Your good news of the day

Remember that apple farmer that was kicked out of a farmer's market because of a non PC Facebook post?

Well, a judge ordered the city of East Lansing to let him back in.

Last Friday, a federal judge issued a stay, ordering a Michigan city to reopen its farmers market to a Christian couple who were barred from selling apples because they refuse to host same-sex weddings at their orchard, a popular wedding spot. The stay will allow the farmers to sell apples at the market while their lawsuit against the city proceeds.

"The City is disappointed in the Court's ruling," East Lansing, the city involved, declared in a statement on Friday. While the city announced it would consider asking for a stay and appealing the ruling, it nevertheless agreed to comply with the judge's order to allow the couple to sell apples.

"This isn't just about our ability to sell at the farmers market, it's really about every American's right to be able to make a living and not have to worry about the fear of being punished by the government," Steve Tennes, owner of Country Mill, told The Daily Signal in a video interview.

Haha.  Tolerance, it's not something today's left knows anything about, but the founding fathers of our country considered carefully in framing the Constitution.  The more I learn about it, the more impressed I am.

Here's what happened on Facebook that started the Fascist City of East Lansing on their way to damage the apple farmer's business:

"After seven years of serving "people of all backgrounds and beliefs," Tennes recalled that last year, a Facebook user asked whether Country Mill would host a same-sex wedding.

"Due to our personal religious beliefs, we do not participate in the celebration of a same sex union," Country Mill responded on Facebook. "We have and will continue to respectfully direct wedding inquiries to another mid-Michigan orchard that has more experience in hosting same sex weddings. We welcome all customers for our other activities and products on the farm. We have friends, family and business associates in the LGBT community."

As if this measured response were not enough, Country Mill added, "We respect other people's beliefs and we can only hope that others will respect ours. We have always tried our best to be respectful in this area."

Reasonable conduct and speech, no?  Sort of like they agree to disagree.

Not so much with the lunatics in control of East Lansing.

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney said East Lansing likely violated Tennes' rights to free speech and the free exercise of religion, The Associated Pressreported. The judge noted that East Lansing became aware of Tennes' position and then changed its rules to require vendors to comply with the city's civil rights ordinance. Country Mill is 22 miles away in another county.

"The context in which the vendor guidelines were amended and then applied to Country Mill supports plaintiffs' claim that their religious beliefs or their religiously motivated conduct was the target of the city's actions," Maloney said.

Wow.  Those in the city who caused this to happen need to be identified.  Not only have they violated this farmers basic constitutional rights, but they went well out of their way to do so.  

For now, sanity prevails in court, but the whole sad situation shows how tenuous our rights are in the face of a government entity determined to steal them from us.

As an aside, If I was that city attorney, I'd resign in protest.   There's no way he can ethically, legally or morally defend the city's position.