Baker’s refusal on wedding cake

“Colorado Supreme Court’s refusal to hear gay-wedding cake case,” April 28 letters to the editor.

Letter-writer LaDene Haze writes that “the best thing for Charlie Craig and David Mullins to have done was find another bakery that would have no problem baking them a wedding cake.” I don’t think Craig and Mullins went to Jack Phillips’ bakery to confront an evangelical homophobe. I hope not. The fact that they were refused service by Phillips was akin to me being refused service at a business, as I am a person of color. I’m not just going to another business that will accept me for who I am. Perhaps it was Phillips who should have shown some “common sense and courtesy.” It would have saved a lot of trouble.

BBB LaDene Haze asks, “What in the world has happened to common sense and courtesy?”

I wonder that as well. Since the mid-1960s we have had laws that do not allow discrimination to customers on the basis of a variety of characteristics that are inherent to the customer: race, religion, birthplace. While sexual orientation is not expressly stated, common sense should tell a proprietor that not serving a customer for any reason regarding who they inherently are is not allowed. And when you open a business to serve the public, common courtesy should suggest you serve the public without discrimination and in a spirit of helpfulness to serve their needs; it is why you are in business, after all.

So tell me, what did happen to common sense and courtesy? When did imposing your morality on your customers become the new standard of business? Send letters of 150 words or fewer to openforum@ denverpost.com or 101 W. Colfax Ave., Suite 800, Denver, CO, 80202. Please include full name, city and phone number. Contact us at 303-954-1331.