Who Controls Your Right to Run a Business?

Out of Denver, Colorado, comes one of the more disturbing and dangerous left wing ideas to plague our country. It seems that a committee of the City Council was disturbed over an application by a Chick Fil-A franchise seeking to open a store at the Denver airport. You see, the owner of Chick Fil-A had previously expressed his personal belief that marriage should be defined as being between a man and a woman.

Some council members issued a statement that read in part: "Gay and lesbian families have been fighting for decades for full recognition of their relationships. Denver has been at the forefront of honoring gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees and their families..." But the owner of Chick Fil-A believes in the traditional definition of marriage, and has even contributed in the past to groups seeking to keep that definition.

So now, the Democratic members of the Denver City Council want to impose a political litmus test before granting anyone or any entity a license to do business in their town. Unfortunately, this is nothing new for democrats. For those of you new to the blog, I encourage you to go back and read my August 2, 2012 post entitled: "Why I Am No Longer a Democrat." In that post I discuss how the democratic mayors of four of the country's big cities (Chicago, San Francisco, Boston and Washington, D.C.) sought to block Chick Fil-A from opening in their communities.

If anyone is even remotely inclined to think that such a political litmus test is a good idea, here is a question for you. What if a town wanted to know from a Jewish business owner what their position is on the creation of a Palestinian state? Should the business owner have to share the left wing view on that issue before being granted a business license? Think that's far fetched? Hardly.

At the recent Rototom Sunsplash music festival in Spain, American Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu was invited, and then disinvited, to perform there. After some controversy, he was again invited. But the story reflects the dangers of demanding a political litmus test. At times, Matisyahu has expressed support for Israel. However, he declines to debate the issue of a Palestinian state, stating that he is a musician. As a musician he seeks to bring people together.

But the BDS (the goups that seek to Boycott, Divest and Sanction Israel) movement would have none of it. They claimed that Mastisyahu is a Zionist who defends Israel, a state that "practices apartheid and ethnic cleansing." How is that for a political litmus test? If you support Israel you can not perform (work) in our concert. I am a Zionist. Should I be forbidden from making a living? Should I be denied a city business license based upon my political views?

But the Matisyahu story is out of Spain - that could never happen here. Think again. Earlier this year, a Jewish student at UCLA was almost denied a seat on the student government judicial board, based on her being Jewish! How's that for a litmus test? The applicant was asked this question: "Given that you're a Jewish student and very active in the Jewish community, how do you see yourself being able to maintain an unbiased view?"

If you still agree with this evil nonsense, then how about these questions. "Are you now, or have you ever been, a Jew?" "As a Jew, are you loyal to the United States of America or to Israel?" So let me be clear - if you are Jewish and continue to vote Democrat, these issues will be coming to you or your children soon.

Remember when we were all Americans? When you had a right to have your own religious and political beliefs? When conservative ideals were also American ideals - things like freedom of speech and freedom of religion. I believe many of you will come to regret your continued support for a party that seeks to marginalize those who do not adhere to left wing ideology. I just hope that by the time you recognize this danger that it is not too late.