Washington State Family Policy Institute: We Stand With Arlene's Flowers

Here's the first response to the lawsuit I reported about earlier today. From the Washington Family Policy Institute:

No one notified Ms. Stutzman that under the new regime, kindness and understanding, while holding true to your convictions, cannot be tolerated. After all, we're on a mission to make the world more tolerant. The suit asks the florist to promise to never again be so naughty and pay a fine of $2,000 for stepping out of line. Should a pacifist web designer be fined for telling the National Rifle Association he would rather not design their website? Should the Republican printer be required to print campaign literature for the Democrats?

I miss liberals. Back in the day, a liberal who was denied service from a business for reasons he didn't appreciate might express his thoughts with his middle finger, which would be his right, but at the end of the day he would still appreciate the fact that in America people are free to be themselves even if he finds it annoying, inconvenient, or offensive. Now they believe they are legally entitled to someone else's labor. Friends, you may not be a florist, and you may have made a different decision, but liberty is at stake for all of us. Draw your line in the sand right here. Don't ignore the bully just because he hasn't punched you in the mouth yet.

Their email notes that the state's lawsuit is legally unrelated to same-sex marriage and was filed under Washington state's previously existing non-discrimination statute, which in their words "was bad then and is bad now."

UPDATE: And here comes Byran Fischer.

UPDATE II: NOM's lead sentence to the story: "Like clockwork, those who disagree with gay marriage are being fined and forced out of the public square -- by the state-imposed redefinition of marriage."

UPDATE III:  And now Tony Perkins.