NationStates Jolt Archive

I've heard that it's illegal for a store to refuse to sell it's products to someone based on race, religion, et cetera. A Wisconsin retailer refuses to ship it's wares to soldiers. I know that the two situations are different, but in some ways they're similar. Is this legal?

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/01/mattress_stores.html

Yes. It's legal. Moronic, but legal. :p

I've heard that it's illegal for a store to refuse to sell it's products to someone based on race, religion, et cetera. A Wisconsin retailer refuses to ship it's wares to soldiers. I know that the two situations are different, but in some ways they're similar. Is this legal?

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/01/mattress_stores.html

IT is discrimination, but not in a way that has legal recourse because the person is not singling out a race, religion, gender or sexual orientation...

Exactly. A business has the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason. ...other than those specifically mentioned by equal rights laws. *nod*

Doesn't mean it's a good idea. Look what happened in this case: Word spreads and people get pretty nuts when they find out someone is disrespecting the American Soldier. Not that I'm defending threats of violence and harassment the owners are receiving, but a company can lose a devastating amount of business by taking an anti-military stance.

Yes. It's legal. Moronic, but legal. :p
IT is discrimination, but not in a way that has legal recourse because the person is not singling out a race, religion, gender or sexual orientation...

So it is perfectly legal to refuse to sell various pharmaceuticals, too?

So it is perfectly legal to refuse to sell various pharmaceuticals, too?

as long as you don't discriminate against race, color, creed, sex...

Stupid, stupid jerkoff, unless he was trying to sabotage the company he worked for, which may have been the case. Some asshole may have decided that he hated his job and employer enough to pull a stunt like that.

It does raise a question, though - the laws that say you can't refuse sale based on race or religion...what all do those laws cover? Can I open a bar and refuse to serve to those under 25 just to keep college students out? Can I refuse to sell Ohio State merchandise to someone I know lives in Michigan? Can I refuse to sell a "Support Our Troops" magnet to a man with a Kerry-Edwards bumper sticker on his car? And for that matter, can I refuse seating at a restaurant to a gay couple? I just want to know what all that includes.

I've heard that it's illegal for a store to refuse to sell it's products to someone based on race, religion, et cetera. A Wisconsin retailer refuses to ship it's wares to soldiers. I know that the two situations are different, but in some ways they're similar. Is this legal?

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/01/mattress_stores.html

yes it is legal. Stupid but legal and that retailer should be ashamed of himself.

What a great way to lose business.

What a great way to lose business.

you mean out of business.

The UK is going through this mess at the moment with the government bringing in laws to stops discrimination against same sex couples. Currently hotels etc can refuse to allow gays to stay (like they only want to use the rooms for sex:rolleyes: ). It harks back to the old days when the hung out signs saying 'No Irish'
I would hazard a guess that your stupid shopkeeper is acting within the law but not acting within the spirit of it. Imagine if he refused to ship goods to gays or ethnic minorities - there would be hell on

Why the hell would you turn down a customer based on anything? It makes no sense.

Stupid, stupid jerkoff, unless he was trying to sabotage the company he worked for, which may have been the case. Some asshole may have decided that he hated his job and employer enough to pull a stunt like that.

It does raise a question, though - the laws that say you can't refuse sale based on race or religion...what all do those laws cover? Can I open a bar and refuse to serve to those under 25 just to keep college students out? Can I refuse to sell Ohio State merchandise to someone I know lives in Michigan? Can I refuse to sell a "Support Our Troops" magnet to a man with a Kerry-Edwards bumper sticker on his car? And for that matter, can I refuse seating at a restaurant to a gay couple? I just want to know what all that includes.

Not sure about most of those, but a lot of the anti-discrimanation things include sexual orientation, so...

can you deny service to a muslim woman if she is wearing a burka? (sp?)

That pretty solidly falls under religion, so I'd guess not legally.

can you deny service to a muslim woman if she is wearing a burka? (sp?)

as long as you don't discriminate against race, color, creed, sex...
Okay, my pharmacy won't sell birth control pills, or the Plan B "morning after pill". I guess you have no quarrel with that. Good for you. That's quite different that the reaction that action received some months ago.

can you deny service to a muslim woman if she is wearing a burka? (sp?)
If you're the Florida DMV, you can.

If you're the Florida DMV, you can.

I live in Florida and never heard of that. Do you have a source or link?

Okay, my pharmacy won't sell birth control pills, or the Plan B "morning after pill". I guess you have no quarrel with that.

Is it the only pharmacy in a significant radius ?

I live in Florida and never heard of that. Do you have a source or link?

The story was that a woman wanted to have her photo taken with her veil on. The State disagreed and their position was upheld in court. Let's see...first hit on Google yields success.

http://www.courttv.com/trials/freeman/verdict_unveil_ctv.html

The story was that a woman wanted to have her photo taken with her veil on. The State disagreed and their position was upheld in court. Let's see...first hit on Google yields success.

http://www.courttv.com/trials/freeman/verdict_unveil_ctv.html

oh well if that's the story I agree with the DMV. For a state identifation your head and face must be exposed to show the color of your hair, eyes, etc... That's no big deal but I'm not a muslim either...I don't consider that to be discrimination since nobody can cover their heads not even the Jews it's a rule for everybody...thanks for the link.

