FilmFestGuy
DP Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2009
- Messages
- 2,120
- Reaction score
- 1,244
- Location
- Nashville, TN
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Slightly Liberal
Most businesses are a public accommodation. If you don't like the way that they do business, go somewhere else. The property owner should get to decide what he wants to do with the place.
Rand Paul is not a racist. I fully support his views on this issue.
AND I DIDN'T SAY HE WAS RACIST so don't say that I did.
I honestly think that what's happened here is that Paul supporters are running around saying people called him racist when no one did.
But there is MUCH legal precedent that if your business is a public accommodation, you have entered into a contract with the public. The "just go somewhere else" argument holds no water at all.
You, as a business owner, have the option to make your business a private club. If you want the benefits of the public, you have to follow the rules. If you don't want to follow the rules, then you can create a members-only club and skirt those rules - because you've not entered into a contract with the general public.
Proof: The Boy Scouts were ruled NOT to be a Public Accommodation, therefore not required to follow the rules. Augusta Country Club? Not a Public Accommodation? That all-nude strip club that people can't figure out how they get around certain laws? Members-only; that's how.
If you open your doors to the general public, then you follow the rules set forth (and upheld by multiple Courts) for public accommodations.
End of story. Your rights aren't restricted. Just turn your business into members-only establishments. You have an option. The one option you don't have is to take advantage of an implied public contract while sending certain members of the public away.