Discriminating for a roommate...

Here's the story, found at www.foxnews.com;

A civil rights complaint has been filed against a woman in Grand Rapids, Mich., who posted an advertisement at her church last July seeking a Christian roommate.

The ad "expresses an illegal preference for a Christian roommate, thus excluding people of other faiths,” according to the complaint filed by the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan.

"It's a violation to make, print or publish a discriminatory statement," Executive Director Nancy Haynes told Fox News. "There are no exemptions to that."

Haynes said the unnamed 31-year-old woman’s case was turned over to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Depending on the outcome of the case, she said, the woman could face several hundreds of dollars in fines and “fair housing training so it doesn’t happen again.”

Harold Core, director of public affairs with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, told the Grand Rapids Press that the Fair Housing Act prevents people from publishing an advertisement stating their preference of religion, race or handicap with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling.

"It's really difficult to say at this point what could potentially happen," he told the newspaper, noting that there are exemptions in the law for gender when there is a shared living space.

But Joel Oster, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, which is representing the woman free of charge, describes the case as "outrageous."

"Clearly this woman has a right to pick and choose who she wants to live with," he said.

"Christians shouldn't live in fear of being punished by the government for being Christians. It is completely absurd to try to penalize a single Christian woman for privately seeking a Christian roommate at church -- an obviously legal and constitutionally protected activity."

Haynes said the person who filed the initial complaint saw the ad on the church bulletin board and contacted the local fair housing organization.

The ad included the words, "Christian roommate wanted," along with the woman's contact information. Had the ad not included the word "Christian," Haynes said, it would not have been illegal.

"If you read it and you were not Christian, would you not feel welcome to rent there?" Haynes asked.

Oster said he hopes the case will eventually be dropped and that he's sent a letter to the state asking the authorities to dismiss the case as groundless.

"The First Amendment guarantees us Freedom of Religion," he said. "And we have the right to live with someone of the same faith. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights is denying her rights by pursuing this complaint."

But Haynes said officials plan on pursuing the matter.

"We want to make sure it doesn't happen again," she said.

(End of story. My comments follow.)

This is how our freedoms are being removed. It isn't part of any tinfoil hat type conspiracy. It's the outcome of an increasingly intrusive, secularist culture. Other examples of this can be found in the recent story about a New Hampshire man separated from his kids because (in part) of his membership in The Oathkeepers. It's found in the story of the Methodist Church in New Jersey that was forced to rent to gay couples wanting to use their facility for "marriage" ceremonies. It was a part and parcel of the story from New Mexico where a photographer was sued by a gay couple because her religious faith forbade photographing their "wedding". It's shown in Missouri where the Missouri Information Analysis Center issued documents purported to help identify "domestic terrorists". What was issued to the law enforcement community of the State of Missouri were guidelines, under state auspices, that told police to look for domestic terrorists who were "concerned about unemployment, taxes, illegal immigration, gangs, border security, the high cost of living, gun restrictions, the IRS, the Federal Reserve..." among other things. They were also told to look at people who liked "gun shows, short wave radios, combat movies, movies with white male heroes, Tom Clancy Novels...Ron Paul, Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin". (H/T to the Ignorant Redneck from whose post linked here I cut and pasted a major portion of the last example. For a great post on this topic I would recommend going there).

Do I need to remind anyone of the memo sent by the Dept. of Homeland Security regarding "right wing extremists" and the personnel who were most likely to provide recruits (veterans, 2ND Amendment supporters, believers in limited government, pro life believers)? They're not a local/state entity but this example does showcase how high the mindset goes.

And the beat goes on....

As the FBI identifies pro life organizations as prone to violence, as every incident of Islamic atrocity is met with denial and reluctance to accurately name the perpetrators (remember how the DC Beltway Sniper was originally profiled as a white male in a van?).

As even taxpayer funded NPR shows it's true color by firing Juan Williams for expressing his fears during a stint on another network's broadcast.

We're being slowly suffocated by the fools with a nickel's worth of authority who feel they're carrying Fort Knox in their pockets. Fools who will take any piece of legislation that remotely justifies their pet cause and implement it against John & Joan Q. Public.

This has to be fought. It won't be easily won in the elections now or 2012. The mindset is rampant throughout our culture and continues expanding no matter what party is in power. It covers any area deemed by our PC trendsetters to need remediation and correction. Once such an area is identified and defined, the apparatchiks go into action and hammer out the details on skulls of the innocent.

We're not on the verge of losing our freedoms, they're gone and that is proven every time some hapless schmuck is caught in the cross hairs of a bureaucrat with an agenda.

This is best fought by being vocal about our beliefs whenever we're in the public eye. Wear a button supporting your favorite clause, as a Catholic I wear one that says, "Catholic and proud" so everyone is placed on notice that yep, we're here in North Texas and not just in the Hispanic community. Let some butthead question my "right" to wear it in any environment and at the very least I'll attempt to drive them to distraction by asking "why" in the same manner as a two year old.

Write letters to the editor of the local fishwrap right up to the point where their staff knows your return address by heart. Let them know your beliefs and opinions, why should those of us who hold traditional Judeo-Christian values stay silent while every wingnut with a pen or keyboard is churning out their tripe?

Blog to your heart's content about what you believe. One of the greatest benefits of the blogoshpere, IMHO, has been the discovery of so many like minded individuals. Sure are a lot of us once we start speaking up. And our voices ARE noted! A few years ago I tracked a visitor back to their "green" website where I discovered my blog was cited as an example of global warming denial. Who'd a thunk it for a small POS blog authored by an opinionated turdchaser?

When the bastards start nitpicking at your liberties don't just "go along to get along". Make sure they've GOT a reason for any information they're asking for. That should go right across the board, at the DMV, the supermarket, any organization no matter if it's public or private. They should be able to justify their stinking personal questions or learn what MYOB means.

Because we've a long way to go to make the current reality of our freedoms fall into line with our desires. The current culture is seeing us fast approaching the point of critical mass, where we'll wake up one morning to find select groups that have fallen out of favor with the PC crowd to be actively hounded and persecuted. I truly believe that is in the cards.

As an example of what plays out here in North Texas, I picked up my five year old from kindergarten the other day. During a conversation with his teacher I was informed that the day's activities included learning of the dangers from tobacco smoke.

I'm still digesting that. Yes, cigarette smoking is unhealthy and won't be tolerated in my home. But I've several acquaintances who DO smoke, as is their right. So what happens when little Johnny has spent the last several hours in school learning how smoking effects one's physical health, then he comes home in time to see "Mom" or "Grandma" light up? What effect does it have on the child? On his perception of his parents?

This isn't an idle speculation. While going through Catholic elementary school in the 50's-60's I was fervently lectured by a few lay teachers on the probable fate of nonbelievers (Hell and they deserved it!). My mother has been a lifelong atheist/agnostic with no desire for conversion. As a kid it hit square me square in the bullseye when someone spoke of the "sinful atheists".

Since cigarette smoking has become the primary mortal sin of our time, I have the thoughts already expressed regarding Johnny and his family.

Once again, it doesn't take a grand cabal working behind the scenes. It just takes a prevailing mindset in our culture.

A mindset of "You're guilty till proven innocent and I'm damned will going to subject you to my personal Spanish Inquisition to prove it."

If you don't believe that, just try advertising for a Christian roommate. Let me know how it works out for you.

UPDATE: As a further example of idiots armed with authority who push their personal agenda, check this out: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9J12LLG0&show_article=1

We're talking about children running a seasonal pumpkin stand under their parent's supervision for crying out loud. Where does it end?