Fucking disgusting. Sounds like some retarded liberal that popped out of the American college system. I like that last bit; I'm sure that Sergeant has the magical power to end the war and pull the troops out :rolleyes:

Why the hell would you turn down a customer based on anything? It makes no sense.

Well if you don't want to help someone fighting an unjust war, I'd say it makes perfect sense to make them see you don't support their conflict.

Actually a number of retailers won't ship APO addresses because of the hassles invloved. http://www.snopes.com/politics/war/apo.asp

This one was more than a bit over the top though.

Okay, my pharmacy won't sell birth control pills, or the Plan B "morning after pill". I guess you have no quarrel with that. Good for you. That's quite different that the reaction that action received some months ago.
Good for you for to read what you want into Junii's answer in an effort to justify your own tenuous and absurd position.

If you read to the end of Junii's post beforemaking your immense convoluted leap of logic, you may have noticed a, "..." indicating that the list wasn't finished.
Indicating that there were many other things you could discriminate against.

At any rate, not selling birth control is discriminating against a person's creed, which Junii did indeed explicitly state.

I give you an 'F' for your post. Try again.

Good for you for to read what you want into Junii's answer in an effort to justify your own tenuous and absurd position.

If you read to the end of Junii's post beforemaking your immense convoluted leap of logic, you may have noticed a, "..." indicating that the list wasn't finished.
Indicating that there were many other things you could discriminate against.

At any rate, not selling birth control is discriminating against a person's creed, which Junii did indeed explicitly state.

I give you an 'F' for your post. Try again.

Also, it's refusing to sell a certain product, not sell to a certain group of people.

It would be more like it if they were refusing to sell birth control just to soldiers or people between the ages of 30 and 40 or something like that.

I don't agree with either the shopkeeper not selling to soldiers or Myr's pharmacy not selling birth control (which is used for a wide variety of things other than preventing pregnancy as well).

Not that I'm defending threats of violence and harassment the owners are receiving, but a company can lose a devastating amount of business by taking an anti-military stance.

Really? They'll get my business when next I'm looking for mats.

Really? They'll get my business when next I'm looking for mats.

If there still in business...

I really hope they get a devastating financial blow for their arrogance. I've already tried logging in but the website was down... :D
From what I understand, an employee sent the message without the consent of the owner, but I forget, your types get a hard on for collective punishment.

I really hope they get a devastating financial blow for their arrogance. I've already tried logging in but the website was down... :D

I really hope they get a devastating financial blow for their arrogance. I've already tried logging in but the website was down... :D

Gee, that's sure Christian of you.

I like the ability to refuse service.

I Work in food service (for now) and there are defiantly people that I have waited on that if they came back in, I would refuse service to.

Another business shuts down....and what did ya know, we didn't need to have the Government step in to "regulate" business. We just needed the angry wrath of the general public. Hmmm... We may want to apply this to our economy, I dunno I guess we could call it a "Free Market".

Don't get too obsessed with this. The free market has way too many of its own problems, as the world saw in the 1920s. That is why governments now regulate the economy, it creates more stability.

From what I understand, an employee sent the message without the consent of the owner, but I forget, your types get a hard on for collective punishment.Sad isn't it..
The reply that employee gave was totally uncalled for; but so are the thousands of insults and threats his boss got for it. I really don't see why that serageant had to have this issue handled in the court of public opinion. At the very least he could have complained to the store first for the bad customer service.

Another business shuts down....and what did ya know, we didn't need to have the Government step in to "regulate" business. We just needed the angry wrath of the general public. Hmmm... We may want to apply this to our economy, I dunno I guess we could call it a "Free Market".

Stupid, stupid jerkoff, unless he was trying to sabotage the company he worked for, which may have been the case. Some asshole may have decided that he hated his job and employer enough to pull a stunt like that.

It does raise a question, though - the laws that say you can't refuse sale based on race or religion...what all do those laws cover? Can I open a bar and refuse to serve to those under 25 just to keep college students out? Can I refuse to sell Ohio State merchandise to someone I know lives in Michigan? Can I refuse to sell a "Support Our Troops" magnet to a man with a Kerry-Edwards bumper sticker on his car? And for that matter, can I refuse seating at a restaurant to a gay couple? I just want to know what all that includes.


You can do all of those things. The last one has even happened.

Myrmidonisia:
"Okay, my pharmacy won't sell birth control pills, or the Plan B "morning after pill".

That is legal, and some local pharmacies in Texas do just that.

But should it be legal ? Perhaps my religion states that several diseases are given by God, and therefor should be endured without medication. Or that pain is a blessing, and that painkillers are therefor evil.

If I own the only pharmacy in a significant radius, should I be allowed to refuse to provide people such medication ? Or is a pharmacy a public service ?

Myrmidonisia:
"Okay, my pharmacy won't sell birth control pills, or the Plan B "morning after pill".

That is legal, and some local pharmacies in Texas do just that.

Another business shuts down....and what did ya know, we didn't need to have the Government step in to "regulate" business. We just needed the angry wrath of the general public. Hmmm... We may want to apply this to our economy, I dunno I guess we could call it a "Free Market".
If I were you, I wouldn’t be pointing to this as an example. If you would take a second to let the story sink in, you’d realize that all the negative attention the store is receiving is unearned and is the result of some emo employee (because he’s probably emo).