You Have A Right To Be A BigotI came across this news clip in the Sacramento Bee this morning. Apparently the Sea Scouts don't admit boys who are gay or who don't believe in God. And because they're hateful bigots, they've been denied free access to the Berkeley Marina. And now they want the Supreme Court to step in and ensure their constitutional right to free stuff.

Here's my take (if it wasn't already clear from my recap above): The constitution bars the government from making your hate a crime. You can and have established a group centered on the ideals of hate and intolerance. Congrats—I'm sure Jesus would be proud. You do not have a constitutional right to free shit though. Just as you may decide that your manhood is threatened by others' sexual preference, the government may decide that bigotry is bad for society. As such, it is in their interests to implement policies that attempt to squash it. Now they can't keep you from thinking hateful thoughts, but they don't have to reward you for them either. The government shouldn't even have to give you access to the Marina at all, let alone free access. Isn't discrimination grand?

Posted by Hey Paul   |   Wednesday, July 12, 2006