Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Do service providers have the right to refuse service on moral grounds?

Seaver · 06-15-2006, 09:22 AM

I personally take the utilitarian approach to this. They miss out on good business. If they are so strong in their beliefs they are willing to miss out on the business they risk the chance of losing out to people who aren't willing to.

My sympathies are with you in your troubles with finding an apartement and the perscriptions. However there is a tendancy on both sides in America to pressure our morals on each other.

Those people believe in their morals so much they are willing to give up lots of money each month to stick with it. They do not cause you direct harm, they do not come to you and verbally or physically degrade you. They simply dont deal with you, and thus you dont deal with them. Simply decrying those people as bigots does not work, as you would not do business with the KKK I'm sure. Under a "truely" tolerant society we would service neo-nazis the same as Mother Teresa. The business may be great, but the moral fiber of the individual would be decimated.

Please dont infer that I am stating that lesbians are on the same level of neo-nazis. I'm simply trying to draw parallels, though extreme cases can be dangerous. What I'm attempting to show is the sliding scale of morality. That I have no doubt anyone here would support a business that refuses to service a neo-nazi or KKK group in their home town. It gets very blurry with other moral issues

The line should definately be drawn in humanitarian cases. In cases such as a hospital refusing medical treatment for a trans-sexual, this should not be tolerated. The choice to perform a trans-gender operation, however, should be up to the doctors or hospitals in my opinion.

What you must understand is the power that you as an individual have on said places. They lose your money directly by refusing service. However local and national news teams drool at the chances to "uncover" situations like this. The news coverage could in-turn create pressure from once loyal customers, and very often "mysteriously" is followed by audits from the state, local, or national agencies.

As I said, they have the right to refuse service, but you have the right to stand up and fight back.

06-15-2006, 09:22 AM	#5 (permalink)
Seaver Junkie Location: Fort Worth, TX	I personally take the utilitarian approach to this. They miss out on good business. If they are so strong in their beliefs they are willing to miss out on the business they risk the chance of losing out to people who aren't willing to. My sympathies are with you in your troubles with finding an apartement and the perscriptions. However there is a tendancy on both sides in America to pressure our morals on each other. Those people believe in their morals so much they are willing to give up lots of money each month to stick with it. They do not cause you direct harm, they do not come to you and verbally or physically degrade you. They simply dont deal with you, and thus you dont deal with them. Simply decrying those people as bigots does not work, as you would not do business with the KKK I'm sure. Under a "truely" tolerant society we would service neo-nazis the same as Mother Teresa. The business may be great, but the moral fiber of the individual would be decimated. Please dont infer that I am stating that lesbians are on the same level of neo-nazis. I'm simply trying to draw parallels, though extreme cases can be dangerous. What I'm attempting to show is the sliding scale of morality. That I have no doubt anyone here would support a business that refuses to service a neo-nazi or KKK group in their home town. It gets very blurry with other moral issues The line should definately be drawn in humanitarian cases. In cases such as a hospital refusing medical treatment for a trans-sexual, this should not be tolerated. The choice to perform a trans-gender operation, however, should be up to the doctors or hospitals in my opinion. What you must understand is the power that you as an individual have on said places. They lose your money directly by refusing service. However local and national news teams drool at the chances to "uncover" situations like this. The news coverage could in-turn create pressure from once loyal customers, and very often "mysteriously" is followed by audits from the state, local, or national agencies. As I said, they have the right to refuse service, but you have the right to stand up and fight back. Last edited by Seaver; 06-15-2006 at 09:27 AM..