Today’s blacklisted Americans: Farm banned from farmers market because owners are Christian
The Tennes are a normal family! We must blacklist them!
They’re coming for you next: A Michigan farmer was banned from a local farmers market by the city government of East Lansing because the owners, Steve and Bridget Tennes, are Christian and had publicly stated their opposition to homosexual marriage.
The ban against their business, Country Mill Farms, was begun in 2016. Though a court quickly ruled that it was unconstitutional, the city renewed the ban in 2018 and has maintained it since, claiming the court’s ruling only applied to the 2017 season.
The logic of the East Lansing government is actually quite blatent: It believes it has the right to dictate what others can or cannot say in public, the first amendment be damned.
[C]ity officials asserted that the Tennes’ expression conflicted with East Lansing’s marriage views and its new market policy. The policy requires vendors to agree to comply with the city’s “Human Relations Ordinance and its public policy against discrimination while at the market and as a general business practice.”
It’s illegal for anyone to “make a statement which indicates that an individual’s patronage or presence at a place of public accommodation is unwelcome or unacceptable because of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression…” among other designated classes. [emphasis mine]
In other words, East Lansing wants to forbid any dissent to the modern and very perverse sexual movement. You will not be allowed to disagree, under any condition. And if you try, you will be blackballed, censored, and squashed, as is the right of our all-knowing government.
Stalin would be proud. So would Hitler, Mussolini, and all past despots who liked killing people who disagreed with them.
The Tennes have of course sued, with their defense being handled by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). The trial finally occurred in late July, but as far as my research can find no ruling has yet been issued.
In 2017 it was a no brainer for the court to rule in favor of the Tennes. Then, the madness overwhelming the left because of the victory by Donald Trump had only begun to take them over.
Now, in 2021, with the principles of the Bill of Rights long forgotten by the dominant leftist culture, we must not assume the court will rule in their favor. The pressure to conform to the intolerant left in all matters, from sex to masks to vaccines to quarantines to lockdowns to speech to protests to riots to even murder, has begun quite strong. Fewer and fewer people, in the general public and in the courts and government, appear to have the courage to withstand it.
Note too that even if the Tennes win, expect further attempts at censorship from the local government, run by the Democratic Party. We have already seen numerous times how the left ignores court rulings to continue its dictatorial attacks on its opponents. I guarantee that as long as these tyrants remain in power in East Lansing they will try again.
We are a democratic republic. It really is the responsibility of the voters to act. As long as they endorse this oppressive behavior by Democrats with electoral victories, it will go on, and with increased enthusiasm.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
The Tennes are a normal family! We must blacklist them!
They’re coming for you next: A Michigan farmer was banned from a local farmers market by the city government of East Lansing because the owners, Steve and Bridget Tennes, are Christian and had publicly stated their opposition to homosexual marriage.
The ban against their business, Country Mill Farms, was begun in 2016. Though a court quickly ruled that it was unconstitutional, the city renewed the ban in 2018 and has maintained it since, claiming the court’s ruling only applied to the 2017 season.
The logic of the East Lansing government is actually quite blatent: It believes it has the right to dictate what others can or cannot say in public, the first amendment be damned.
[C]ity officials asserted that the Tennes’ expression conflicted with East Lansing’s marriage views and its new market policy. The policy requires vendors to agree to comply with the city’s “Human Relations Ordinance and its public policy against discrimination while at the market and as a general business practice.”
It’s illegal for anyone to “make a statement which indicates that an individual’s patronage or presence at a place of public accommodation is unwelcome or unacceptable because of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression…” among other designated classes. [emphasis mine]
In other words, East Lansing wants to forbid any dissent to the modern and very perverse sexual movement. You will not be allowed to disagree, under any condition. And if you try, you will be blackballed, censored, and squashed, as is the right of our all-knowing government.
Stalin would be proud. So would Hitler, Mussolini, and all past despots who liked killing people who disagreed with them.
The Tennes have of course sued, with their defense being handled by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). The trial finally occurred in late July, but as far as my research can find no ruling has yet been issued.
In 2017 it was a no brainer for the court to rule in favor of the Tennes. Then, the madness overwhelming the left because of the victory by Donald Trump had only begun to take them over.
Now, in 2021, with the principles of the Bill of Rights long forgotten by the dominant leftist culture, we must not assume the court will rule in their favor. The pressure to conform to the intolerant left in all matters, from sex to masks to vaccines to quarantines to lockdowns to speech to protests to riots to even murder, has begun quite strong. Fewer and fewer people, in the general public and in the courts and government, appear to have the courage to withstand it.
Note too that even if the Tennes win, expect further attempts at censorship from the local government, run by the Democratic Party. We have already seen numerous times how the left ignores court rulings to continue its dictatorial attacks on its opponents. I guarantee that as long as these tyrants remain in power in East Lansing they will try again.
We are a democratic republic. It really is the responsibility of the voters to act. As long as they endorse this oppressive behavior by Democrats with electoral victories, it will go on, and with increased enthusiasm.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Hopefully the 7OO Club will more than make up for any shortfall….there are always preserves.
