Atlanta gym bans police officers, members of military from joining

SGT Clifford, I agree that he 'should' be able to ban whomever he chooses and face the financial repercussions. However, according to the judicial climate of the last several years he cannot. Don't want to bake a cake for someone? Lose your business in fines. Don't want to perform a ceremony or rent out your event space? Face discrimination charges. Actually, I guess you are right SGT. As a veteran and an active LEO, I am aware that our choice of service comes with no protection against discrimination by the population we protect. The baker, event coordinator, restaurant owner, or whatever should have the right to make dumb business choices and face the consequences. But the courts are saying otherwise... in select cases.

You're right about the double standard. My position is coming from the standpoint of classical liberalism which places the rights of the individual in highest esteem. That includes property rights and economic freedom. I see both situations as a limitation on freedom and also a violation of a person's right to free association. In personally not happy with a government telling anyone they have to sell a good or service. I truly feel that ultimately in a free marketplace people who choose to discriminate will be placing themselves at an economic disadvantage. If I were the business man I would make my business available to any patron. A cops money spends just as well as anybody else's. On a moral level discrimination against people based on circumstances of birth are wrong, that includes but not limited to race, gender, sexual orientation and national origin. Other types of discrimination while not necessarily immoral on its face depend on the reasoning. Discrimination based on ability isn't wrong and makes perfect sense in many instances. For example, someone who can't read shouldn't be in a position that has a read prerequisite.

If there is ever a “problem”, I hope the response is very slow!

Kelly, thanks clarifying the Oregon situation.

COL David Turk - Actually, the case wasn't about not baking the cake. The bakery got into a pissing contest with the couple and posted their names, addresses, and phone numbers online - and invited their readers to harass them. THAT'S what the suit was about - and they were found to be responsible. The suit had nothing to do with baking or sexuality - it was the breach of privacy that they were sued for.

And Kelly, I was once auditioning to be in a garage band. As I was plugging in my keyboard, the guys asked what I did for a living. When I told them, "Coast Guard," one of them unplugged my gear and said, "We don't want any baby killers with us."

Dafuq?!?!

Some folks just don't like the military because they see nothing but the tropes and think we're all brainwashed robots who kill anything Der Fuhrer orders us to kill - and Der Fuhrer works for the evil corporations who secretly rule the world.

JM - thanks for the additional info.

MCPO (Join to see) - I thought maybe the owner's former significant other cheated on him with a military member or something. :D

Pretty much every police station says they will still respond to emergencies at places that don't want their business. I think they have to.

They only have to if there is an explicit duty to act within that jurisdiction. This does not exist everywhere.