Sunday, November 12, 2006

Waaaah! Waaaaaah! Why won't you tolerate my intolerance? Waaaaaaahhh!

In the news:

Last month, a local landscaping firm prompted a furor here by telling a gay couple in an e-mail message, "We choose not to work for homosexuals."

Which is funny, 'cause I've been looking to hire a landscaper, but I don't hire a-holes.
The message quickly made its way around the Internet, and the company, Garden Guy Inc., was bombarded with threats and hate mail. But since then, the company’s owners say they have gained far more business than they have lost.

In an interview Friday, Sabrina Farber, 34, co-owner of the company with her husband, Todd, 37, said the company had picked up $40,000 in new business in the past two weeks, while losing only two clients worth about $500 each a year.

"I'm not saying that to gloat," said Mrs. Farber...

Translation: I'm saying this to gloat.

... who described the frenzy as ugly and emotionally draining. But she said they would not do it differently and deserved credit for not masking their refusal with excuses.

"Why can’t people handle it when you say the truth?" she said. ...

Truthfully, you're an a-hole.

In addition to the criticism of the Farbers, there was also widespread support. Mrs. Farber cited one e-mail message from "Eric in St. Louis," who wrote: "Life to the Farbers who have planted themselves like solid oak trees against these strong winds of perversion."

We're expecting gusts of perversion overnight at speeds up to 60 mph. Better tie down the patio furniture.

Mrs. Farber said she and her husband never claimed to be perfect.

"We're sinners, Todd and I," Mrs. Farber said.

I'm reasonably sure it falls under this.

But she added: "My husband made a personal choice, according to something he felt in his heart. It was never a judgmental choice or a hating choice or even a choice that said, 'Well, we're better than them.'" --The New York Times

No, it seems more a "I won't deal with you on even the most basic levels of decency" level.

Things better elsewhere?

After Supreme Court rulings, several nights of rioting and criticism from the Vatican, Jerusalem’s gay community staged a small, orderly rally today under heavy police guard.

The police contingent of 3,000 was nearly as large as a crowd that cheered speeches and danced to music coming from a stage draped in rainbow banners at Hebrew University’s sports stadium.

... [A] local march was held last year, and an ultra-Orthodox man stabbed and wounded three participants.

I'm pretty sure that's not a mitzvah.
"They are making a statement against God himself," said Rabbi Levin, of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada. "They are creating bad feelings. They are not being tolerant of our feelings."

Also, police ... held five ultra-Orthodox men in the same area who were found with knives, police said.
--The New York Times

Well, to be fair, their feelings were hurt.

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