Good Riddance to Part of a Bad Law

David Warren is right that the rest of the law should be scrapped, though.

According to the opposition parties, the Conservatives avoided much fuss and  blowback, while removing Sections 13 and 54 from the Human Rights Act, by  devious means. The repeal was quietly tabled as a private members’ bill, and the  vote on third reading whipped while the prime minister was out of harm’s way,  abroad.

This would seem to be substantially correct, and let me congratulate the  Conservative government on getting away with it. I, along with everyone in  Canada, with something to say on any controversial subject, can breathe a little  easier, thanks to their success. I am also impressed that the government was  able to remember the shameful cases brought against Mark Steyn and Ezra Levant,  for five long years before finally seizing the day.

The rest of the Act remains in force, however, and Commissions and Tribunals  will continue to crush little people, out of public view, for asserting such  fundamental human rights as refusing to serve a customer, or rent an apartment,  or tell someone what you think of him.

New Mexico Court Says Christian Photographer Must Violate Faith or Pay Hefty Fines

Tells them they can’t turn down gay business, because doing so is ‘discriminatory’.

The New Mexico Court of Appeals just made a landmark decision that could  affect every Christian business person in America.

Elaine and Jonathan Huguenin of Albuquerque, New Mexico are the owners of  Elane Photography.  They also happen to be Christians who do their best to  live and run their business by their Christian values.

In 2006, Vanessa Willock contacted Elane Photography and asked they would  photograph her ‘commitment ceremony’ with her lesbian partner.  Elaine  Huguenin refused to accept the request based upon her Christian belief.   Both Elaine and Jon felt strongly that the message being presented by the  lesbian ceremony was against their Christian faith and therefore it would be  wrong of them to participate in any fashion.

At the time, same-sex marriages and civil unions were not recognized as being  legal in the state of New Mexico.  Willock and her partner were attempting  to do the next best thing in their minds by having a commitment ceremony.

After Elaine turned down the request, Willock filed a complaint with the New  Mexico Human Rights Commission.  The complaint stated that the Huguenins  had discriminated against Willock because of her sexual orientation.  In  the meantime, Willock secured another photographer to photo their sinful and  perverse ceremony.

In  2008, the New Mexico Human Rights Commission ruled that the Huguenins  engaged in sexual orientation discrimination and ordered them to pay Willock  $6,639.94 in legal fees.  The case then went before a trial judge who  upheld the commission’s decision.

We’ve had this kind of thing in Canada for years now.  I remember, back in the day, neo-conservatives in Canada used to bash Canada, their own country, and crow about how much better Americans had it with their freedom of speech and rights to refuse business, and lack of tyrannical ‘human rights commissions’; this shows America has caught up to us…