/burn-in-hell-you-racist-pigs-christian-baker-who-refused-to-make-lesbian-couples-wedding-cake-details-creepy-alleged-break-in-ongoing-challenges/
They have not really closed up shop but have instead moved the bakery to their home. On their Facebook page you can see the endless entries of support from those who believe as they do. Some are also voicing opposing opinions. The truth is they lost business after the story of their refusal to bake the cake for the gay couple, Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowman circulated. They were no longer receiving referrals from other wedding oriented businesses. Numerous postings and articles are saying that they are being persecuted for their faith. The gay couple also filed a complaint with the State of Oregon. The truth is they are not being persecuted.
One of our members articulated on the bakery's FB page legal reasoning as to why excluding the gay couple from their business was wrong. I will repost the entry. Someone else also posted a well thought out entry along the same lines not far below it.
"You have the right to opinions and beliefs, no one disputes that. But YOU CHOSE to open a business in the public domain. All businesses are operated under laws which prohibit discrimination. What if you chose not to make a cake for a biracial couple? The same would be true, it would be considered an act of discrimination which is not allowable under the laws of Oregon and most other states. If you choose to discriminate then you can not be allowed to continue to operate. Government has to draw lines as to what is and is not acceptable as discriminatory acts. Tell me where would you have them draw the line? Is it okay not to serve a Moslem couple if you disagree with their faith? A Jewish couple? Of course it is not. This is no different from that. Discrimination based on any of these criteria is illegal as it should be. People should not tolerate the intolerant acts of others. Your opinions and beliefs are your own. But if you can not ACT in a manner according to the legal precepts of the State of Oregon and the United States then you should shut down.
You do have the right to believe as you choose. But when you own a business which serves the public you can not engage in discrimination. That is the law. It has been interpreted numerous times especially going back to Jim Crow. The following case is one of the primary ones which explains why the Klein's can not do as they did in discriminating. The article also mentions a second case. The second link is an even more famous case.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katzenbach_v._McClung
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Atlanta_Motel_v._United_States
Though Sweet Cakes By Melissa is a 'privately owned business' that does not mean it can exclude a group of people. When you refuse to bake cakes for gay couples you are indeed excluding an entire group. The state has an interest in ensuring this does not occur. Where do you draw the line? If you allow the Klein's and others to discriminate based on sexual orientation then you open the door for other businesses to do the same. To exclude whomever they disagree with.
A fair society can not allow this to happen and so the state acted in the best interest of the citizenry though the Klein's and their supporters don't believe so. Some might not want the case compared to the civil rights cases concerning African-Americans but the comparison is indeed valid. Whether it be the civil rights of minorities, women or gay people all the cases center around equal liberty for all. Those like the Klein's and Phil Robertson would have us as a nation continue to perpetuate the prejudices that as a society we are now beginning to reject. But it is time to go forward and not backwards. They have as stated a right to their opinions and beliefs. But not actions which violate the law. They talk about 'religious conscience' but others also have moral compasses which guide them. Religious ones which encourage tolerance. Legal ones which uphold equality. Ethical ones which sustain liberty. The Supreme Court has clearly interpreted the law in support of the latter group for decades. As groups fight for their rights and are recognized, they are added to the list of the law's protected parties. As they should be. Gay people are beginning to be acknowledged as legitimate members of society. The protections of the law apply to them as well. You can not hide behind religion to perpetrate discrimination and intolerance. Not any longer. The vendors who refused to continue to refer business to them also have rights. To not recommend a business they feel engages in unfairness.
If your faith disapproves of a gay lifestyle then don't be gay. Don't go to a church which is accepting of gay individuals. Don't own a business in the public sphere if your beliefs don't allow you to abide by the law. The Klein's now sell cakes out of their home and on a website. That may be the option they will have to adhere to. Remember they chose to discriminate against a segment of the population, no one forced them to.
So we begin our posting with them. It is important to know the perpetrators of intolerance in your community. Intolerance should not be accepted or allowed to hide under false pretenses such as religion. Or to use the excuse that the rest of us are the intolerant ones. which could not be further from the truth. They hate to have the hypocrisy of their so called 'ideals' dragged out into the light for all to see. That is a fact. Though politer than Phil the same self-righteous attitude is apparent. Even one of their email addresses expresses it. Does anyone really know who is saved? Who will go to Heaven? That only those who believe as you do will go? What would exclude someone? Murder? Why would loving someone exclude you? Is it possible intolerance might exclude you? To say you know for certain who shall enter the Kingdom is the height of arrogance, not the pious expression of faith.