To show you how TOTALLY EVIL the Tennes are, just read this. It will make your blood boil, that they would descend to such acts
“Live out of the area? You can support our farm by buying a Food Bank Apple CSA online and support our farm while feeding families in Michigan . We’ll pick and bag up the apples to give to the Greater Lansing Food Bank. This is in addition to our Pick a Peck for People Program that we host every fall where you, our customers, picked over 5400 pounds of apples in just fours hours on November 1st, 2020. Save the date as we will host it next from 1 to 5pm on October 31st, 2021. THANK YOU!”
They must be eradicated! Totally crushed!! Ground into powder beneath our bootheels for such contemptuous actions!!!
If I were the Tennes, I’d say to East Lansing, “You don’t want us at the market, you obviously don’t want our donations to the food bank”. cut all ties with it and find other charities to support. They won’t do that, of course. They are Christians and would turn the other cheek, and would think that real people being hurt by such an action would be the people dependent on it, not the fascists.
By the way, East Lansing is the home of Michigan State with an endowment $3.4 Billion and 49,000 students. Does the University support the food bank? How many of its students do? How many students use the food bank as a way of avoiding the “board” portion of room and board, depriving the truly needy it is intended to support (I saw it happen where I went to school)?
TIP of the iceberg! I live in a medium sized college town in the Peoples Republic of Washington (State). I’m sure I’ve not long to wait before I won’t be able to renew my business license, pull a building permit, pay my State quarterly taxes, (ETC) without signing something like the “Human Relations Ordinance”. Then I’ll be in violation of all sorts of regulations and my life will be forfeit. Of course all I’ll have to do to avoid “unpleasantries” is take the course, pay the fines, and SIGN.
Easily missed factoid— the Tennes’ are both veterans.
Country Mill Farms is physically located outside of Charlotte, Mi. which is roughly between Lansing and Battle Creek.
The E. Lansing Farmers Market has only been in operation since 2099-ish, and it is literally across the street from the University.
—
“…..been in operation since 2009-ish…”
Every leftist thinks they just need to do their part to stop those nasty right wing people.
Give them ANY government power in any way and they will then use that power to push their points and suppress those they do not agree with.
The reason they think they have the power is because they use their governments lawyers to protect themselves.
If they were forced to pay for their own lawyers they would NEVER do these things.
You never here about people like this until they have the legal power of the governments lawyers to hide behind.
“It’s illegal for anyone to “make a statement which indicates that an individual’s patronage or presence at a place of public accommodation is unwelcome or unacceptable because of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression…” ”
East Lansing appears to be deliberately mis-interpreting the law. On the evidence, the Tennes’ expressed disapproval of homosexual marriage, NOT that individuals so engaged were unwelcome. Or maybe they did explicitly ban gay marrieds; can’t tell from the info.
Honestly, legal beagles, there look to be some professionally interesting developments you should maybe look at.
The swamp hates Christians because they are everything the swamp isn’t: a world-wide organization that embraces everyone and cares for the poor. And they have God.
That said I have been alarmed at the churches appeasement at best and embracing at worst of the swamp. Very few leaders are standing up like Canadian pastor Artur Pawlowski. Where are the wagons encircling the Tennes?
The alliance defending freedom is taking Charlotte Michigan to court to overturn the ban. To fight back, consider donating to them. https://adflegal.org/blog/country-mill-farms-banned-east-lansing-market-because-facebook-post
James–
Glad you brought up the good Pastor.
Artur Pawlowski
Church on Easter Weekend: ‘Get Out! You Nazis!’
https://youtu.be/ziWXH7T15zw
2:20
Bob–
Their orchard is located outside of Charlotte, but it’s the City of East Lansing that is being sued
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
“We’re Waiting, Sir….”
https://youtu.be/W6QDmeWhSHg?t=51
The Berlin Wall goes up
August 13, 1961
https://youtu.be/SPKfR1fdJOg
1:48
Yesterday, we went downtown to see what we could find for a Sunday brunch. Almost everything was closed – it being Sunday, donchyaknow. It’s going to take some adjusting, but I think I’m going to like my new small town.
There is a certainly amount of cowardice in just fleeing Denver, but I am going to get involved in Rapid City to help hold off the progressive infestation. I just think it will be wise to wait until I’m here more than a week before sticking my outsider nose into things.
markedup2–
Just skimmed your blog real quick. So, you recently moved from Colorado to Rapid City?
–very cool.
let’s go for a drive….
Rapid City to Mount Rushmore
The HighWayMan June 2012
https://youtu.be/L5dTpXtA7H0
10:09
markedup2 observed “There is a certainly amount of cowardice in just fleeing Denver, . . ”
Not if you didn’t vote for the politcal climate. If it is obvious that amenable change won’t occur where you are, no point in suffering if there are options.
I do detest people who vote Progressive, then flee when those policies are implemented. Looking at you, Californians and Seattleites. You vote, then run away, leaving the sainted ‘poor’ holding the bag.
I would be a little more sympathetic if those same people didn’t bring their failure with them; if they actually learned from experience.