All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[Tami]

Kid Rock says he won't perform at venues that require vaccines or masks

Kid Rock promised he wouldn't play at venues that require Covid-19 vaccinations or masks in his upcoming tour, telling fans they would be refunded for tickets if the venues still had such mandates by the date of the concert.

“If there are any, they’re going to be gone by the time we get to your city," the "American Badass" and "Bawitaba" singer said of the mandates in a video posted to social media on Thursday.

"If they’re not, trust me, you don’t have to worry — you’ll be getting your money back because I won’t be showing up either.”

Rock said tour stops in Buffalo, New York, and Toronto, Canada, were “scratched... off the list” because of vaccine mandates.

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Joni Mitchell Plans to Follow Neil Young Off Spotify, Citing ‘Lies’

Joni Mitchell said Friday that she would remove her music from Spotify, joining Neil Young in his protest against the streaming service over its role in giving a platform to Covid-19 vaccine misinformation.

Mitchell, an esteemed singer-songwriter of songs like “Big Yellow Taxi,” and whose landmark album “Blue” just had its 50th anniversary, posted a brief statement on her website Friday saying that she would remove her music from the streaming service. “Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives,” she wrote. “I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.”

Her statement adds fuel to a small but growing revolt over Spotify, with few major artists speaking out but fans commenting widely on social media. The debate has also brought into relief questions about how much power artists wield to control distribution of their work, and the perennially thorny issue of free speech online.

Spotify took Young’s music down on Wednesday, two days after he posted an open letter calling for its removal as a protest against “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Spotify’s most popular podcast, which has been criticized for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus and vaccines.

[Tami]

GOP candidate condemns YouTube for getting in the way of his lies

{whoever wrote this headline deserves a Pulitzer}

It's possible, of course, that Long realizes that such claims are obviously untrue, but he's peddling lies in the hopes of currying favor with the GOP's far-right base. It's also possible that the congressman has convinced himself that these nonsensical claims are true.

Either way, Long's ad suggests that he sees obvious election-related falsehoods as a way to advance his ambitions. There are, however, some problems standing in the way.

Putting aside the corrosive effects these lies have on our democracy, there are also companies like YouTube that have policies against promoting such lies. In fact, YouTube this week pulled the congressman's ad, explaining that the company's "elections misinformation" policy includes a prohibition on "content that advances false claims that widespread fraud, errors, or glitches changed the outcome of select past national elections."

Long violated the policy, so his demonstrably dishonest ad was taken down. As The Washington Post reported, the Missouri Republican isn't taking it well.

Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.) is accusing YouTube of being "un-American" for removing an ad for his Senate campaign in which he falsely claims Democrats "rigged" the 2020 election, echoing the baseless and debunked claims of former president Donald Trump. "This behavior by YouTube is un-American and straight from the communist playbook," Long said in a statement Thursday. "Removing my ad proves my point that Big Tech certainly has and will continue to influence elections."

[Malvolio]

Kid Rock says he won't perform at venues that require vaccines or masks



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Joni Mitchell Plans to Follow Neil Young Off Spotify, Citing ‘Lies’

Eric Clapton said he wouldn't play venues with vaccine mandates. But when he realized that there were very few venues that didn't have vaccine mandates, he backed down. Kid Rock will do the same sooner or later.

[Malvolio]

There are two major distinctions.

With the cakeshop, the controversy is that he refused to make cakes for specific occasions. He would serve the customer in most cases. Obviously, weddings are important events, where people are more likely to commission premium cakes, but there is an element of speech to it. One way I think about it though is whether a baker should be compelled to make a cake congratulating a controversial politician's reelection if they're willing to pay. A baker shouldn't have to make a cake for a gay wedding if he's against gay marriage, nor should another have to make a cake to congratulate Marjorie Taylor Greene if he's against her.

The legal obligation to provide services is limited. The argument is that the baker was wrong to treat one group of citizens differently. A pharmacist that doesn't want to sell a particular medication is usually free to do so. Obstetricians aren't obligated to perform abortions. Any laws that mandate services can easily backfire by discouraging people from going into important professions. Laws limiting rural auto dealers result in less rural auto dealers.

The problem I have with a lot of these services that won't work a gay wedding is that they're so coy about it. They sell stuff to gay couples for years, but when the gay couple asks for the services for their wedding, thinking they're asking a friend, that friend suddenly turns their back on them. If you own a business and don't want to provide services for gay weddings, you should have a sign in your window stating that. Then let's see what happens.

