Vail Daily columnist Richard Carnes: If ideology drove fiscal decisions

Let’s say, hypothetically, Rob Katz announced on CNBC, during an earnings update, that he personally has no issues with gay marriage.

As a citizen of Happy Valley, would you immediately:

a) Move.

b) Stay, but grudgingly as you can’t afford to move.

c) Stay, and help promote American freedoms.

d) Stay, and not really give a damn either way.

My guess is the vast majority would choose D, but an extremely loud and obnoxious minority would choose B and raise a stink rivaled only by members of the Westboro Church (those Mensa candidates who picket funerals of American soldiers).

Taking it a step further, how about the CEOs at Walmart or Home Depot expressing similar sentiments? Would you stop shopping there and instead drive to Glenwood once a month like we used to?

Or let’s say Pepi’s is your favorite restaurant, and then Sheika says, “Ya, sure, ve don’t care who marries who. Vy should it bother me?”

Would you then proudly go up and down Bridge Street asking owners to explain their positions on various topics before gracing them with your patronage?

Think of it, instead of “No shirt. No shoes. No Service” they could provide signs laying out the entire ideology of the owners.

Welcome!

As proprietor, please be aware that I love:

Jesus

The Tea Party

Sarah Palin

Guns and the NRA

Burning fossil fuels

And Oreos (but don’t enjoy them as much as I used to)

Also be aware that I hate:

Muslims

Obama

Gays

Greenies

Electric cars

And those who still enjoy Oreos as much as I used to.

But please come in, we appreciate your business!

Silly, yes?

Yet this is apparently how some choose to live their lives, completely intolerant of anyone who looks, feels and acts different from themselves while demanding tolerance toward how they look, feel and act.

There is a huge difference between a business owner and a religious zealot, and while we all have a right to our opinions and the right to express them any legal way we wish, there is no such animal (constitutional or otherwise) as freedom from consequences.

Would Sally Ride have eaten at Chick-Fil-A? I don’t know, but I do know that bigotry travels in more than one direction, and if you ate at Chick-Fil-A last week or refused to do so specifically to prove to others you are or are not a bigot, then the only thing you have from me is a face-palm connection.

I look forward to the return of the separation between church and fast food.

Richard Carnes of Edwards writes weekly. He can be reached at poor@vail.net.