Names: Aaron and Melissa Klein
Associated: Sweet Cakes By Melissa
Address: 15847 SE Stephens Court
Portland, OR 97233
Previous: 20454 NE Sandy Blvd
Fairview, OR 97024
Previous: 2711 West Powell Blvd, Apt. 1365
Gresham, OR 97030
Telephone: (503) 969-6565, (503) 254-1747
EMail: melissa@sweetcakesweb.com, kleinsaved@netzero.com
Relatives: Collette, Lisa, Darrell, Debra, Cristen, Carrie
Now we return to the posting of the sponsors of Duck Dynasty. By sponsoring the show they are perpetuating bigotry.
Jordan Outdoor Enterprises LTD- Realtree Outdoors
1. Name: William R. Jordan
Associated: Owner, Jordan Outdoor Enterprises LTD
Address: 232 Westmoreland Road
Columbus, GA 31904
Previous: 3528 Gentian Blvd, Unit 7
Columbus, GA 31907
Previous: 2813 Edgewood Road
Columbus, GA 31906
Telephone: (706) 596-1712
EMail: brjordan@realtree.com
Relatives: Shannon, Vickie, Brian, William
2. Name: Jill Malloy Slocumb
Associated: New Business and Brand Manager, Jordan Outdoor Enterprises LTD
Address: 1557 18th Avenue
Columbus, GA 31901-2057
Previous: 346 Lee Road (Some sources list 368)
Valley, AL 36854-6564 (Some sources list Smiths Station)
Previous: 2 Columbus
Columbus, GA 31906
Telephone: (334) 297-1242
EMail: jslocumb@bellsouth.net
Relatives: Joel Slocumb, Melinda Slocumb
3. Name: David Blanton
Associated: Vice President TV and Video, Jordan Outdoor Enterprises LTD
Address: 9 Kopay Court
Columbus, GA 31909
Previous: 5315 Grady Drive
Columbus, GA 31907
Telephone: (706) 507-3795
EMail: dblanton@realtree.com
Relatives: Frances, Harvey, Treva, Whitney
4. Name: William P. Brantley
Associated: Editor, Realtree.com
Address: 507 South 11th Street
Murray, KY 42071
Telephone: (270) 759-4131
EMail: wbrantley@realtree.com
Relatives: Michelle, Matt, James
5. Name: Thomas Wade Patterson
Associated: Director of Intellectual Properties, Jordan Outdoor Enterprises LTD/Realtree Outdoors, President, Thomas W. Patterson LLC
Address: 4774 Turnberry Lane
Columbus, GA 31908
Previous: 5201 Perrou Court
Greensboro, NC 27410
Previous: 5883 Big Oak Drive
Columbus, GA 31909
Telephone: (706) 569-9101
EMail: tompatterson44@gmail.com, tpatterson@realtree.com
Relatives: Karen Patterson
To be continued......
Continuation of Jordan Outdoor Enterprises LTD postings.
6. Name: Michael Swain
Associated: Media and Sponsorship Sales Director, Jordan Outdoor Enterprises LTD
Address: 731 Oak Knoll Circle
Auburn, AL 36830
Telephone: (334) 826-0818
EMail: mswain@realtree.com
Relatives: Stephanie, George, Mallory, Travis, Hanna, Melanie Swain Nance
7. Name: Dodd (Dodwell) Clifton
Associated: Public Relations Director, Jordan Outdoor Enterprises LTD
Address: 6435 South Branch Court
Columbus, GA 31909
Telephone: (706) 565-8695
EMail: dbc24@mchsi.com, dclifton@realtree.com
Relative: Jennifer Clifton
8. Name: William Ross
Associated: Chief Financial Officer, Jordan Outdoor Enterprises LTD
Address: 3410 Tomahawk Drive (Some sources list 3416)
Columbus, GA 31907
Previous: 1710 Sundale Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
Telephone: (706) 561-1116
EMail: williamrossss@gmail.com, wross@realtree.com
Relatives: Catherine, Stephen, Alex
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