[numberthirty]

The problem I have with a lot of these services that won't work a gay wedding is that they're so coy about it. They sell stuff to gay couples for years, but when the gay couple asks for the services for their wedding, thinking they're asking a friend, that friend suddenly turns their back on them. If you own a business and don't want to provide services for gay weddings, you should have a sign in your window stating that. Then let's see what happens.

Never assume that a business owner is your friend.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Eric Clapton said he wouldn't play venues with vaccine mandates. But when he realized that there were very few venues that didn't have vaccine mandates, he backed down. Kid Rock will do the same sooner or later.

You mean people actually want to see Kid Rockhead? I'm amazed.

[CaptainEurope]

With the cake thing. My friends got really mad at me because I agreed with the baker. He was from what i understand not rude to the couple, didnt use slurs or anything. Just that because he was not comfortable doing it because of his religious beliefs. I was fine with that. the guy I was dating broke up with me over this.

The man should not be forced to do something in his private business that he is uncomfortable with because of his beliefs. As a gay man I know not everyone is okay with it. I am fine with that. it is not up to me to force my life on anyone else. I would have said "Ok no biggie." And went to another shop. Maybe talk him and change his mind. But suing, making him a public figure of hatred and scorn because he wouldnt bake a cake because he is uncomfortable with it is silly as all get out to me.\

I live with my dad. he is accepting of me being gay and has treated any man I brought home with respect and kindness. But he also does not believe in gay marriage and said if I marry a man he wont be there. Who cares. Does not destroy our relationship. One less person to buy food and drink for. Ill live.

But what if he had politely told a heterosexual, Christian black couple he would not make cakes for their kind?

[JB]

With the cake thing. My friends got really mad at me because I agreed with the baker. He was from what i understand not rude to the couple, didnt use slurs or anything. Just that because he was not comfortable doing it because of his religious beliefs. I was fine with that. the guy I was dating broke up with me over this.

The man should not be forced to do something in his private business that he is uncomfortable with because of his beliefs. As a gay man I know not everyone is okay with it. I am fine with that. it is not up to me to force my life on anyone else. I would have said "Ok no biggie." And went to another shop. Maybe talk him and change his mind. But suing, making him a public figure of hatred and scorn because he wouldnt bake a cake because he is uncomfortable with it is silly as all get out to me.\

I live with my dad. he is accepting of me being gay and has treated any man I brought home with respect and kindness. But he also does not believe in gay marriage and said if I marry a man he wont be there. Who cares. Does not destroy our relationship. One less person to buy food and drink for. Ill live.

That's the part I didn't agree with either, the lawsuit and subsequent media circus of it all. There's a similar case in Oregon still being fought despite the baker forced out of business years ago due to Oregon fining them $135,000. From a few days ago:

Court Finally Slaps Oregon for Anti-Religious Bias Due to $135,000 Fine Against Christian Bakers, Case Not Over
https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2022...-case-not-over

The Oregon Court of Appeals has reversed part of a state decision that forced Christian bakers Aaron and Melissa Klein out of business by penalizing them $135,000 for refusing to create a custom cake for a same-sex wedding.

The court held that a state agency, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), acted with bias against the bakers' religion, sending the case back to the same agency to reconsider the damages award.

Oregon's ruling comes after the U.S. Supreme Court slapped the state of Colorado for showing hostility against Christianity in a similar case: Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.

In its 37-page opinion, the Oregonian court concluded, "When viewed in the light of Masterpiece Cakeshop, BOLI's handling of the damages portion of the case does not reflect the neutrality toward religion required by the Free Exercise Clause."

It added, "The prosecutor's closing argument apparently equating the Kleins' religious beliefs with 'prejudice,' together with the agency's reasoning for imposing damages in connection with Aaron's quotation of Leviticus, reflect that the agency acted in a way that passed judgment on the Kleins' religious beliefs, something that is impermissible under Masterpiece Cakeshop."

This case has continued for almost a decade. In my opinion it's not worth the time, money, and energy. I personally would have moved on to another bakery.

[babyblob]

But what if he had politely told a heterosexual, Christian black couple he would not make cakes for their kind?

