by Diane Robertson
In the state of Oregon a husband can have extra marital affairs, leave his wife and children and have no legal consequences. His wife can claim emotional damage and suffering all day long, but she will never get any legal recourse. But if a baker refuses to make a wedding cake for a couple, and that couple happens to be homosexual, then there is immense legal recourse to make up for the “pain” they felt from being told, “no” to a cake.
In 2013, Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, which has since been shut down, denied lesbian couple Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowmen a wedding cake. At the time, same sex marriage was not legal in Oregon.
Last week, a state administrative law judge recommended that Aaron and Melissa Klein be fined $135,000 for causing emotional suffering to Cryer and Bowman.
Alan McCullough, administrative law judge for Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries wrote, “[T]he forum concludes that $75,000 and $60,000, are appropriate awards to compensate [the same-sex couple] for the emotional suffering they experienced.”
One woman claimed that the cake refusal caused “acute loss of confidence,” “doubt,” “excessive sleep,” “felt mentally raped, dirty and shameful,” “high blood pressure,” “impaired digestion,” “loss of appetite,” “migraine headaches,” “pale and sick at home after work,” “resumption of smoking habit,” “shock” “stunned,” “surprise,” “uncertainty,” “weight gain” and “worry.”
Of course these charges are bogus. The conviction is bogus. Everyone at some point in their lifetime has been refused something. It’s not emotionally damaging. It certainly does not cause a couple $135,000 worth of harm. This has everything to do with intimidating the populace to be quiet and do as the state tells them or be destroyed.
On the other hand, the emotional damage that no fault divorce has caused for families and society is immense. It takes a lifetime for children to get over the divorce of their parents. Yet, the laws do not compensate for this. Indeed our nation has been turned upside down.