CONSTITUTIONAL CAKE
     What's in a name? Religious Freedom and Restoration Act...
...Just about says it all...No, NO!
     You can't judge a book by its cover,
A cake is less frosting and decoration and more what's below.

     A mix of pleading and proof mechanisms,
Court procedure, if and when a prospective case should arise,
     No guarantee of a positive outcome for the pious, for the most part a flop, yet...
...During Holy Week preemptively pounded on as antigay in disguise.

     Publicly punished, the Holy Weak forced to do penance,
Threatened to be burned to a crisp, Memories Pizza "encouraged" to close,
     Just for saying unable to cater a same sex wedding if ever asked to,
Tomato pie at a reception? Speculative future situation causing the Mom and Pop current cash woes.

     Loud in condemnation, large, multinational corporations,
And sports - big business by another name,
     Harridan hyper hypocrites baking dough in countries where homosexuals are routinely battered and sliced,
Layered liberals, cafeteria pro choice, no shame - and no blame.

     To listen to this debate, you'd think...
...The only ingredients in the Bill of Rights were equal protection and religion,
     Twenty-five other Amendments and the whole Constitution to stir in the bowl,
First come, first serve? For what follows, the "First Freedom" tier is often considered the linchpin.

     Which brings US to the baker...the florist...the photographer,
Plain vanilla people who find participation in a rainbow ceremony too hard to swallow,
     Custom, not ready-made, personal services...Coerced into a contract without their valid consent...Specific performance compelled,
Just choose another! Will civil law enforce THIS? Really, how satisfactory do you think the job is going to go?

     Lost on governors and mayors who rushed to ban government travel to Indiana, the Commerce Clause,
Interstate interference surrounding intrastate marriage, restraint of trade trying to pressure Mike Pence to bend to their will,
     Grand public gesture to the 2% to poach economic eclairs, giving expanded meaning to "states rights,"
150 years after Lincoln's death, the country stuffing its face with second helpings that will only make it ill.

     Discriminating, not discrimination; it's a distinction with a difference,
The Constitution's to be shared - table manners! -  no need to bite off more than you can chew,
     Emotional eating is "out," Enough! Flavors already fighting...we're at a tipping point...
...The cake could fall, and we'd have to start from scratch and bake one anew.

 

 

Karen Ann DeLuca