Like I said this is just me. I wouldnt make a deal of it if he didnt want to make my cake. I admit I struggle with how far I am willing to go as far as someone saying they dont agree with my life. I dont care if they agree and if they are no hateful or rude then I dont make an issue. Just say okay we disagree and move on. This has cost me many of my gay friends because they think I dont care about the gay movement and cause.

I very much care. T here are just kore important things in the world then going to court for a couple years over a cake. Even more so when other bakers in the same town heard the story and said "That shitty ill make your cake no charge."

I live in a house where my dad is supportive of me being gay but disagrees with gay marriage. There are more important things to get worked up over.

Everyone always asks me what if it were a black couple or latino? I am not talking about that. I am just talking about what I would have done in this situation.

[Xheight]

That's the part I didn't agree with either, the lawsuit and subsequent media circus of it all. There's a similar case in Oregon still being fought despite the baker forced out of business years ago due to Oregon fining them $135,000. From a few days ago:

Court Finally Slaps Oregon for Anti-Religious Bias Due to $135,000 Fine Against Christian Bakers, Case Not Over
https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2022...-case-not-over



This case has continued for almost a decade. In my opinion it's not worth the time, money, and energy. I personally would have moved on to another bakery.

Well that would make them heroes in their own and community's eyes true to SJW ideals of themselves. I seriously don't think they are paying their own way either.

[Xheight]

“No-excuse mail-in voting makes the exercise of the franchise more convenient and has been used four times in the history of Pennsylvania,” Commonwealth Court Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt wrote. “If presented to the people, a constitutional amendment to end the Article VII, Section 1 requirement of in-person voting is likely to be adopted. But a constitutional amendment must be presented to the people and adopted into our fundamental law before legislation authorizing no-excuse mail-in voting can ‘be placed upon our statute books.’ ”

The ruling targets Act 77, which was approved by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and signed by Gov. Tom Wolf in 2019. It created Pennsylvania’s mail-in voting law. The law allowed voters to submit ballots up to 50 days before an election and to receive ballot applications by mail. It also expanded voter registration, extended submission deadlines, included rules for voting machine decertification and appropriated funding for voting machine upgrades.

More than 2.5 million people voted by mail in the 2020 presidential election, mostly Democrats, out of a total of 6.9 million votes cast, The Associated Press reported.

2.5 is 36.231884057971% of 6.9

[shooshoomanjoe]

GOP candidate condemns YouTube for getting in the way of his lies

{whoever wrote this headline deserves a Pulitzer}

Fox's Dan Bongino was permanently banned from YT. I'm glad social media is taking misinformation seriously.

[Tendrin]

Fox's Dan Bongino was permanently banned from YT. I'm glad social media is taking misinformation seriously.

It's not. It's still rife with hateful garbage. Interacting with any geek or nerd stuff gets you directed to hateful stuff real fast.

[Gray Lensman]

It's not. It's still rife with hateful garbage. Interacting with any geek or nerd stuff gets you directed to hateful stuff real fast.

Absolutely. I can name a bunch of channels that I am aware of (even used to watch some of them) that have fallen into the hate hole screaming that every non-pasty actor in any role is "fake woke casting" or something similar.

[Gray Lensman]

There are two major distinctions.

With the cakeshop, the controversy is that he refused to make cakes for specific occasions. He would serve the customer in most cases. Obviously, weddings are important events, where people are more likely to commission premium cakes, but there is an element of speech to it. One way I think about it though is whether a baker should be compelled to make a cake congratulating a controversial politician's reelection if they're willing to pay. A baker shouldn't have to make a cake for a gay wedding if he's against gay marriage, nor should another have to make a cake to congratulate Marjorie Taylor Greene if he's against her.

The legal obligation to provide services is limited. The argument is that the baker was wrong to treat one group of citizens differently. A pharmacist that doesn't want to sell a particular medication is usually free to do so. Obstetricians aren't obligated to perform abortions. Any laws that mandate services can easily backfire by discouraging people from going into important professions. Laws limiting rural auto dealers result in less rural auto dealers.

I'm not talking about abortion meds, I'm suggesting that some of these "religious exemption" laws seem so vague that I wonder if a pharmacist can refuse to fill out a prescription for, say, thyroid medicine because they object to someone's "gay lifestyle."

For those who don't know, if you don't take thyroid medication it can be fatal. Past a certain point it becomes required to live.