It’s always fascinating when media members are totally clueless about what’s actually happening in the society.
Take CBS’s Bob Schieffer who admitted on Sunday’s Face the Nation to not having heard of lawsuits that have been filed against various business owners around the country for refusing to serve same-sex couples as a result of their religious beliefs (video follows with transcript and commentary):
BOB SCHIEFFER, HOST: So what do you do next? What is your next move in this? Because clearly you think this fight is still to be fought. That it's not over.
TONY PERKINS, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: Well, I think you're right, Bob, because there was a silver lining in this. As I said, those that were challenging Prop 8 did not go simply to see the court punt. They wanted to see that case used to impose same-sex marriage on the entire nation, and they failed in that. That buys a little time, I think, because I think Americans will begin to see that with same-sex marriage does not come a hope chest. Rather it's a Pandora’s Box. What we'll see is the loss of religious freedom, the loss of parental rights. I mean we’re going to see parents who pay taxes to send their kids to school. Those schools are going to start teaching those children values that are in contrast with the parents.
We're already seeing bakers and florists and photographers forced to participate in same-sex marriages under the threat of law and in some cases even jail. I can't think of anything more that’s more un-American than that. So I think as Americans see that there's a lot more to same-sex marriage than simply two people who love each other that they'll have time to reconsider this and decide whether or not we want to trade fundamental freedoms of speech and religion for the right of two people who love each other, which they can do now. They can live together but can they redefine marriage in the rest of society with it?
SCHIEFFER: How is it that bakers and florists are being forced to participate in this? I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here.
PERKINS: Well, we're seeing in Washington state, Colorado and some of the other states that have these anti-discrimination statutes that are being imposed that when a same-sex couple comes and says "I want you to take pictures of my wedding or I want you to bake a cake," and they say, “Look, my religious convictions will not allow me to participate in that,” they're literally being sued by the government, not the individuals, and they've even been adjudicated in such places as New Mexico. So we're going to see a loss of religious freedom. There is no question about it. It's already happening.
SCHIEFFER: How many lawsuits have been filed on that? Because I must say this is under my radar. I haven't heard this.
PERKINS: Well, you know, Bob, that's a great point. Because the media's not reporting on this because they realize there's a lot more behind this than the marriage altar. It's literally about altering the landscape of America. There are a number of suits. Just a few weeks ago in Colorado one was filed. So this is happening. And it's the reality that people will come face to face with over time because right now same-sex marriage is limited to twelve jurisdictions. And as more people see that their freedoms, the freedoms of parents to determine what their children are taught, to be able to live your life according to your faith, that all of that’s at risk here. I think people will say, wait a minute, that's not, I gave a nod of affirmation but not to that.
I'm not sure where Schieffer gets his "news" from, but earlier this month, a Colorado baker was sued by a gay couple for refusing to make their wedding cake.
In April, the state of Washington filed suit against a florist for refusing to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding.
In 2008, the New Mexico Human Rights Commission found a photographer guilty of discrimination for refusing to photograph a same-sex commitment ceremony.
Apparently the host of CBS's Face the Nation missed all this.
Gives you a lot of faith in his reporting, doesn't it?
(HT NewsBusters reader Michael Higgins)
