Good for the Goose . . .

Oh this is getting very interesting . . .

So we all know that last week a clerk went to jail for not issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples because of her beliefs.  And we all have different opinions on this:

- Some people think she (Kim Davis) is totally right and see it as the 'shot heard 'round the world' that will help overturn the Supreme Court decision on gay marriage.

- Some people think Kim's views are the vestiges of hatred and intolerance that our modern culture will no longer tolerate - she belongs with the jerks like Fred Phelps that our society has deemed irrelevant.

- Some are indifferent - they support a woman who has acted on her conscience but probably should have resigned rather than obstructed a process she was elected to do.  

This is not going away anytime soon because of what happened last week.  Last week a Muslim woman (Charee Stanley) was fired from her job at Express Jet because she refused to serve alcohol because of her beliefs.  This story bears some semblance to the Kim Davis story in Rowan and it seems like it would have just gone away on its own . . . but then . . .

*Cue the lawyers.

Yes, it looks like this is going to be a religious rights issue.  

Lena Misri, lead council on the Michigan chapter of American-Islamic relations issued this statement on behalf of Ms. Stanley:

"What this case comes down to is no one should have to choose between their career and religion and it's incumbent upon employers to provide a safe environment where employees can feel they can practice their religion freely,"

There are some similarities here with regard to the Kim Davis gay marriage licenses but not as much as you might think.  Charee was not elected.  The central duty of a Flight Attendant is not to serve alcohol.  It might be different if Charee was a bartender who didn't want to serve alcohol.  The main job of Kim Davis was to furnish licenses.  Big difference.

However, what is interesting here is the phrase "it's incumbent upon employers to provide a safe environment where employees can feel they can practice their religion freely,"

In principle I think we are all for that . . . but what is good for the goose is good for the gander.  Please understand, I think the Kim Davis situation is in a different league because of her elected status and the singularity of her job.  However, we should all - regardless of our position on belief or unbelief - be willing to accommodate people in the workforce in their beliefs.  

Let's accommodate someone not serving alcohol (which was fine with the rest of the crew for a couple of years).  But let's also accommodate someone who has a religious objection to a law that has changed under her watch.  I don't know how that works or what that looks like . . . but I am pretty sure it doesn't have a woman in jail.